


Star Wars: Light's Brink

by Starbornshine



Series: Legacy of the Lost [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Amnesia, Clone Wars, Evil, F/M, Lightsaber, LostJedi, Mando'a, Mystery, OC, Starwars - Freeform, etc - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-08
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2018-07-22 07:57:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 57
Words: 481,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7426603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starbornshine/pseuds/Starbornshine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alana Sheelan is 16 year old amnesiac padawan training under her master during the clone wars. She hopes to end the war. However Alana's murky past holds a dark secret, one she isn't aware of herself. What is she to do when during her first solo mission her past comes back to kill her, and it won't stop at anything to get to her. Teaming up with a Mandolorian bounty hunter and an odd droid Alana fights to complete her mission. But her past may hold a key that they all need to stop the separatists plan. </p><p>Note: This wasn't really supposed to be a fanfic but it sorta turned into one. Star Wars belongs to LucasFilm and Disney. I merely own my original characters and the places that I made up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Kinrath

EDIT (nearly 2 years laters): So, hi! Let me cut straight to the chase: I started writing this fanfic when I was barely 15 and my writing style was horrific and the first 8 chapters were supposed to follow a completely different plot so I'm rewriting them. Nothing major, just correcting the grammar and making the lines less cringy. At the time of this notice I'm taking a short break between chapter 50 and 51 so I think it's safe to say that my writing has improved by leaps and bounds therefore I've decided to rewrite the first 8 chapters, but after that you're just going to have to watch as my writing improved. I apologise, but I can't rewrite everything. So, hopefully this version is better. Anywho, Enjoy!

=== SW: LB===

Chapter 1 - Kinrath

The planets that existed on the borders of the outer rim, nearly in the unknown regions, were mysterious and often deadly. Such a description fit the planet known as Ralak too. Ralak was a forest world, the third world in the system that was located not too far from Zonama Sekot -the Asterus system. Ralak seemed mostly uninhabited save for the small pesky creatures known as Chiskas and the spindly, venomous Kinrath. It was normally devoid of any fully sentient life, however, that did not appear to be the case on that particular day.  
A young female Padawan raced through the forest, her feet rustling the fallen leaves from the towering trees and brushing against the long grass. She jumped over the chiskas, the small herbivores that seemed too lazy to get out of her way and vaulted over the obstacles that the forest seemed intent on throwing her way. She was fast, too fast for a normal human, her speed having been amplified by the Force. With the help of it she managed to head towards her destination much faster than she normally would have been able to.  
Alana huffed as she ducked under a fallen log, easily sliding under it. Her Master was a total scatterbrain sometimes. What in the universe had possessed him to think that leaving behind their astromech on the ship was a good idea when they were going to unlock an old archive base?! Granted, the droid was incredibly annoying, but still. Naturally, the archive building ended up locked so, of course, she had to go back and fetch him which involved going through the forest and traversing serval fields swarming with kinrath. And people said her Master sheltered her. Alana exhaled again, reining in her temper and irritation. As she finally made her way out of the dark forest, Alana noticed a small cliffside come into view. Alana slowed her pace to a steady walk, approaching the rather large cave at the bottom of the cliff. Upon entering the cave, Alana found that the ship they'd left behind here, known as the "Guardian", was no longer there and she knew exactly what had happened. The young Jedi in training growled under her breath:  
-Jaytoo, I swear, when I get my hands on you... I'm really going to turn that droid into spare parts!  
It was a threat Alana often made, but had never gone through with it before though this time she was severely tempted to. R2-J2 was a very unique astromech to say the least. Alana had the sneaking suspicion that the gold and red droid with an attitude problem had a bit of a bug in his system, because for some reason or other the little astromech believed he was the best damn star pilot in the known galaxy and as a result he often took off with the Guardian for a joyride. She didn't pretend to know why her Master kept his patience with that pesky annoyance of a droid, but after spending six years with the droid Alana had to admit he had grown on her just a bit. In any case, that was completely beside the point right now! Alana sighed: honestly, one day he was going to end up being the death of them, that short-circuited red idiot. Shaking her head, Alana clicked on her comlink to contact her Master:  
-Master, we, uh, may have a minor problem.  
Alana's Jedi Master, a man named Kai Lionis, groaned on the other end of the line:  
-Please tell me J2 isn't whining about the natives again.  
-Um, no. Actually, J2 isn't here at all and,- Alana paused,- neither is the Guardian.  
She heard her master facepalm:  
-I should have know. He's gone off on one of his joyrides again, hasn't he?  
-Most probably.  
Alana agreed, hearing Kai sigh tiredly. There was a pause before the Jedi Knight asked:  
-Well, is there no way to contact him?  
-Give me a moment.  
Alana pulled out a small tracking device from one of the many pouches of her belt. She checked the location of the ship via the tracker she had had the foresight to plant on the ship after J2's last joyride only to see it heading for an asteroid field not far from Taris. No doubt the reckless astromech was going to try and navigate through the asteroids for fun. He really was going to get the ship blown up someday. Alana shook her head even though she knew the older Jedi couldn't see it:  
-No, he's left the system and is now heading for an asteroid field not far from Taris. He's probably going to try to pull off one of his reckless stunts again.  
-What?! He's going to crash the ship!  
-Master, when he gets back may I please scrap him? I swear I'll donate his parts to a good cause.  
Kai sighed in exasperation:  
-No, Alana, for the millionth time, you can't. As well as I understand your feelings we need J2 even if his remains would go to a good cause. So, what do we do?  
Alana shrugged:  
-I don't know. You're the Jedi Knight here, not me.  
-I'm...I'm open to suggestions.  
Kai sounded so lost and so out of his element that Alana couldn't help but smile. Her Master was normally very confident about everything they did. Alana chuckled:  
-Wow. The great Kai Lionis actually has no idea what to do! Oh my, the world must be ending!  
-Alana, shut up.  
-No, no, Master, you sounded very inspiring back there.   
-And you're the definition of sincere right now, my young padawan.  
-Well, someone's got to lead the cheer squad.  
Alana teased, grinning away without a care in the world. This banter was normal for them, this was how their Master-Padawan relationship worked. Kai snorted:  
-Why thank you. Careful, that you don't trip over your pride there.  
-Oh, Master, but that's actually your pride not mine. Mine's standing on that shelf over there, well below your ego.   
-You cheeky little--  
-Tut tut, Master, a Jedi must not know anger.  
Kai groaned, making Alana laugh some more. She knew he really wasn't mad at her, but winding him us was so much fun sometimes. It wasn't like he didn't pay her back twofold either. Everything was well balanced. Kai decided to readdress the issue at hand, his tone turning serious again:  
-So do you have a plan how to deal with our teensy tiny problem or not?  
Alana bit her lip, a bad habit of hers she couldn't seem to break as she did it whenever she was thinking about something for a while. The original plan was to have J2 come with her and slice the controls to open the door since lightsabers couldn't cut through the annoying thing. However, now that plan had flown out the window. The building Alana and Kai were trying to get into was in fact a building that was identified as an ancient Jedi archive from who knows when and the Council wanted it investigated. After a moment of thinking, Alana replied:  
-I have an idea we can try, but I'm not one hundred percent sure it will work...  
-Do or do not. There is no try...  
-Master, please don't try to be like Yoda. I mean, I know you have to be cryptic to be a member of the cool Jedi club, but that is just ridiculous. How can you do something without trying?  
-My theory is he's talking about commitment, but then again with Yoda you never really know. Anyway, what's this idea of yours?  
-Well, it involves me hotwiring the door to make it go KABLOOEY!  
Alana could almost see the older Jedi roll his eyes. Her crazy ideas always gave him a headache. He sighed, way too tired to argue with his young, ingenious student:  
-Yeah, sure, let's go with that. It's not like I have a better idea.  
-Yes! I mean, thank you for approving of my plan, Master.  
Alana mimicked the way normal padawans addressed their Masters, cringing at the awkwardness internally. Kai snorted:  
-Drop the exemplary padawan act. I don't know how you manage to fool the Masters every single time, but it won't work on me. How long do you think I've known you?  
Alana shrugged:  
-Six years. I became your padawan when I was 10. Remember, there was this whole fuss about me being young to become a padawan not to mention the fact that I never was a youngling to begin with?  
-Oh, right. So, basically you've been a pain to me for six years now. How quickly time flies, I forgot.  
Alana grinned: he was leaving himself wide open. She was quick to comment in mock horror:  
-Wow, getting old must be scary...  
-I AM NOT OLD! I mean, what makes you say that?  
Like master, like student he supposed. He really was a bad influence on her. Of course, Alana couldn't let him have the final word:  
-Well, seeing as you keep calling me your young Padawan, when I'm already sixteen I figured that must make you an old man.   
-Alana Sheelan, stop misinterpreting my words.  
-Well, how am I supposed to know what you mean? You keep telling me to search for a deeper meaning in your words and now you're telling me not to! Make up your mind - which is it?  
Kai ran a hand over his face, messing up his chestnut hair. He groaned:  
-Ugh, just do me a favour and get over here so we can "kablooey" this door.  
-Sure, but I may be a bit late. There are a lot of kinrath here and they don't exactly like me.  
Alana added, looking at a nearby field positively swarming with the spindly creatures. Kai rolled his pale green eyes:  
-I'm certain you can handle them. A big girl like you? Not a problem.  
Alana chuckled after gasping in fake shock. She knew both of them were slightly abnormal and their relationship was all the more so. They put on a good show in front of the High Jedi Council and the other Masters, but when it was just the two of them (technically three if one counted J2) they dropped the exemplary Master and padawan act. Alana would still call him Master, but the way the liked to goof off and tease each other was more akin to a relationship between siblings. Alana backed up his comment:  
-You know it, Master. I'll be there soon. I know we're on a schedule. We don't really want that patrol of clankers that have been tailing us since Bimmiel to catch up, do we?  
Kai sighed:  
-Be careful, Alana, don't pull anything crazy while you're coming back. The last thing I want to do is pull you out of a Kinrath Queen's mouth. It'd be like Felucia all over again.  
-Master, your memory is really failing you. If you would recall correctly, that time the tribe wanted to feed both of us to the spider queen because of a smart ass comment you made and I saved us by invoking one of their ancient laws.  
-Oh...Right.   
-So, clankers?  
-Don't worry about them. We could handle them no sweat.  
Kai reassured her confidently, a bit of cockiness seeping into his tone. Alana decided to not let him get a big head by teasing him:  
-Are you sure your old man back wouldn't give out, Master?  
The teenage padawans cheerfully quipped, fully aware of her Masters true age. Kai Lionis was rather young, only 26, but details weren't important. Kai retorted:  
-Call me old again and I'll leave you behind, little girl.  
-You know you love me, old man.  
-Just get moving, Alana.  
-How'd you know I'm not moving yet?  
-Because that teeny tiny presence that belongs to you hasn't moved in the last fifteen minutes.  
Alana huffed in annoyance. She should have known he would sense her. It seemed the fun would have to take a momentary break, but there was no way Alana was letting Kai have the last word in this conversation:  
-Yeah, yeah, I'm going....grumpy man.  
She had added the last two words under her breath, but sure enough Kai hear her:  
-I heard that!  
-Good. You were meant to, Master Jedi.  
-Just move your butt, kid.  
Kai told her before the transmission ended and the comlink returned to their usual appearance, without the glowing green circle. Alana sighed and removed her green lightsaber from her belt just in case that swarm of very irritable kinrath decided to attack. The cool metal of the weapon against Alana's palm made her relax a bit, her fingers curling reflexively around the slender silver hilt while her thumb slid up to rest upon the ignition button.   
Upon stepping out of the cave, Alana was instantly met with an unwelcome sight: five large, poisonous, clicking kinrath had decided to corner her. That was not smart on their part. Igniting her green blade with a familiar snap-hiss, Alana grumbled:  
-Today is just not my day.  
All of the Kinrath moved in at once, but Alana had no intention of becoming anyone's afternoon snack anytime soon and Force leapt over them. The Kinrath turned around hissing and clicking angrily, obviously they had not expected their snack to be able to fight back or use the Force. Alana quickly looked around for something she could throw at them, fortunately for her, there was a large rock just a few meters away. Using the Force, Alana threw the rock at them and decided to use the momentary confusion to put some distance between them and her. As soon as she was far enough, Alana sat down onto the ground in a meditative position.   
Alana let the Force flow through her, letting it calm her and envelop her in it's protective warmth. As she slowly reached into the Force, Alana closed her eyes and assessed her options. Option number one: She could throw another boulder at them and hope to get away, but the chances of that plan being successful were rather slim. Option number two: She could kill the kinrath and hope not to get poisoned by their deadly pincers, but she really didn't like this idea. Option number three: She could use the Force to manipulate the kinrath's minds. She liked option three the best, so the young Force-user concentrated on feeling out the kinrath's Force presences. As soon as she found them she began filling their mind with peaceful emotions and soon they were more or less calm. Slowly and gently Alana started to whisper into their minds:  
-You want to leave and go to sleep...You want to leave and go to sleep..  
The kinrath obeyed her in their trance. They walked away from the cave but Alana knew that she couldn't release her grasp on them just yet, not until they fell asleep anyway. Luckily that happened almost as soon as they left. The kinrath folded their long spindly green legs under them and went to sleep, safe in their burrrows. As soon as they all fell asleep Alana's grip on them was automatically released. She stood up and streched, holding her lightsaber in her right hand:  
-Well, I better go before Master rips all his hair out while worrying.  
Muttering those words, Alana headed in the direction of the forest. She sincerely hoped that the rest of the day would be highly uneventful, but a nagging feeling told her that that would not be so.


	2. The mission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all those lovely people who stayed with me until chapter 2! I told you I would write more, didn't I? It turns out there's a perfect way to pass the time at boring lessons in school: write rough drafts of your star wars story on the margins of your exercise book! Anyway I don't know exactly when I'll be able to upload again but hopefully it will be soon. Thanks everyone!

Edit (2 years later) : PLEASE REFER TO THE EDIT NOTE BEFORE CHAPTER 1.  
===================================================================================

Chapter 2- The mission

Seeing as how it was in her best interest to hurry Alana decided to go through the treetops instead of the forest floor this time. The forest floor had far too many obstacles. Scaling one of the trees had been no easy feat, but with Alana's natural agility and her experience at climbing she managed just fine. Like a small woodland animal, Alana jumped from tree to tree with the help of the Force.  
  The trees on Ralak were about half the height of the trees on Kashyyk, but what they lacked in height they made up for in numbers. At the crown the trees had large, thick branches with many dark green leaves that blocked out a lot of the sunlight, while the trunk of the tree was wide and round, protected by the dark brown bark. At the tree's many roots Chiskas scuttled about, nervously glancing up before proceeding to gnaw on the bark. The bark on these trees was the Chiskas favourite food as it contained plenty of moisture and the Chiskas, being somewhat related to the water-dwelling amphibians, loved it. Leaping from tree to tree, Alana moved faster than any normal human could by relying on the ever-present Force. She knew if she overused the Force her own life could be in danger, but she was in a hurry. She needed to get to the base before the separatist droids came and in much larger numbers, she was sure her Master , being as injured as he was, couldn't fight them off all by himself. As she made her next jump Alana couldn't help remembering how they had gotten assigned this mission.  
Alana and her master had just finished their mission on Bimmiel and decided to stop off at the Jedi temple on Dantooine to refuel and get a bit of rest before continuing on their journey back towards Coruscant. They were making a bit of a loop but both of them decided it was better to be safe than sorry. Alana as looking forward to seeing her friend at the Jedi temple on Coruscant again so she wanted to get on with their journey as soon as possible. But it seemed life had other plans. As soon as they landed they were informed by a protocol droid that the High Jedi Council was trying to contact them and apparantly had sommething important to say. Alana and her Master exchanged quizzical glances but complied. As soon as they came into the meeting room they were greeted by the holograms of all the Council members. Mater Yoda spoke first:

-Welcome you we do, Master Lionis and your padawan. You are well, we hope?

Alana and her Master bowed:

-Yes, Master, we are fine albeit a little tired, but nothing a good nights rest won't fix.

At that Master Windu spoke up:

-I am afraid we cannot grant you that luxury.

-What do you mean, Master Windu? Haven't we completed our task on Bimmiel?

Master Yoda sighed:

-That done you have. But have a new problem we do.

-What is it?

Master Plo stepped forward:

-Do you know of the planet Ralak?

Seeing that her Master remained silent Alana stepped forward and spoke up quietly:

-Is it that forest planet, just outside the Dalobian Sector a little way from Zonama Sekot?

Master Windu nodded:

-Yes, that's the one. I assume you have heard of it before?

-Just in passing, I have never laid eyes on it.

-Well I comend you on your memory then young one.

Alana bowed her head:

-Thank you Master,that means a lot to me.

Master Plo decided to continue:

-We are well aware of the fact that you have just completed your mission on Bimmiel but you are the only ones close enough to get to the planet before the Separatist do.

Mater Lionis's eyes widened:

-The separatists? What are they doing so far out?

-Unsure of their objectives we are. But get there first you must.

Alana glanced at her Master worriedly. She, unlike the council, knew that her Master had gotten seriously injured on Bimmiel after the had gotten in a little trouble with some Slashrats. Slashrats were rodent-like predators, native to Bimmiel. They were about 1.2 metres long and hunted in packs- they were a force to be reckoned with that was for sure. She wasn't sure if her Master could handle it even if he began drawing on the Force heavily for strength. However he shook his head barely perceptibly and Alana just sighed. Master could be as stubborn as a Bantha if he wanted to be.

-So, Masters, what is the urgent mission that you require us to do so urgently?

Jedi Master Shaak Ti spoke seriously:

-Two days ago we received a transmission from Master Lunas and her padawan Emira Leeta, who were on Ralak at that time and had apparantely found an old Jedi archive building. According to them they assumed it dated back to the beggining of the Mandolorian war.

Alana's eyes widened. The Mandolorian war?! But that was during the times of theOld  Republic ages ago! Why would someone build an archive building so far out in the galaxy? Master Shaak Ti continued, her voice revebrating through the room with seriousness:

-However, a day ago transmissions ceased. We tried contacting them many times but there was no response. We had also tried searching for their presence in the Force, however it was as if they ceased to exist.

Alana let out a soft gasp of horror, beside her Master Lionis was also shocked. Alana instantly became worried for her best friend, Emira before quickly snapping out of it by reminding herself that Master Lunas was a skilled jedi and so was Emira- they could pull through. However the disappearence of their presence from the Force worried her, she had never heard of anything like that happening before. Her Master suddenly spoke up, his voice was grave:

-So you want us to find them? 

-No, that is unessecary. About an a hour ago we got through to Master Lunas and found out that both she and her padawan were fine and although they had no idea how it had happened they were now on Yavin V. They are currently en route back to Coruscant, for a medical check up and to give us their report.

Both Alana and her Master breathed a sigh of relief and shared a small smile. Master Windu spoke next:

-However, from what we have managed to gather, they never did make it into the archive building. And that's exactly what we want you to do.

-So basically you want us to go into the archive building and do a recon?

-Yes. We need to know what knowledge it contains.

-Understood. We shall leave right away.

Master Lionis and Alana bowed to the High Council and the holographic transmission cut off. Alana waited until they were outside the temple and heading back to the Guardian before pouncing on her Master. 

-Master, what were you thinking?! You are in no condition to go on another mission! Especially not one that could involve the Separtists!

-Don't worry, I can handle it. Moreover the sooner we get this done the sooner we can go back to Coruscant, don't you want to see Emira again?

Alana looked at her Master a sly smile spread on her face:

-Oh, I do, but what about you? Don't you wan't to see Master Lunas again?

Her Master turned away from her and responded barely audibly:

-I don't know what you're talking about. 

-Whatever you say, Master. Hope you won't mind me telling Master Lunas that though, I thought you two were friends but since you said that...

Alana's master quickly turned around to face her, his green eyes dancing worriedly:

-Okay, okay I want to see her too. Please don't tell her!

Alana faked an evil laugh:

-Mwahaha, you have finally admitted it!

Master raised an eyebrow at her :

-Admitted what?

Alana dropped the villain act and ran slightly ahead of her Master before turning around and smiling at him teasingly:

-That you miss her!

-We're friends, isn't that normal?

-Of course it is ,Master, of course it is...

Alana turned back around and continued walking ahead of him, grinning to herself. She had noticed the way her Master acted around the white haired woman long ago and unless she was wrong (which she knew she wasn't) it was a very intresting friendship indeed. Master Lunas also acted just as naturally around him which was an endless topic of conversation between the two mischevious padawans. Alana heard her master sigh behind her before saying:

-Why can't you be a normal student?

-You're hardly one to be talking, after all, I learned everything from you..

Soon after they had reached the Guardian and got onto the ship. After a brief quarell between Alana and J2 (which Master Lionis expertly ignored) they set off towards Ralak.

Lost in her memories, Alana crashed into a branch. Rubbing her forehead and wincing Alana looked over to find that she was there. But something felt off. Alana's dark blue eyes searched desperately for her master before she spotted him fighting off about half a dozen battle droids at once. She looked to the left and saw at least twice as many more arriving. Igniting her lightsaber, Alana quipped:

-Well this should be fun!


	3. The Confrontation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here it is chapter 3! I'm sorry if a lot of stuff doesn't make sense here and there are two possible explanations for that: 1) We're still too early into the story for you to get it and 2) I have a fever and it's possibly affecting my writing. Oh and those of you worried about Alana being somehow connected to Skywalker or being stronger than him-don't worry. Anakin is of course the Chosen One in this story and Alana is only on the same level with him right now when she uses that Force-thingy. So don't worry about Anakin losing his role, 'cause he's not going to. Phew, cleared that up. So yeah - enjoy!
> 
> EDIT (2 years later): REFER TO EDIT NOTICE IN CHAPTER 1

Chapter 3 - The Confrontation

Kai sighed as he reflected another volley of blaster bolts coming for him with his blue lightsaber upon hearing his padawan's confident quip. "Fun" was the last word he'd choose to describe this little workout. So their little tail had caught up to them after all. J2 had noticed it back when they had just left the Bimmiel system, but they had thought they'd lost it back when they had jumped into hyperspace as they didn't encounter any trace of them on Dantooine. They had been wrong. A stray blaster bolt managed to evade his lightsaber and was heading right for his heart, but a second later it was blocked by a green blade. Reflecting another pair of bolts which managed to hit their assailants, Kai breathed a sigh of relief:  
-You have good timing. That was a close one.  
Alana chuckled as she launched into a spinning move which ended with her beheading two B1 battle droids in a single slash:  
-That's not what you said yesterday!  
Kai's ears flushed red as he furiously cut down another three super battle droids, taking out his embarrassment on them. Taking a breath, he shot back:  
-Do you have to bring that up?!  
Alana laughed, dodging her a small proton blast by doing a set of handsprings backwards and a cartwheel before sticking a flawless landing. Sometimes Kai wondered how his student had ended up being such an acrobat and other times he wondered if she was just being a show-off. With Alana it was hard to tell. He was forcibly jerked out of his thoughts as trio of destroyers rolled onto the battlefield. Whoever had caught sight of them meant serious business. Kai was forced to duck behind a rather large rock when the destroyers or as the seps called them droidekas rushed at him at full speed. Alana decided to intervene: raising one hand she used the Force to lift at least a dozen of decent-sized rocks and hurl them at the droidekas to knock them off balance while she dealt with another group of especially annoying B1 droids. That gave her Master the opening he needed. As the droidekas tottered and tried to regain their balance their plasma shield faltered and Kai sliced them in half. Unfortunately, that did not seem to be the end of their trouble as another battalion of B1 droids was approaching. Soon Kai found himself back to back with his student simply reflecting the barrage of blaster bolts that the encircling droids were hurling at them. Annoyed, Alana grumbled:  
-Well, they're persistent if anything.  
-Is that really news to you?!  
Alana huffed, sending a powerful force push at the droids that had decided to come closer and effectively breaking the encirclement:  
-Not exactly, but then again it's not like you an I are part of the front line assault group.  
Kai hummed an agreement, adding:  
-You better thank your lucky stars for that.  
-Believe me, I do. I'm not stupid enough to want to charge headfirst into a war zone. I always feel weird whenever we're in one.  
-The Force is hollow?  
-No. I don't,- Alana paused to cut down another group of mechanical assailants,-really know how to describe it. I just don't like it. Hey, it's not like I'm ungrateful that we're not part of them, but why do you think they keep us from the front lines?  
Kai sighed and decided to focus on getting rid of their attackers as he thought of how to answer her question. He had a suspicion as to why they kept them from the front lines, but he wasn't about to voice that suspicion in front of Alana. It would only hurt her further. He already blamed himself for being unable to protect her from the judgment and prejudice she still fought against everyday within the Order. Kai shrugged, dispatching the last of his droids:  
-Heck if I know. Maybe they think you're too much of a slacker to help.  
Alana scoffed as she took down her last pair and turned to her Master with her dark blue eyes narrowed:  
-Or maybe they think that you're too old to fight.  
-I'M NOT OLD!  
Alana grinned, reattaching her lightsaber back to her belt as all the enemies had been taken care of:  
-Touchy, are we? Do you feel signs of old age already?  
Kai glared at the teenager:  
-I'm not touchy, little girl. I'm only 26.  
-Nearly 27. Your birthday's coming us soon.  
-Don't remind me!  
Kai exclaimed, a scandalised look appearing on his face. Alana snorted, leaning against a tree's trunk:  
-Hey, Master, have you ever thought that you missed your calling as an actor? You'd make a great actor what with all the dramatics.  
Kai sank down on the ground, leaning against the rock he'd taken cover behind earlier and closing his eyes lazily:  
-Sorry, but I'm a Jedi through and through.  
Alana raised an eyebrow:  
-Really?  
-Really.  
-Really really?  
-Yes.  
-Are you absolutely certain?  
-Of course.  
-A thousand percent?  
-Alana!  
Alana laughed as Kai glowered at her, but suddenly that laughter faded and Alana's face took on an alarmed expression. She instinctively straightened out and her eyes started scanning all around them searching for the origin of the presence. A presence that she had never felt before, but one she knew without a doubt should not be here. Kai sat up as soon as he felt a strong sense of unease emanate from Alana. She stood alert, looking all around with one hand just short of drawing her lightsaber from her belt. Kai got to his feet and cautiously called out his student's name:  
-Alana?  
She didn't seem to hear him. Who was it? Who was the owner of that stiflingly dark presence? Where was it coming from?! Seeing her not react to her name only worried Kai even more - something was definitely wrong here. What was Alana looking for? Or who? As far as he knew there was nobody here besides them - Ralak was uninhabited. A shiver ran up Kai's spine- he couldn't sense anyone in the Force aside from Alana. He tried calling out to Alana again, approaching her slowly:  
-Alana, what's wrong?  
Instead of an answer to his question he heard her mutter:  
-This presence...Why is it so dark? How...  
Kai reached out to touch her shoulder when she suddenly darted off into the woods. Alana ran as fast as her legs could carry her, barely sparing any thought for the woodland obstacles that blocked her path. She had found it! The source of the presence. A small part of her mind that was still functioning logically told her to stay away, that it was dangerous, but Alana didn't listen. Soon she found herself in a woodland clearing. She stood still, listening and simply observing. At Alana's feet the long blades of grass and small wildflowers swayed, disturbed by the breeze that passed through this place while the trees surrounding it seemed far too lazy to move their branches but still consented to let light stream in. The clearing was mostly empty save for one thing - a crashed fighter overgrown with moss and ivy, it had obviously lain here for centuries upon end. Alana frowned: could it have been the source of the presence? She reached into the Force and searched again. Yes, the dark presence was still here. Slowly, Alana moved towards the crashed starship. Maybe this could give her a clue... Alana's hand had barely brushed against the scorched metal surface of the ship when she was suddenly overwhelmed with a strong sense of familiarity. Alana ran her hand across the metal surface of the ship, pushing back the ivy as she searched for the name. Why was this so familiar? And how was it connected to the dark presence? Alana started when she heard a cold male voice speak from right behind her:  
-So, you really did come alone...You are as foolish as ever, Alana Sheelan.  
The young Jedi felt that overwhelming darkness looming over her from behind. Slowly, careful not to make sudden moves Alana stood up and turned around. She could feel the darkness poking and prodding at her, making her tighten her mental shields. She didn't know why, but that voice made her afraid, very afraid. She hadn't been this afraid in the last six years... The teenager turned around to see a figure cloaked in black standing on the other side of the clearing, holding a slender black cylinder in hand. She couldn't see the man's face, but his body language and the subtle warnings of the Force was enough to assure her of his hostile intent. In any case, she didn't recognise him. Alana tried her best to hide her fear, but even she knew that her eyes would betray her. They always had. The man made a sound that Alana would normally have classified as a breathy chuckle:  
-My, those eyes...Where is your famed courage? Don't tell me the last six years have made you grow weak.  
Alana's mind struggled to comprehend what was going on. In small, jolting movements her hand reached towards her lightsaber. She didn't understand what was going on and the fear consuming her entire being was not helping at all. In a quiet, shaking (oh, how she hated that it was so) voice Alana spoke up:  
-W-who are you?  
The man took a step forward, prompting Alana to instinctively take a step back. Calmly, as though he was discussing the fact that grass was green, he spoke:  
-Oh, so you have forgotten me. Already? That is...unfortunate, but it changes nothing. This will be your final stand. Prepare yourself.  
Alana didn't have anything to say in response. Only one thing was clear in her muddled mind: this man knew her and he was going to kill her. Something inside Alana snapped and she found herself straightening up and igniting her lightsaber. Soon her green blade's glow was joined by the burning intensity of a crimson one. A Sith. Alana didn't find herself surprised. It was as though all her emotions had shut off and only cold logic reined. The man raised his blade to point at her and Alana shifted into a defensive position. Before she could blink he rushed at her with such speed that Alana didn't have time to block. Acting on an impulse, Alana barely managed to escape being beheaded, trading that for a slash across her left arm. The pain was blinding, but Alana didn't let herself take her eyes off the enemy as he straightened up. Adrenaline rushed through Alana's veins: she knew she couldn't withstand another attack like that again. She wasn't strong enough. Deciding to try and outrun him, Alana used the Force to lift up three boulders and toss them at the Sith, kicking up a cloud of dirt to mask her escape. However, before she could move a muscle a fork of bright purple Force lightning hit her body, making her fall to the ground and cry out in pain. With a single wave of his hand the dust had cleared and Alana saw the Sith standing over her prone body. She could see his mouth set in a frown. As he raised his blade for the final blow he muttered:  
-You really have become pathetic. Goodbye, Alana Sheelan.  
The blade that was set to deal the killing blow suddenly met it's match when another blade, a blue one, clashed against it, effectively halting it's path. Alana looked up to see her Master standing before her as a shield, blocking the Sith's attack. The Sith sprang back, he hadn't been expecting the girl's master to find her so quickly. Kai cast a glance over his shoulder to see Alana picking herself up of the ground, wincing in pain:  
-Are you alright?  
The girl whimpered in pain as she applied weight to her left arm:  
-I'll live. Master, thank you.  
-We're not out of this yet. Now, go hide. Let me do my job.  
For once, Alana didn't argue and took cover behind the downed starfighter. Her arm was throbbing with pain - she wouldn't be much help and besides it was obvious that she was far too weak to face the Sith. All she could do was watch. She heard the Sith speak:  
-Move out the way, Jedi. I have no business with you.  
Her Master stood his ground:  
-Sorry, but no. I won't let you lay a finger on my student.  
The man in black snorted:  
-Your student? So, you were the one who decided to risk it all. How stupid of you. Do you even know what that girl is? She is not supposed to be alive.  
-Let's agree to disagree.  
As soon as those word's left Kai's mouth the Sith charged him. Alana gaped in awe as she watched the two duel. She could barely see them move because of how fast they were going. Alana knew Kai Lionis was no pushover, but she had never seen her Master so serious and so...alive before. He moved as though he was the wind, countering blow after blow while finding an opening to deliver his own. Alana could see why Kai was well respected for his skill with the lightsaber. The Sith, however, was not relenting and Alana could barely see any flaws in his defence or offence. Although they seemed matched in power it was obvious that wouldn't hold for long. That proved to be true as the red blade struck Kai across his torso and Alana watched in horror as though in slow motion he hit a tree trunk and slumped at it's roots, barely conscious. The Sith raised his hand in a choking position and that's when Alana felt something snap. She couldn't just sit by, not now. He was going to kill Kai! She couldn't let him! Before Alana could fully process what she was doing she was igniting her lightsaber and vaulting over the starfighter as she rushed towards the Sith. A strange sort of energy coursed through her and Alana had no idea what she was doing, but she knew she had to protect her Master. He wasn't the one who the Sith was after. She couldn't make a mistake again!  
The Sith and Kai watched on in shock, the Force energy around her was surging with such energy that it was terrifying. The blue light of the Force surrounded her, giving her an eerie glow. Kai had never felt such energy before, not in his life. Alana charged at the Sith, her green lightsaber glowing brighter than ever with the energy of the Force coursing through it. As soon as it hit the red blade of the Sith he was thrown backwards into a tree as though he weighed nothing at all. Picking himself up, the man grunted:  
-Well, well, maybe you're not as pathetic as you seem. You still posses that power after all these years.  
Alana glared at the Sith:  
-Stop acting like you know me.  
-I do know you, probably much better than you know yourself, child of Aroko.  
Alana faltered as he hit a nerve, but she wouldn't let her weakness hold her back now. She spat:  
-I have no idea what you're talking about!  
-Too bad. Now...why don't you go and die like the good little fake Jedi you are?  
-Never.  
-Suit yourself.  
The Sith rushed at her, but somehow Alana managed to parry his attack this time. He jabbed again and again Alana dodged the strike. She pivoted and managed to land a good kick on his stomach, unexpectedly blowing him away into another tree with the Force behind her kick. The man got up and wiped the blood trickling down from his split lip:  
-You're persistent. Very well.  
Suddenly he deactivated his lightsaber and put his palms together. A burst of purple light emanated from him and spread throughout the grove. Before Alana could form a coherent though Kai's bloodcurdling scream rang out. Alana whipped around and rushed over to her Master, emotions taking priority over logic and the Jedi Code:  
-Master! What's wrong?  
Kai just kept writhing in pain on the forest floor as his padawan watched on in horror. If Alana could have seen the Sith's face she would have seen the lifted eyebrow. Alana whirled on the Sith, demanding:  
-Let him go! He's not me!   
-Those are the consequences. Haven't you noticed yet?  
He was right, but Alana's temper had reached the breaking point. A surge of power rushed through her and before she knew what she was doing she had sent out a Force push so powerful that it sent the Sith flying over the treetops and out of view. Gasping for air, Alana stumbled over to her Master. She had gotten lucky she knew, but he was in a bad shape. He wasn't moving, but his pulse was still there. As a shadow fell over the clearing, Alana saw the Guardian land just before them. Alana had never been more grateful to see the ship in her life. Forcing herself to gather the last of her strength, Alana stood up and pulled her Master's lifeless body with her. She only paused at the ramp when she remembered about the mission. Half of her just wanted to say "screw it" to the Council's faces after everything that had just happened, but they did need the knowledge. Biting her lip, Alana pulled out a miniature probe droid out of her belt pouch and activated it. She quickly relayed it's task to it and once it had complied Alana proceeded to drag her Master up the ramp. In the hold she encountered the red and yellow annoyance known as J2. Upon seeing them the droid quickly twittered a worried query to which Alana sighed as she dragged Kai into the Medbay and placed him on the cot:  
-Sorry, Jaytoo. Things got really bad. Can you please get us to Coruscant and get the med droid,-black spots had started dancing in Alana's eyes and the world was intent on swimming,-I know I should, but...  
Before she could finish her sentence, Alana collapsed on the floor. Alarmed, the droid rolled over to check on her, finding her merely unconscious. Holding back his concern, J2 rolled off to follow Alana's orders. Something told him he didn't want to know what had happened...


	4. Healing

Alana awoke to the the sound of metal footsteps, ringing out on the floor. She blearily opened her eyes to see M-3, or Doc as she called him, running a scan over her Master. She looked down at herself, if she had fallen asleep on the floor she shouldn't be feelig so warm and cozy the answer to this riddle was a blanket that had been draped over her. Alana couldn't remember falling asleep much less covering herself with a blanket, the last thing she remebered was talking to J2 about finding Doc. And then it dawned on Alana, J2... it was him... Okay, so maybe turning him into a scrap heap was a bit premature. 

Doc finished runnning the scan on Master Lionis and turned around to see Alana shakily getting off the floor. She smiled as she stood up and leaned against the wall for support before asking:

\- How is Master?

-There is a slight problem which I am not programmed to deal with.

Alana's brow furrowed, there was a reason she called Doc Doc and not M-3. The truth was Doc was originally an M-3 type of droid but with Alana's and Emira's tinkering on him he became a bit too modified to be called a standard medical droid, so Alana renamed him Doc. Doc was equipped and programmed to deal with all sorts of situations, wounds and diseases so if he found something he couldn't deal with it must be serious. 

\- What is it?

\- There is some unknown substance pressing into his trachea, if this continues-he shall suffocate. My system does not recognize this substance.

Alana bit her lip slightly , something she always did when she was in deep in thought. Suddenly her eyes snapped open and without saying anything she walked over to her Masters side and placed her hands on his neck gently. Channeling the Force through her she tried to tap into the Force running through her Masters body but strangely found herself blocked. She closed her eyess and tried again this time making the Force flow faster, and that's when she found the block. The unknown substance slowly crushing her Master's windpipe, his trachea were actually two small clumps of Force energy that were positioned on either side and were slowly moving together. Alana had a faint suspicion how they had gotten there but that knowledge didn't help her remove them. Alana knew that if she were to save her Master she would have to take drastic measures, ones that could end both of their lives. She sighed and gathered up her courage, turninng to Doc she said:

-Doc, listen up. I need you to go and tell J2 to keep the ship steady- no sudden movements. Also if possible I need total quiet, I'm going to try and save Master.

-Understood.

Alana watched as Doc left the room and as sson as the door slid closed she sank down into a meditative position on the floor. She had an idea how t remove the Force Crush balls from her Masters throat but that meant forcing him into a state that was close to death. Her idea-slash-plan consisted of 3 stages.

Stage number 1: Alana had to siphon out and block the flow of the Force into her Masters body which would very quickly bring him near death.

Stage 2: If this part failed she could very well be killing off her Master. She was banking on the fact that the remaining parts of the Force in his body ,the Force energy balls, would unfurl reflexively and dissapate throughout the body to protect it. Thus freeing his trachea.

Stage 3: She had to gently lower the anti-force barrier around him and let the Force fill him but only a bit at a time.

Alana snapped her eyes open and stood up, she breathed in deeply and muttered:

-May we get through this safely...

She began stage 1 and she could already feel the strain this was putting on her body, even though she had been used to the Force since birth. The danger for Alana in this operation was that if she took in too much of the universe's energy inside her or if she failed to hold up the barrier- she would die. Add that to the fact that this kind of thing had never been attempted before and that if Master Lionis died it would be all her fault- Alana was nearly ready to back out. Nearly but not ready. 

Soon Alana felt her Masters Force Presence slowly disappear, the emotional part within her mind began to panic but a stone hard determination silenced it's panicked cries. She was determined to finish what she had started, besides they were well past the point of no return. Alana only stopped the siphoning when his Force presence had nearly disappeared and was panting from the effort. She mumbled nearly inaudibly:

-Please, please work...

For a moment there was nothing. Nothing, no heartbeat, no breathing, just a disappearing force presence.

Alana could feel despair, guilt and other unbearable feelings slowly bearing down onto her when suddenly she felt a jolt throught the Force. A short electrifiyng jolt that sent her heart beating frantically, hope blooming inside her rapidly. Nervously she looked at her Masters body- he was breathing , there was a heartbeat. A second jolt sent Alana into the deepest depths of joy, she nearly lost her grip on the barrier. She had managed it! She had nearly lost him but her risk had paid off!

The balls of Force energy constricting his trachea had converted into Force energy that flowed through his body. Slowly and with great precision Alana began executing Stage 3- they weren't out of the woods just yet. But as she slowly released the barrier Alana breathed a sigh of relief- it was nearly over and they had survived. As sson as she finally dropped the barrier she tiredly sank down onto the floor. Again. She really was taking a liking to floors today, wasn't she? As she sat on the floor looking at her Masters sleeping form, she smiled. He would probably scold her for this later but she didn't care. She owed him the last 6 years of her life. Alana stood up and after casting one last worried but happy glance at her Master Alana left the room and went up to the cockpit.

As soon as she entered J2 whirled around and came up to her, tweeting a worried question. She sat down on one of the four main seats and closed her eyes tiredly before calmly answering:

-He's going to be fine.

The little red and white droid beeped out another question, Alana laughed softly and opened one eye.

-I didn't know you were worried abut me too... Thanks for the blanket by the way.

J2 whisteled out a sharp denial and turned back to the control panels. Alana grinned at the droids tsundere attitude, she knew he really cared. J2 and her Master had been together a lot longer than she had been with either of them. In fact he had been there on that night six years ago. 

Alana opened both of her eyes and stretched, she focused her eyes on the viewport. The blue glow of hyperspace was surrounding their ship. Alana turned to J2:

-How long until we reach Coruscant? I've done all I can and he's fine for now but Master needs a real doctor with good knowledge on the Force to see him.

Alana sighed when she heard J2 say it would be another hour, she was worried. She remebered her Master jumping in front of her to protect her from the sith. At the memory of the Dark Jedi Alana frowned and her brow creased. 

He had said he knew her but how? She didn't know him as far as she could remember and that was the problem. Why couldn't she remember everything?! Hadn't it been six years already?! Alana heaved a sigh and pulled her legs up to her chest. She wasn't sure right now if she even knew herself.


	5. First Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, people! Here I am with Chapter 5 of Star wars Light's brink. Wow, I can't believe we're up to chapter 5 already! So hopefully this chapter will explain a little of Alana's inner struggle to you as it recounts, you guessed it, Alana's and her Masters first meeting- well part of it. I'm sorry if Alana seems weak to you right now but I promise this is temporary- she's been unhinged by the mans words and if you had her *ahem* condition - you'd be worse. Don't forget this during the Clone Wars guys, so you may or may not see some very familiar characters in the next chapter, yes in the next *cough**cough*Palpatine*cough**cough*. And without further ado - Enjoy!

Alana sat with her knees up to her chest , her eyes obscured by her jagged fringe. On the outside Alana seemed calm, zen even but inside she was in turmoil. Inside, she was suffering. As a Jedi Alana knew that she had to keep her emotions in check, that she had to have a cool head but she was also a teenage human not just a Jedi. She felt pain, she felt happiness, anger, sadness, confusion,love, fear and many other emotions.

It hurt her to see people get injured over her own stupidity- that emotion was pain. She was happy to know that she succeeded in saving her Master and that she would soon see Emira again- that emotion was happiness. She was sad that they had failed their mission, well she was disappointed- that emotion was sadness. She was mad at herself for always being so weak - that emotion was anger. She was perplexed by what the Dark Jedi had said- that was confusion. Alana loved her Master and J2 because they were like her family now - that emotion was love. And... and Alana was scared of knowing the truth, of falling to the dark side, of losing people she cared about to it - that emotion was fear. Alana felt all of them and so many more. Maybe she was a Jedi - a cool and calm protector of peace but she was also a human being, and she was not about to give up being either. 

So instead she just sat there wavering in between light and darkness. The words of the sith had gotten to the padawans head and that sent her into the pits of darkness and made her feel lost - which was exactly what he had seemingly wanted. 

An so Alana sat there, a lost and confused teenager with no memory or blood family she could turn to. Alana felt more mad at herself than ever for not being able to remember the first ten years of her life. It was true Alana unlike every other person she knew, held no recollection of ten years in her life. Alana's memory before meeting her Master and Master Yoda was blank, as though someone or something had wiped it clean. When Alana was examined by the doctors, after being found by the two masters, they said that it was a form of amnesia which they had never encountered before but they assumed that everything should come flooding back soon. 

They were wrong , however, it had been six years and nothing had come back at all. Alana sighed and closed her eyes thinking back to the earliest moment she could remember.

It was a cold and a rainy night on a small desolated planet in the far reaches of the outer rim. A lone young girl trudged through the dark forest. Her dark short sleeved shirt clung to her small body and her trousers were soaked through as well and that was not mentioning her boots. Her long brown from the rain hair clung to her back and water dripped off her fringe, the girls midnight blue eyes were half-closed sleepily. She had no memory save for her name, age and date of birth. She felt lost and scared. She never did like being alone. 

A bit further on in the forest two men were sitting and talking around a fire, sheltered from the rain by the trees. Well one of them was a man while the other was a little green creature who talked in a strange way. The young man had dark brown hair and green eyes he was talking in agitated tone:

-Master, with all due respect did you have to touch that big red button?!

\- Know the ship was going to explain how was I supposed to?

Said the green creature the young man had addressed as "Master" innocently with a shrug of his shoulders and went back to toasting some food on a stick. The dark haired man face-palmed:

\- Master Yoda, I swear even the younglings know that!

Master Yoda nodded in agreement:

-Know that perhaps they do but many things they do not.

-I give up. We are officially never going to get of this rock, are we?

-Negative you should not be,Kai.Eat food you should, good food.

The young man called Kai sighed but stuck a piece of his food onto the stick and began toasting it over the fire. Suddenly from behind them a soft rustle sounds. Kai instantly stood up and ignited his blue lightsaber swinging it in the direction of the sound. The reason for the sound happened to be a wet young girl that toppled out of the bushes in surprise. Kai and Master Yoda stared at the young girl in surprise, out of all the thing they were expecting to find a little girl was not one of them. The young girl stood up and brushed of the dirt to a certain extent and look at the two beings around her:

-H-hello...

She muttered barely audibly, Kai made a move to step closer to her but she ran away from him,hiding behind a tree she said a bit louder this time:

-Put that lightstick away first!

-Huh?

Kai looked down at his hand and noticed that his lightsaber was indeed, still on. Kai hastily apologized :

-Sorry,sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you, reflex. These are dark times, after all. Just give me a second.

He switched off his lightsaber and clipped it back on his belt. He looked back a the little girl, and smiled:

-It's ok, see? It's off. You can come out now, I promise we won't hurt you.

The little girl vehemently shook her head and remained peeking out from behind the tree. It was then- when she was surrounded bu the darkness of the forest that Kai noticed a faint blue light surrounding her, she also held such a strong Force presence for such a young girl that he was very surprised that he didn't notice her earlier on. The young girl couldn't be older than 10 years old, she had long caramel brown hair and glittering midnight blue eyes that were narrowed suspiciously at him. Master Yoda chuckled at the sight:

-Leave her be, you should.

-But Master--

Kai protested, his green eyes agitated. But as soon as he saw Master Yoda's pointed look he shut up an sat down again:

-Fine...

Suddenly there was a sound, the little girls stomach rumbled. Yoda smiled at the now embarrassed young girl:

-Hungry, you are? Join us,you should.

The little girl didn't need to be told twice- she was starving although she couldn't remember why. The little girl decided to go and sit next to the green creature that the human man kept calling Master, when Kai grabbed her hand and pulled her down next to him. Master Yoda, may be a great Master and head of the Jedi Order but he wasn't so sure Master knew ho to deal with these type kids- she wasn't one of his younglings after all. Besides Master Yoda as eating... well, whatever a Master Yoda would typically eat-not human food. After handing the kid some food Kai turned to Master Yoda:

-Master, with all due respect, this girl is a human child so I think she should eat human food.

-Agree with that I do.

The little girl looked up at Kai through her eyelashes, a shy smiled playing on her face. She spoke softly:

-Thank you.

For a while there was nothing but the sound of people eating food. Kai was the first to break the  silence, he looked at the cheerfully eating girl:

-So, kid, what's your name?

The little girls pale brows furrowed and confusion flickered through her dark blue eyes. She scrunched up her forehead as she tried to remember something- surely, she knew her name? Putting food off for the moment the little girl looked down at the ground and murmured:

-My name... My name is.... My name is.... Alana! My name is Alana Sheelan!

The little girl named Alana jumped up happily and clapped her hands together. She grinned and said:

-My name is Alana Sheelan and I'm 10 years old! My birthday was last month.

Kai stood up and extended his hand to her, she took it shyly and cautiously.

-Nice to meet you , Alana. My name is Kai Lionis and I'm 20. I'm also a Jedi Knight, part of the Jedi Order. You've heard of us, right?

He looked at Alana expecting to see some sort of expression on her face be it surprise, happiness or hatred- what Kai didn't expect was for Alana's face to contort with pain and to see her crouch down holding her head. Through gritted teeth she squeezed out:

-I-I don't know.. I can't remember...

-Hey, it's alright you don't have to force yourself! I'll tell you.

Master Yoda looked at Alana in confusion:

-Wrong something is. Like this acting the Force should not be.

Meanwhile Alana continued clutching her head and saying:

-I can't remember...

Kai looked at Alana worriedly:

-Come on we need to get you back to your parents... Wait, where are they?

-I don't know! I can't remember....

-You can't remember what?!

-Anything! I CAN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING!

The little ten year old girl broke down crying. She was scared, so scared. She was lost and all alone in a strange world she didn't recognize - she knew that even if she were to see something or someone she knew she wouldn't recognize them and that was what scared her the most. Alana felt trapped, trapped in her own mind. She--

-Alana! Alana Sheelan will you snap out of it?!

Alana's eyes flew open and she came face to face with her Master. He was looking at her worriedly, she touched her cheeks and noticed tears on them. She sighed when she understood how that must have looked, she wiped them away while saying:

-Sorry, Master, I was just remembering something

-Did part of your memory come back?!

Alana shook her head sadly, her caramel brown ponytail swinging from side to side. 

-No... I was remembering the first time we met and I got so scared... I know it's stupid of me to still be scared but nothing has changed in my memory... and Master?

Alana looked the dark brown haired man straight in the eyes.

-I don't think it ever will. 

Master Lionis put a hand on Alana's shoulder:

-Where there's a will - there's a way.

When Alana looked doubtful Master hastily continued:

-But I've got some better news. We're coming up on Coruscant.

Alana's eyes instantly lit up at the news:

\- Really? Will we get to see Master Lunas and Emira?

-Hopefully.

-Someone's looking forward to it...

Alana said in a sing-song voice, teasingly. Master turned away from her and sat down in the pilot's seat. Alana walked up to him and tapped him on the shoulder:

-Nu-uh, I'm not letting you fly this ship. The only pilots around here are J2 and I. Remember what happened near Manaan?

Master sighed in defeat and stood up, letting Alana sit down. He sat down onto the copilot's seat and mumbled:

-I don't know why I let you boss me around on the ship. I'm the Master. aren't I?

Alana grinned as she turned to him.

-You may be a Jedi Master but you're also a very lousy pilot. Oh we're exiting hyperspace.

Alana turned her gaze back to the view-port to see Coruscant appear before them. Alana raised one hand up in a mock salute:

-Destination reached, captain!

Master looked at her beaming expression and smiled while shaking his head:

-Set us down, kid.

-Will do, sir.

And so they headed for the surface of Coruscant.


	6. Chancellor and a friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, those lovely people who have stuck with me this long! Welcome to chapter 6! I'm sorry if it feels a bit boring and rushed but I was typing this at 1 am and that's just because my conscience wouldn't let me sleep. Well, I'm too tired to think so - Enjoy! Also I'm sorry these few are boring but I promise we'll start reaching the more important ones soon. Thank you and good night!

As soon as she eased down Starlight onto the landing pad, Alana let go of the controls and stretched. She turned and gently shook her Masters shoulder who had somehow,miraculously, managed to fall asleep:

-Master, we're here. Come on, wake up.

-Wha! Oh, it's just you, what is it?

-I'm just going to ignore that half-awake insult you just threw at me and tell you to get up. We're here. We better hurry though it's going to start getting dark soon.

\- Yeah, we don't really want to get ambushed by anyone. And with the way it's been going we will.

-Then let's get going. 

Alana instructed a once again cranky J2 to watch the ship and dragged her ,for some reason,sleepy Master off Starlight. When they came off the ramp Alana facepalmed:

-I give up, does the universe want to drive me over the edge?! Master, here's one ambush as ordered!

In front of them stood a pair of red guards and a silver protocol droid, by the looks of them they were the Chancellors personal force. Alana sighed inwardly - she was very tired and dealing with the supreme chancellor was not on her to do list. What did the chancellor want with them? Did he run out of work to do or something? If so could someone please give him some? Alana rolled her eyes at her own childish behavior but there was truth to what she was thinking she was just too mentally exhausted to deal with the man. Master Lionis, however, seemed perfectly happy to deal with them although Alana could sense his slight frustration through the Force. He walked up to the two redrobes and the droid:

-Can I help you?

-Are you Jedi Master Kai Lionis? 

-That would be me, yes. Do you have business with me?

He raised an eyebrow and looked at them apprehensively, he like his frustrated padawan behind him was really not in the mood to deal with procedure. The protocol droid spoke up:

-Master Lionis you have been summoned by the Supreme High Chancellor Palpatine himself, he wishes to speak with you.

Alana sighed softly and his her emotions from the Force, she knew how this was going to end. The older Jedi's eyes were shining as he spoke:

-It would be a great honor! Of course we shall go at once. And Alana,- Kai turned to face his padawan who was throwing him an exasperated look,- no complaints.

-I don't get a say, do I?

-No.

Kai answered simply. They followed the red guards to a shuttle that was waiting to take them to the chancellors office in the Senate building. Alana sat down furthest away from everyone when suddenly an ominous feeling washed over her. Alana closed her eyes, struggling to keep her uneasiness from overwhelming her- this feeling had been here ever since the guards arrived, no, since she had turned towards the Senate building as soon as they landed. Behind her closed eyelids a image flashed before her, Alana concentrated harder and was able to make out the senate building, than it was as rough the image zoomed in to the chancellors office, the ventilation ducts. Alana felt a shiver run up her body as she felt a presence that could only be described as the hand of death. Her eyes snapped open to see that nothing had happened, the vision she just had - it must have been of the future. Still,- Alana thought as she glanced at her Master,- I shouldn't tell him just yet-not until I'm sure. So instead she turned to look at the skyscrapers of Coruscant.

Coruscant held sentimental meaning for Alana, after all this was the second plan she could remember- that was if you were counting Aroko the planet where she was found. Coruscant itself was a very interesting and, if one could look at it that way, beautiful planet. 

Coruscant was an ecumenopilis- a planet comprised entirely of one city apart from the poles- the north and south poles of Coruscant are covered by mountains and ice and a small sea (the Western Sea), they were the last remnants of the planet Coruscant or as it was called back then Notron once was .The city was called the Galactic city or the Republic city whichever people used they would always refer to the planet-wide city which was known as the center of the galaxy. Towering skyscrapers and reflected the light of the setting sun, as soon it would get dark many holograms would light up the streets. It was hard to believe that this planet had once been part of an empire of slavers. The fauna on Coruscant was scarce apart from a few domesticated creatures no creatures lived there apart from of course the wampa's at the poles and a couple mutated monsters in the sewers. But nothing is ever as simple as it seems- even the at first glance beautiful Coruscant has its dark side - the lower city and the under city not to mention a few "interesting" areas. Alana sighed, she guessed nothing could ever be good for everyone for instance the CSF (Coruscant security force) payed attention only to the upper levels and left the lower ones to fend for themselves. Alana wondered how many levels that exactly was since Coruscant had 5127 of them. Alana yawned, it was getting dark and somehow she had already managed to adapt to it- Coruscants time she meant. A day in Coruscant lasted 24 hours unlike Ralak which had 48, and there were 368 days in a year here- truly Coruscant was her favorite planet.

As Alana sat in her seat and watched the skyscrapers fly by in a daze, she shivered. She didn't like the feeling she was getting at all, it made her feel on edge, uneasy. Kai had felt his padawans uneasiness through the force and it worried him.

-Alana, is something wrong?

Alana turner around a vacant look in her eyes.

-Ah, no, it's nothing...

She trailed off. Alana didn't like this feeling, she didn't like it at all. She couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from but she was more or less sure it had something to do with the Senate. And that didn't sit well with her - perhaps she really ought to tell her Master about it. No, she had decided she wouldn't so she didn't at least not yet. Kai, now extremely worried about Alana asked:

-Alana, why are you so uneasy?

When Alana turned around with shock in her eyes, he chuckled:

-I'm not a Jedi Knight for nothing you know.

Alana smiled a shaky smile but kept her eyes trained on the domed building of the Senate. Without looking her Master in the eye she said softly:

-Something is wrong. Or something is going to go wrong,soon, - I can feel it.

Master Lionis's eyes widened at this unexpected piece of news:

-Are you sure? How long have you felt it?

-I've been getting this bad feeling since we landed and whenever I try to concentrate on it I see the Senate.

-Then it's a good thing we're going to see the Chancellor - you must tell him. 

-No!

Alana said sharply, she was standing at this point with determination burning in her eyes. Alana respected the Supreme Chancellor and former senator from Naboo but she didn't like him or trust him. She trusted him about as much as one trusts a poisonous snake, she didn't know why exactly she disliked him but whenever she was around him she began to feel cold and a certain amount of Darkness would overwhelm her. Before she hadn't known what that feeling had meant but now she did: something or someone around him was connected to the Dark Side. Alana shook her head:

-No we won't tell him unless we're sure it's connected to the Senate.

-Fine but if you are sure....

\- I know. But my loyalties lie with the whole republic not just him....

* * *

Soon they were standing in front of the Chancellor in his office. Kai bowed slightly and Alana followed the suit, switching into exemplary padawan mode and hiding her presence from the Force. Palpatine smiled slightly:

-Master Lionis, how nice to see you again.

-Oh, I assure you the pleasure is all mine, your excellency.

-And this beautiful young lady behind you must be Alana. Well she's growing more gorgeous every single day - with looks like those you're going to have trouble not only with separatist but with every man around.

-You flatter me, Chancellor Palpatine. Thank you though.

-My, how modest. But hiding your true emotions- is that something a Jedi should do?

Alana was startled at his comment. Palpatine had perhaps not realized but he had given Alana a hint - he basically told her that he as Force sensitive. However Alana didn't waver, she looked him confidently in the eyes:

-I, as a Jedi, believe in peace. Even if we're at war I believe e should have peace between ourselves.

Both Plapatine and Kai looked at Alana in stunned shock. Neither of them had expected the young girl to answer like that. Kai felt extremely proud of her while Palpatine decided to keep a closer eye on her. Recovering Palpatine said:

-I'd expect nothing less from a young lady like you. Now, Master Lionis the reason for my summons is that I heard that you went to Ralak and found that ancient archive building. My question is why didn't you go in?

While her Master and the Chancellor talked Alana decided to refocus her concentration on the feeling. To her surprise when she opened her eyes she knew who it was directed at. I seemed that her vision was trying to warn Chancellor Palpatine of a possible assassination attempt on his life. Alana slid a hand down her face: Great, she had to tell that to the Chancellor. Suddenly a word Alana heard mentioned peaked her interest in their conversation.

-You say you were attacked by a sith?

-Precisely... but do not worry the Jedi order shall take care of it.

-Then I shall rest easy or at least as easy I can with a war going on. 

Palpatine joked but his eyes said something completely different. For a reason unknown to Alana he was very invested in sith problem. However he quickly switched subjects and continued talking to Master Lionis. After about 15 minuted of their chat Alana was extremely bored and tired. It seemed that whatever that blue light thingy was it had taken a lot out of her. She knew it as bad manners to yawn but she turned away and did it anyway. Luckily for Alana the two men wrapped up their conversation quite quickly. Master bowed and exited the Chancellors office with words of well wishes for the Chancellor. Then it was just Alana and Palpatine in the office, they looked at each other seriously before Palpatine said:

-Am I still that bad man you met 6 years ago?

-No you're different now, your excellency. But I still do not enjoy your company. So as to not cause either of us cause for complaint I shall leave now.

Alana began walking towards the entrance before she stopped and cast a final glance at the chancellor:

-Oh yes, I nearly forgot. There might be some trouble brewing soon - the Force feels uneasy. Do whatever you need to Chancellor..

And the girl walked out of the door which slid closed behind her, leaving Palpatine alone. Yes, he was sure of it, he needed to keep a much closer eye on her now.

* * *

Outside Palpatine's office Alana breathed a sigh of relief- she was exhausted. Her comlink beeped and displayed a message from Kai. He stated that he was very tired and was going to the medical facility for a checkup an then straight to sleep. Alana wished that she could go to sleep right about now too - it was her one true wish right now.

Suddenly she noticed a young woman with brown hair and eyes walk past her, calmly. Recognizing the woman instantly Alana ran up to her and greeted her, grinning:

-Senator Amidala how nice to see you again.

Alana performed a mock curtsy before following the young woman into a nearby empty room where she pulled her into a hug:

-Padme, I missed you!

-I missed my-not-related-to-me-little sister too, Alana.

-What you have a new one?

Alana pretended to pout. Padme laughed at that:

-No, silly, I missed you.

-I have so much I have to tell you!

-Want to come over?

-But don't you have plans already... like a Senator meeting or something?

-No, I'm gonna be bored all evening long. So, what do you say?

-I'd love to! 

-Great, I'll be back in a minute.

Padma smiled as Alana lifted up her hand in a mock salute:

-Roger that, m'am!

As she stood there an uneasiness washed over Alana again- what was it? But she soon threw that worry out of her mind when she saw her friend again.


	7. Bounty Hunters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Sorry to leave you hanging like that, I was and am sorta grounded. But I got my iPad back for now so I had time to write this. It's still a bit shorter than the others but I didn't want to go overboard and this chapter was actually very hard to write since I didn't want to give away anything yet but I was severely tempted to. Um, sorry if this was boring but I swear it'll get better later. As for those who are wondering every fact I take is checked on Star Wars Wikipedia so I'm not making anything up. As for the unknown phrase later on in this chapter that the Mandolorian says it means "Goodbye for now my Jedi friend". Yeah that's about it! Enjoy!

Chapter 7- Bounty Hunters  
Alana sat cross-legged on the sofa and brought a cup of Jeru tea to her lips. Padme was sitting across from her in the living room and also sipping tea, she had changed out of her senate clothes and was now wearing more casual attire. The silence that hung in the air between them was a comfortable one. The relationship between Alan and Padme was a mix of one of sisters and a mother and her daughter besides Padme was the third person Alana met since her memory had disappeared. They had no secrets from each other ever since Alana had found about how the Senator tied with a certain Jedi that frequently annoyed the life out of her. As they sat calmly in the living room Alana thought couldn't feel more at peace than she did now but just in case she still kept her green lightsaber beside her. When Alana had finished retelling the story of their misadventures on Ralak, Padme sighed and gently put down her cup:  
-So that's what happened. Honestly, sometimes you worry me so much Alana- you're only 16 you really shouldn't be facing this kind of danger.  
Although she made no indication of mentioning another name Alana had picked up on the fact that she was talking about two people rather than just one. Alana smiled gently and reminded the senator in a soft voice:  
-I can't stop you from worrying about us since you have every right to do so. But do try to remember that we're Jedi, we can protect ourselves. I made a promise to protect the Republic and I will not break it.  
-You're right and as stubborn as ever I see. Anyway I'm just glad you're okay.  
-The truth is that I was a hair away from deaths doorstep- if that weird glowy force thing hadn't happened I probably wouldn't be. I wonder what it was.  
-Well, I can't help you there - I'm not a Jedi. But I can see that something else is also troubling.  
Alana shook her head slightly and smiled ruefully:  
-Sometimes you seem a lot like one. You fight your battles with words instead of actions and seek a peaceful resolution, you stand for what you believe in and you can easily see through all of my masks. That makes you a lot like a Jedi.  
Just as Padme opened her mouth to reply to Alana the young jedi's hand flew to her lightsaber. Unexpectedly she ignited it and a raised it up to the level of the Senators head, a moment later a cut in half toxic dart was laying on the low table in between the sofas. Relieved Alana muttered:  
-Just in time. Now where are you?  
Alana quickly turned in the direction of where the toxic dart had pierced the window, and her eyes scanned Coruscant's landscape urgently until they stopped on one building North East from her. There!- Alana thought in her mind triumphantly. She reached out with the Force while at the same time putting up a barrier around herself and Padme. Surprisingly she felt not one but three presences there and now they were splitting up. Alana turned towards Padme:  
-Padme, listen, there's three people here who lets say don't want you alive. But I believe you're not their only target. Stay here and stay down, call security and I'll also contact a Jedi friend, he'll keep watch over you. Be careful ok?  
-I can look after myself but thanks for worrying. Go, but be careful ok?  
-I'm always careful!  
Said Alana jumping out of the window. And people said she was reckless.  
============================================================  
Now outside Alana looked around her and thankfully found a pole from which a hologram was hanging to land on. She quickly fastened her lightsaber to her belt so as not to loose it and searched the Force for a certain presence when she found it she sent a gentle force jolt towards him. Suddenly Alana felt the three presences, who she assumed were bounty hunters, that she was following speed up so she had to hurry up. Her comlink beeped and a familiar voice sounded:  
-What's up, shorty?  
-Nice to hear from you too, Skyguy. Anyway Anakin now's not the time for this, we've got trouble. Is master Obi-wan with you?  
-Oh so he's Master while I'm just me?!  
-Yes, you are you. Is he there or not?  
Master Kenobi's voice sounded through the comlink:  
-I'm here Alana. What's the situation?  
-I have a problem on my hands. There are three bounty hunters each of them with a different target I've deduced two of the targets but the third one remains unknown. As far as I can tell one of them is a woman the two others men, they seem to be working in a team. Chuba!  
Alana cursed under her breath. Sensing her frustration through the Force Anakin asked:  
-What's wrong?! Alana what's going on?  
Alana jumped off the hologram pole and onto the street. She ran in the direction of where the bounty hunters team was moving and to her dismay she found it was the senate building. Shakily she replied:  
-The two targets are: the supreme chancellor and--  
-The chancellor?! We've got to notify-  
-Let me finish! And Senator Amidala of Naboo.  
Alana felt Anakin's shock through the Force and smiled to herself wryly, she hoped he was wise enough not to show his emotions on his face otherwise she wouldn't be the only one who knew. She continued while picking up her pace:  
-I need help! I can't handle three people by myself. Right now all three are moving towards the senate building but I sense they're going to split up pretty soon! Anakin, can you handle protecting the Senator? And Master Kenobi's can you help me at the Senate building?  
-Understood.  
The two Jedi responded and the transmission cut off. Alana felt a little more relieved - she needed the help. However she hadn't forgotten her vision earlier on in the day: someone was going to die whether she liked it or not. A moment later she heard a familiar voice from next to her:  
-Alana, need some help? I don't like flying but this is faster.  
She turned her head to see Obi-wan in a speeder across from her. She grinned to herself and hopped over the railing of the street and into the speeder.   
-Thanks! We have to hurry they're nearly there!  
-Lets go! You did a good job of contacting us.  
-I needed some back up, I'm glad you two were here.  
-While we're on the topic: where is your Master?  
-Ah...  
Alana bit her lip, she didn't want anyone to know that he was injured so early on. However after casting a small glance at Obi-wan's face Alana gave in:  
-He was injured on our latest mission and went over to the Jedi temple. I stayed behind after our report to the chancellor because I wanted to speak to Senator Amidala,- Alana paused,-oh Chubba. Sometimes I hate being right.  
-Why? What's happened?  
-They split up. The woman is doubling back.  
-That's problematic. Contact Anakin.  
-Already on it.   
Alana reached into the Force once more and sent a warning jolt to Anakin who replied by sending a quiet whisper of "got it" into her mind. Meanwhile they were approaching the Senate building. Alana quickly glanced around until she felt two figures atop the senate building, not far from the Chancellors office. Alana jumped up from her seat urgently:  
-They're close! Atop the building.  
As soon as they were close enough to the Senate building Alana stood up from her seat:  
-I'll slow them down!  
And jumped off the speeder. Obi-wan sighed seeing the young Jedi ignite her green lightsaber while in free fall as two blaster shots sounded:  
-Sometimes she's just like Anakin.   
=========================================================  
Alana ignited her lightsaber while she was falling and just in time to repel to blaster shots fired at her. She used the Force to slow down her fall and land on the roof of the building. She sprinted towards the two figures one of which seemed to be using something that looked a bit like a lightsaber to cut through the roof of the building ,while the other one, who was dressed in Mandalorian armour was shooting at her. Perfect, just perfect. Alana skilfully repelled the blaster bolts until she had to dodge one aimed for her head which cut her hair tie causing her hair to fall to her shoulders , free and for a moment obscure her eyes which the bounty hunter utilised as a weakness. She felt a stinging pain as the blaster bolt hit her left shoulder, thankfully though that wasn't her lightsaber arm. She quickly tucked her hair out of her eyes and rushed at the bounty hunter full force. Understanding that she was too close for blasters the Mandolorian armoured bounty hunter whipped out a weapon like his partner was holding . Inwardly Alana cursed, she had feeling that this was one of the few objects lightsabers couldn't cut through. She was right.This was not going to be easy. The man who was dressed in Iridonian armour (the one who was cutting through the roof) said:  
-Keep her off me. I'm nearly done.  
-Roger that, boss.  
That was his plan, huh? Well she was sorry to say she wasn't going to cooperate with them. As Alana's lightsaber connected with the bounty hunters blade she felt a powerful Force connection, surprised she jerked back. She couldn't see his face but she could feel his shock too. Sensing an opening she rushed for the other one but was blocked. However the Iridonian shouted:  
-I told you to keep her off me., didn't I?! Do you want this mission to fail?  
-No. I'll get rid of her quickly.   
To Alana he said:  
-Prepare to be deafeted.  
-Sorry but I'm not planning on dying anytime soon.  
-Sorry to break it to you, sweetie but you don't have a choice.  
-Yes-I-do!  
Said Alana with each strike. Each strike was easily countered by the Mandolorian. Alana huffed as she glanced over at the Iridonian, he was nearly done. She hoped Master Kenobi would get here soon. Barely dodging the kick that was aimed for her head Alana backflipped away from her enemy and narrowed her eyes at him- he was really starting to annoy her. Understanding that she wouldn't win if she kept using one hand Alana blocked off her pain in her left one and grabbed her lightsaber firmer. She could do it with one hand but it felt a little too flimsy to her. She charged at the Mandolorian again with another swift strike which he countered but with effort this time.   
-You're good. Haven't duelled like this for a long time.  
-If you weren't trying to kill me or stall me, I would take that as a compliment.  
-It was one.  
The Mandolorian stated and unexpectedly took out a blaster. Alana barely dodged the bolt that was aimed for her leg by Force leaping. As she was in the air Alana tried to Force push her opponent to the ground but shockingly for her and her opponent nothing happened. Her opponent had raised his arm in the same form which she was holding hers and a moment later they were both blown away from each other. Alana stood up slightly dazed. What had just happened?! How in the name of the Chancellors frilly socks was he able to use the Force?! She had heard of Force Sensitive beings but this was beyond that. As he shot another round of blaster volleys at her Alana heard the Iridonian call out to him:  
-Hurry up and finish her! I've made the opening.  
-Understood.  
As he shot again Alana suddenly felt as though she was rooted to one spot. The ominous dark side presence was back and it felt stronger than ever. Alana had to summon up all of her willpower to repress it, so much that she couldn't move a muscle and the blaster shot was aiming right for her heart. But unexpectedly Alana was saved my a blue blade. The dark side power instantly receded and Alana turned to see Obi-wan standing beside her, eyes serious.   
-Sorry I'm late but you know you shouldn't jump out of moving speeders. Now who are these two?  
-Our lovely friends right here, are probably planning to assassinate the Chancellor.  
-You don't say? Well how about we stop that?  
-I'm onboard with that. Can you take care of our older Iridonian friend right here?  
Obi-wan nodded and took off towards the Iridonian while Alana turned back to her opponent.   
-Looks like we have time to settle the score.  
-I hope you are prepared to die. Because if you lose this duel you shall.  
Instead of replying Alana Force shoved the guy and readied her lightsaber. The Mandolorian parried her attack and soon they were in a serious duel. Neither willing to back down. As they duelled Alana asked breathlessly:  
-Why are you so intent on killing the Chancellor?! Is it your client's order? You should know it's suicide!  
-We do know! But aside from our clients wishes we have our own score to settle with the Chancellor!   
-Who are you?!  
-We are bounty hunters from House Salaktori in the bounty hunters guild!  
-I've heard of you people! There are multiple house that each specialise in something. Do tell me what is your strong point?  
-We are the elite, we do not have strong points nor do we have weaknesses.  
-You are human, everyone has weaknesses.  
-I never told you I was a human. We Mandolorians vary in species.  
-I can sense it, you are one - just like me. But even if you weren't you would still have a weakness, any species does- any person does!   
-We don't. We are the elite, our acquisitions are always retrieved. Our mission is always completed.  
-Then tell me! How am I able to stand in your way!  
-That is because you are a worthy opponent and I refuse to kill you.  
-Why?!  
Alana shouted out desperately, she didn't know why but for some reason this bounty hunter seemed different from the ones she had met previously met. He didn't want to kill her? Why?   
-I cannot stand by the killing of innocents unlike the boss, who is an Iridonian and by nature loves killing.The bounty hunter creed states the people don't have bounties, only acquisitions do. And since you do not have a bounty, you are a person - and I have no reason to capture or kill you.  
-Sometimes you make no sense!  
-I'm often told that.  
-That wasn't a compliment!  
Alana said as she Force leapt into the air to avoid a string of blaster bolts and the blade. She used her left leg to knock the bounty hunters blaster out of reach but in return got scratched by the blade. It cut through her skin easily and a small amount of blood started pouring out. Alana landed and while nimbly dodging another swing of the blade, tightened one of the straps on her boots, so as to make a makeshift compress. The bounty hunter spoke with a smile in his voice:  
-Impressive. You can think on the spot.  
-If I couldn't I'd be dead.  
-Once again that is not my goal.  
-Then what is your goal?  
-My goal is to complete my mission and to do that I simply need to incapacitate you.  
-Sorry, not happening.  
Alana quickly sent her lightsaber flying sideways behind the bounty hunters, trying out a technique her master had taught her. The Mandolorian spoke with his voice dripping with sarcasm:  
-Yeah, that's a great plan! Foolproof! Let's just throw your only weapon away! Are you an idiot?!  
Alana crossed her arms and looked into the Mandolorians silver-green helmet at the spot where his eyes should be, smiling:  
-Who said I threw it away?  
The Mandolorian froze before turning around to see Alana's lightsaber cutting off the antenna that was attached to the Iridonian suit and causing it to shut down before heading towards him, all the while spinning. He barely dodged it in time which resulted with the uppermost half of his helmet being cut off and a few strands of messy obsidian hair being revealed. Once he got up from his crouched position which he had adopted to avoid Alana's lightsaber (which was now back in her hands) he looked at her carefully, Alana could tell from the Force that he was surprised but there was no anger radiating from him. Alana glanced over to the Iridonian who was still trying to get up but couldn't do so because of two reasons: number one- he was handcuffed (Obi-wan's handiwork probably) and number two - because Alana had successfully shut his suit down. Oh how the cons of technological suits were apparent now. Obi-wan was standing beside him and the whole and breathing a bit rapidly, evidently the Iridonian had proved to be a tougher opponent than he had anticipated. Alana turned back to her adversary who was still standing a metre away from her calmly surveying her. Which Alana found odd because he could have attacked her or run off while she was distracted. She had noticed something about this bounty hunter: he, unlike the others, had a sense of right and wrong- twisted as though it may be. He had moral values. And that left Alana standing there as though she was paralysed. After a moment he spoke:  
-I admit defeat.   
-Wait what?!  
-I concede. You are the first person who has managed to damage my suit to this extent and for that I give you credit. If this duel were to go on much longer there would be irreversible consequences. That is why I'm withdrawing from this duel. My boss and I shall leave but do not assume this is the end. I hope you are as smart as you are skilled, Alana Sheelan. Ret'urcye mhi ner jetti burc'ya.  
-Wait a minute, how do you know my name?! And I am most certainly not your friend!  
Without responding he suddenly threw something onto the roof and whatever it was must have been strong because it caused Alana to black out. When she came to both he and the Iridonian were gone, Alana groaned as she sat up - her head was pounding. She saw obi-wan returning from wherever he had been with a slightly annoyed aura around him but upon seeing her he quickly hid it. Alana said hoarsely:  
-Where are they?  
Obi-wan shook his head dispiritedly:  
-They're gone. Whatever that boy threw down was designed to knock a wampa out. Did the Mandolorian say anything to you?  
-Sort of. He said this wasn't the end and we would probably meet again.  
-I don't doubt that. Now I think we need to get you to the medbay you've lost a lot of blood.  
Alana looked up at Master Kenobi with pleading and tired eyes:  
-I'll be fine. I just need some sleep, actually scratch that, I'm dying to get some sleep.  
-Then sleep it is. By the way Anakin managed on his side as well, he didn't manage to apprehend the woman but he got something for the council to analyse.  
Alana yawned, she could barely keep her eyes open. All this and healing her Master had taken its toll on her human body. She couldn't remember getting to the temple and her quarters before falling into the blissful abyss that is sleep.


	8. Best Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone I'm back with Chapter 8! Sorry for the wait but it's here now. This chapter is a bit of a filler but I wanted to get you to understand the relationship between Alana and Emira 'cause Emira's very important to Alana. Also in this chapter you get a few more glimpses into Alana's past. Now, I may or may not be using Mandolorian often but I will always provide translations at the start. Cause I'm starting to like Mandolorian, it's interesting. So as usual-Enjoy!
> 
> Ori'buyce, kih'kovid= all helmet, no head. A Mandolorian insult for someone who's acting all superior.
> 
> di'kut=Idoiot, dummy, moron...

Alana heard a knock, one, two... Who was it? Who was disturbing her much needed sleep? Why couldn't people cut her some slack - she'd just gone to sleep after being up half the night. And to top it all off she was wounded, weren't Jedi supposed to have mercy? A familiar sing-song voice sounded:  
-Hey Alana,  if you don't get up I'm coming in! 3...2....1...  
Alana jolted up but a moment too late, a girl her age with blueish hair was now sitting on top off her and grinning like a crazy person. Which, Alana mused, she more or less was. Alana pulled herself from under the bluenette and used the Force to close the door to her quarters. Alana's quarters were pretty much like any other Jedi's: a dark blue painted room, with one window to which Alana had the blinds drawn, a sleeping pallet and a small chest of drawers. The only personal item that stood out in the room was a small necklace resting atop Alana's the aforementioned chest. Alana yawned and stretched as she stood up:  
-Good morning to you too, Emira.  
The blueish haired girl with sky blue eyes sat grinning atop Alana's sleeping pallet. Her shoulder length blueish hair was tied back into a low ponytail with a yellow hair tie and her padawan braid was tied with the same colour. That girl was none other than Alana's best friend and Master Lunas's padawan- Emira Leeta. She bounced up excitedly and enveloped Alana in a bone-crushing hug, Alana winced slightly when Emira put pressure on her shoulder wound.  
-Alana! I've missed you!  
The caramel-haired girl laughed lightly:  
-Come on,Emira, it's only been three weeks. But I missed you too.  
-Yay! You even still sound the same!  
-Did you hear a word of what I said?  
Alana looked at her friend exasperatedly.   
-Nope!  
Said Emira and tightened her hug. Alana let out a low groan of pain, her shoulder was healing but it wasn't healed yet. Alana healed faster than normal humans due to her ability, which though considered dangerous was very useful. Alana could manipulate the midichlorians in her body to speed up the healing process  which was an ability that was considered long lost and quite possibly teetering on the borderline between light and dark. She had no idea how she did it - she just did, her memory or rather lack thereof didn't help much. Noticing the pained expression on Alana's face Emira instantly released her from the her death grip.  
-Sorry Alana! I didn't mean to hurt you! Where'd you get that injury?  
Alana looked down at the blaster wound on her shoulder, it was heeling up nicely. She remembered the nighttime battle and sighed going to her chest of drawers to get fresh clothes. She knew Emira was expecting an answer so she reluctantly said:  
\- I kinda had to fight a couple of bounty hunters in the middle of the night on top of the Senate building.  
Emira groaned:  
-I'm not even going to ask how that happened. You're so reckless, you know?  
-Hey! This time I had a reason! They were trying to kill Senator Amidala and the Chancellor.  
-Okay, that's reasonable but how many were there?  
-Three and they were working as a team but with different targets.  
-Then how'd you stop them?  
-Master Kenobi and Master Skywalker each took one. Master Skywalker went off to protect the Senator while Master Kenobi and I headed off to stop the two men after the Chancellor on the Senate building.  
-This explains why there's so many clones on top of the Senate building. So did you arrest them?  
-No, they managed to get away. There was an Iridonian and a Mandalorian, the latter was the one I fought.  
-Blasters or Melee?  
-Both. He's skilled and clever- that I've got to admit.  
-You mean he was the one who managed to wound you?  
-Yeah, twice. He was a great opponent, although I'm so confused now.  
-How come?  
-He didn't want to kill me. Besides he could use the Force.  
-You mean he was Force Sensitive?  
-No, he could literally use it. We managed to Force Push each other away and before that there was a strong Force connection when we first locked blades.  
-Wow... How old was he?  
-Um, our age I'm guessing. Maybe 17.  
Suddenly there was a mischievous glint in Emira's face and Alana groaned as she put on her her tunic-like black dress.  
-No,no, no don't you dare even think that!  
-Maybe that guy is your soulmate!  
-You better not let the other Jedi hear you saying that. You know the whole "a Jedi shall not know love or hatred..." Bla bla. Besides there is no way I'm going to like a guy that tried to maim me!  
-Never say never ,anyway I'm only telling you this since your view about love is different from theirs.  
-Yeah well that doesn't mean I'm going to go around falling in love with random bounty hunters. I believe true love isn't a weakness it's actually a source of great strength, and it most certainly does not lead to the dark side. However possessive love does, jealousy does. I don't agree with the council.  
-See? You're totally different! By the way how come you never wear Jedi robes? Why just that dress ,gloves and boots?  
-I don't really know. At the start I tried to but somehow I would always have a mental breakdown when I put one on so we had to find a compromise with the council and this was the answer.  
-Is it because of your lost memories?  
-Most probably. Anyway,-Alana said clipping her lightsaber onto her belt,- I'm hungry. Have you eaten yet?  
Emira shook her head and stood up from Alana's bed. She used the Force to fold up the sleeping pallet and the blanket and float it into the corner. Alana rolled her eyes at that:  
-You know you shouldn't be so lazy.  
-Meh,- Emira shrugged,- come on let's eat.  
The two girls stepped out into the corridor and instantly bumped into someone. Well more like Emira crashed into someone while Alana just sidestepped. A woman with pure white hair and teal eyes was looking at Emira a bit sternly but her eyes were twinkling with laughter. She gently pushed Emira away and with a raised eyebrow asked:  
-Emira, I'm guessing this is where you ran off to?  
As a flustered Emira nodded ashamedly Alana doubled over laughing. She had guessed what had happened: Emira and her Master (the woman in front of them) had been going to have breakfast when someone must have mentioned Alana and her Masters arrival. And Emira being Emira must have taken off. As soon as Alana had recovered from the her laughter she teasingly chided Emira:  
-You know you shouldn't run off like that.  
-Like you have any room to talk, you're always taking off somewhere without saying a word.  
-So you're saying that I'm a bad influence on you?  
-Yeah, basically that.  
-Ori'buyce, kih'kovid.  
Master Lunas and Emira stared at Alana while she was just as surprised. Master Lunas recovered first, quietly she said:  
-I believe that was Mando'a, the language of the Mandolorians. At least that's what I think, since I only know the basics and caught just a few words.  
Emira's eyes widened:  
-You can speak Mandolorian?  
-No! At least I didn't know I could.  
-But how can you speak a language and not know that you can?  
A mans voice sounded from behind Alana:  
-I would assume that Alana could speak it before her memory was lost.  
Alana turned around to see her Master walking up to them:  
-Master! Good morning. How are you feeling?  
The man made a grimace:  
-Like I just got spat out by a Sarlaac. Oh,Ayla - you're here.  
Ayula Lunas was the name of Emira's master. The white haired woman smiled gently:  
-Good morning, Kai. I heard you just got back.  
-Um,yeah, late last evening. And while we're on that topic...  
Master Lionis turned to his padawan:  
-Where were you?  
Alana rubbed her left temple gently, she could feel a headache coming on:  
-Where to start, where to start... Hmm, well I talked with the Chancellor for a minute, I met Senator Amidala in the Senate and talked with her for a bit, then I stopped an assassination attempt on her life and I also managed to chase three elite bounty hunters from House Salakatori to the roof of the Senate building, next I got in contact with Master Kenobi and Skywalker, as well as fought a Mandolorian to stop an assassination attempt on the Chancellors life, got wounded, got to bed and that's about it for last night.  
-Well, someone definitely had a full evening. Sorry to tell you this, kid, but we have another full day later on today.  
-Whatever, old man, hope you can keep up.  
Master groaned as Alana grinned cheekily and Emira shook her head amusedly, while Master Lunas laughed a bit and asked Alana:  
-If Kai here is an old man, does that make me an old woman since we're the same age?   
-No,-Alana grinned mischievously,- it's a special insult I reserve especially for Master.  
-Gee, way to make me feel loved...  
Alana tilted her head to her side and smiled:  
-Why of course. It's one of my joys in life. But can we go eat now? I'm hungry.  
Suddenly Emira grabbed Alana by her uninjured shoulder and started dragging her along, saying:  
-Come on, let's let the grown ups have the grown up talk, while we go eat.  
Alana protested:  
-But it's not like we're little kids!  
Emira smirked and whispered:  
-It's plan GOMT, remember?  
A look of understanding appeared on Alana's face and a grin grew on her face. She stopped protesting and let Emira drag her along to the mess hall.  
======================================  
As they Emira and Alana walked along the quiet halls of the Jedi Temple Alana's thoughts unintentionally kept drifting towards the Sith she had met on Ralak. She knew that in the past 6 years she had never met a Sith before but then why did the he seem familiar? Could she have known him before her memory loss? Alana quietly sighed, why were there so many unanswered questions now? Emira glanced at her best friend out of the corner of her eye, even though Alana was subconsciously concealing her presence from the Force she didn't need it to tell her that something was bothering her.  Alana was usually cheery and lively although she could be serious and composed at times, she was in balance. And now, that balance was broken. Emira smiled slightly as she remembered the first few minutes when she had met Alana:  
A 10 year old Emira ran along the corridors of the Jedi Temple her small face lit up by a huge smile. She had been chosen to be part of the Jedi initiate trials! This was it, her chance to become a padawan! Emira smiled wider as her imagination ran wild, showing her scenes of constructing her own lightsaber: it would be blue, no, yellow...maybe green? Suddenly Emira saw a young man with brown hair and green eyes walking in her direction with a short little girl about her age clinging to him. He was talking to her. Emira ran up to them upon recognising the young man to be Kai Lionis, a former padawan who had become a Jedi Knight less than a year ago.    
-Kai! You're back! Who's she?  
The older Jedi smiled and to Emira's great surprise the little girl hid behind him clutching onto his cloak and peeking out nervously. Kai looked down and sighed at the sight of the ten year old hiding behind him.  
-Come on, Alana, there's no need to be afraid. This is Emira, she's going to be a Jedi just like me.  
Alana looked up at him her midnight blue eyes filled with curiosity, softly she asked:  
-Like you?  
Kai smiled and nodded:  
-Yes, like me. Now come on out and introduce yourself.  
Nervously Alana stepped out from behind Kai and slowly extended her hand:  
-Hello,my name is Alana Sheelan. I'm 10. Nice to meet you.  
Emira eagerly grasped her hand and shook brightly:  
-Nice to meet you, Alana! I'm Emira Leetas, I'm the same age as you. I'm happy to meet you.  
A small smile appeared on Alana's face and Kai sighed in relief. Taking care of an amnesiac 10 year old child with a slight attitude was more of a hassle than he had figured it to be initially.   
Emira smiled at the memory. It was one of the ones she treasured most, most of her memories with Alana were the same. She frowned as she remembered the last part, she knew very well about Alana's amnesia but the medics had said it to be temporary and as far as Emira knew in all of those 6 years not a bit had returned. Knowing she was wandering into very painful territory for Alana, Emira took a deep breath to steady herself before asking:  
-Alana what's going on? Why are you so down?   
Alana jumped a bit,startled, but quickly forced a smile and waved it off:  
-Oh, it's nothing- I'm just tired.  
Emira narrowed her blue eyes and crossed her arms at that statement:  
-Oh,really? Alana,drop the act,you can't fool me - I know you're close to breaking down and I most certainly don't need the Force to know that. Alana, need I remind you that I've known you for six years and that I've been to Ralak and felt it's aura myself? I know that something happened there, so stop acting like everything just perfect and tell me the truth.  
Alana stopped and sighed in defeat, she looked around the empty corridor before saying:  
-I'll tell you, but I want to sit down first.  
That was all Alana said before taking off down the corridor, her steps determined. Emira shrugged and rolled her eyes running after her best friend:  
-Alana, wait up!  
==================================  
Alana entered a small meditative garden with Emira right behind her. She looked around until her gaze stopped on a tree under which she and Emira often sat when they were meditating or resting after a long mission. She walked over to it and sat down under it along with Emira. Her best friend didn't waste any time and went straight to the heart of the matter:  
-Talk.  
-You're not going to let this go, are you?  
-No way, so talk.  
-Ugh, fine...  
Alana closed her eyes and leaned back against the tree, letting the gentle breeze on Coruscant play with her caramel coloured hair. Emira waited patiently for her to begin speaking and when Alana finally did her voice was slightly shaky with the emotions that it held:  
-Emira,you know about my amnesia,right?  
Emira hesitantly nodded, she recalled all too well when she had found out about it:  
Two ten year old girls sat in this very meditative garden, one with her long blue hair pulled back in a low ponytail and light blue eyes and the other with her long caramel hair pulled back by a dark red hairband and dark blue eyes. The dark blue eyed one,Alana, sat nervously hugging her knees to her chest while Emira played with the dry grass impatiently. Slowly she spoke:  
-Alana?  
-Y-Yes?  
-How do you know Kai or Master Lionis?  
Alana slowly spoke, her voice cautious:  
-I.. I accidentally stumbled onto him and Master Yoda on the planet we were all on.  
-Aroko? But isn't it in the wild space?!  
Alana tugged at the small tufts of grass, not meeting Emira's eyes:  
-That's what they told me...  
-But what were you doing there? Where are your parents?  
At this question she heard a small sob escape Alana's mouth:  
-I...I don't know. I'm scared!  
-Of what? If you lost your parents the Jedi can help you find them!  
Emira said optimistically, however was shocked when she saw Alana's big dark blue eyes brimming with tears:  
-That's not it! I don't know who they are! I don't know where I live or where I was born!  
-But how is that possible? Everyone knows that.  
Alana shook her head miserably ,tears falling from her eyes:  
-Y-You don't understand- I have no memory. I don't remember anyone or anything... I woke up on Aroko alone and in the dark because a strange voice was calling me... I..I have what the doctors call amnesia...I'm alone.  
Emira gasped slightly, she had heard of amnesia before but she had never met someone who had it. She tried putting herself in Alana's place and instantly felt immense fear overtake her. No memories, no friends or anyone she could rely on, all alone in a strange galaxy with just her name for knowledge and a small pendant as a tiny reminder of whatever her past had been. Impulsively Emira reached over and hugged the crying girl, whispering:  
-Don't be scared. You're not alone anymore. Kai, Master Yoda, the Jedi and I am here for you. We won't leave you all alone again. So don't cry...  
She pulled back when she heard a small gasp from Alana but left her hands on Alana's shoulders. Alana's hands were at her trembling lips tears streaming down her cheeks:  
-And you're never really alone. The voice you heard must have been the Force it called you to us, the Force is with you...always. Just like I'll be.  
Alana wiped away her tears and mustered a small smile. She held out her hand, extending the pinky finger:  
-Promise?  
Emira smiled and hooked her pinky around Alana's:  
-Promise. I'll be here forever and ever. And it doesn't matter to me if you don't have memories- we can just make new ones. Come on!  
Emira stood up and reached out her hand to pull Alana up. Alana grasped her hand and for the first time that day, really truthfully smiled as Emira pulled her along. That was how their friendship had begun.  
As Emira looked Alana, all shaky and broken she couldn't help but be reminded of that day under the setting Coruscant sun,6 years ago. After that with time and with the help and support of people around her Alana began to heal. Now,6 years later, she was a lively, cheerful and a somewhat sarcastic girl even without her memories. She was well on her way to becoming a Jedi and she was happy with her life. If Emira ever found out who had done this to Alana she would crush that person. She knew anger was wrong for a Jedi but right now she was just a teenage girl who was concerned about her friend. Alana hugged her knees to her chest and rested her chin atop them: she looked down, as though intently studying her boot silently. Emira didn't want to rush Alana into speaking or pressure her. She timidly spoke up:  
-If you don't really want to tell me that much, you don't have to.  
Alana shook her head and whispered quietly her voice chocked up:  
-I need to tell someone... I think I might suffocate if I don't.  
There was a pause before Alana spoke, she sounded on the brink of tears which was something that rarely happened nowadays:  
-I'm afraid...I'm so afraid, Emira.   
-Of what? I'm here for you no matter what.  
Alana suddenly looked up and Emira felt her heart drop seeing the tears in her eyes:  
-Is that true? Would you still be here if I was a Sith?! If I had killed people?! If I had twisted and manipulated people?! If I turned out to be some sort of monster in my past?!  
Emira's eyes widened and for a moment a surge of anger shot through her before the emotion of worry and love  for her sister in name squashed it down, silencing it. Gently she said:  
-You're sacred of what happened to you before you met, Master Lionis and Master Yoda,right?  
Alana nodded and whispered:  
-I'm afraid of what I did in the past. I'm scared of myself, of my memories... Of my past, she paused and wiped away the tears,-What if I was some sort of monster like Grievous in the past?! What if I hurt people?!  
To Alana's great surprise Emira spoke softly a bit of laughter evident in her voice:  
-Well,let's look at it rationally. Do you have the strong urge to kill me and take my lightsaber right now?  
Alana looked up confusion etched on her face:  
-No...  
-Do you feel the need to destroy every Jedi alive?  
-Of course not!  
-Do you want more power and are you willing to use any means necessary to obtain it?  
-No.  
-Do you use your rage and hatred for the world around you to fuel your powers?  
-No way!  
-And last but not least: do you want to rule the galaxy and swart all your enemies and friends?  
-Never in my life!  
-Then congrats, you're not a Sith. And probably never were.  
-But how? How can you believe that so simply?!  
-Because you're like a sister to me Alana. And I can feel the light within you besides who you were in the past doesn't define who you are now. Of course you're not the same person anymore- you're different now. You've changed since I first met you and in the good way. And, honestly, do you think the Sith would use a ten year old girl to do their dirty work? Just imagine it!  
Alana cracked a smile at Emira's ridiculous suggestion and finally all the doubt and worry lifted. Sure, she didn't know who she was in the past or why she had lost her memory but that didn't matter anymore she was Alana. The Alana who was a padawan to Kai Lionis, Emira's best friend, the person who had sworn to protect the galaxy from harm - she was not someone who would bend to anyone's will easily, she would resist the dark side, she would not break. Alana's half-hearted smile turned into a real one as she smiled at her best friend:  
-Thanks, Emira. You're the best.  
She reached out and hugged her hapan best friend. Emira's cheeks tinged with pale pink:  
-Yeah, I know.  
Alana pulled back and laughing gently punched her in the shoulder:  
-Don't let it get to your head,di'kut.  
-Hey! Quit insulting me in Mandolorian!  
Alana laughed looking at the the expression on the young hapan's face:  
-I can't help it! That look on your face is hilarious!  
-What did you call me anyway?  
-Idiot,dummy,fool- whichever you like!  
-Alana!  
Emira looked like she was about to ounce on her laughing best friend before she too started laughing. As soon as they recovered, Emira stood up and held out her hand to pull Alana up:  
-I'll get you for that insult through a sparring match! You in?  
Alana grinned and grasped Emira's hand,pulling herself up:  
-You know I never back away from a challenge.  
Emira mirrored her grin and started walking towards the sparring room calling back:  
-By the way blue lightsabers are still better than green ones.  
-Stop acting superior! And they're not!  
======================================  
Meanwhile in another room Kai and Master Yoda sat with serious looks on their faces:  
-A Sith, you say?  
-Yes,Master. He had a red blade and wore a dark cloak. The dark aura he was exuding was immensely strong.  
-Disturbing this is. Try to kill you, did he?  
-No,Master. That's what was surprising. He was trying to kill Alana- I mean me too, but she was his main target.  
-Troubling this is. Survive how did you?  
-That's the thing Master- I should have died. I would have died. If not for Alana.  
Kai looked down at his hands, a worried expression on his face. He had sought out Master Yoda after parting with Ayla Lunas after breakfast. He had hoped that master Yoda could explain what had happened. The scene kept replaying in his mind:  
He was suffocating and an enormous force was slowly crushing him. The pain was so blinding that even though he heard Alana calling his name he couldn't answer. Just let me die!-he thought and was instantly ashamed at his own cowardice. The dark side was slowly overwhelming and just when all light was about to vanish from within him a strong force pushed it back. It was so light, so welcoming, so loving, so gentle  and yet so fierce that it forced Kai to open his eyes. It became easier to breathe but what he saw before him made his breath catch in his throat. The Force around Alana was surging with such strength and energy that it was blinding. An eerie blue glow surrounded the young Jedi and her green lightsaber glowed brighter than ever before. Alana charged at the Sith with such confidence and determination that Kai was left awestruck. As soon as the green blade connected with the crimson the Sith was blown back into a tree 3 metres away. Kai looked at Alana in shock- what had happened to her?  
Slowly Kai added:  
-Master, the force around her was acting in the same way as the day we found her. She was glowing with a faint blue light. And the air around her was surging with energy, so pure and so blinding.  
Master Yoda looked thoughtful for a moment before he said:  
-Strong with the Force, she is. Very strong. Rival me she could.  
-Are you serious, master?!  
-Serious I am. Powerful she is. But unaware and naive too.  
-What do you mean Master? Why is this happening to her? Does it have anything to do with her amnesia?!  
Kai asked frantically ,worried for his padawan. Alana was like a little sister to him and he wasn't about to let anything happen to her, not if he could prevent it. Remembering that the Jedi weren't supposed to have attachments he took a deep breath to calm himself down. Meanwhile Master Yoda spoke, the expression on his face troubled:  
-Possible this is. Trust her the Force does. Flows through her freely it does. Like Skywalker she is.  
-Master, you're not implying--  
-No, that I am not. In a different way strong she is. Without your memory how would you be?  
-Um, scared,lost and alone.  
-Strong she is to overcome that. Now come, to the archives we must go.  
Master Yoda jumped off his seat and Kai followed him out of the door. As they walked towards the archives Kai asked:  
-With all due respect, Master, how would the archives help us?  
-Learn about Aroko we must and do so we shall. A long road this is, ask a friend can you?  
-Um,yes. Wait Master, don't tell me you intend to search with me?!  
-Intend that I do. Curious and worried I am, hmm. Ask a friend will you?  
-Right away.  
Kai clicked on his comlink and a gentle female voice answered:  
-Yes?  
-Hey,Ayla. Are you busy right now?  
-No, not at all. Just meditating,why? Is this about Alana - I was about to go searching for her and Emira?  
-No, Master Yoda and I need your assistance. We're heading to the archives, can you meet us there?  
-Of course. I'm going.  
The transmission cut off and Kai sighed. Master Yoda smiled and said:  
-Master Lunas, was that?  
-Yes, Master. She agreed to help us.  
-Good that is, hmm.  
====================  
It was late in the evening when Alana and Emira finally parted. They were both slightly tired. They had sparred until lunch with the score being 5-4 in Alana's favour. After lunch they had gotten cornered by Master Iros, a young female Rodian, who roped them into showing a group of adorable younglings how sparring worked. As soon as they had finished demonstrating they had hoped to settle the score and that was when Master Lunas, caught them and had dragged Alana to the medbay- the one place she had tried to avoid going since she had returned. Master Lunas looked very tired but slightly happy. When Alana had finally finished that dreaded checkup it was late. So late that like a mother, Master Lunas had managed to make them go eat and force them to get to bed. Alana walked along the corridor towards her sleeping  quarters when she suddenly felt as though someone was watching her. She reached out with the Force but couldn't sense anyone. Weird-thought Alana and shrugged her shoulders. She opened the door to her quarters and instantly felt that something was amiss and yet nothing seemed out of place. Alana closed the door behind her and carefully looked around ,when she couldn't notice anything she closed her eyes and reached into the Force. Suddenly she felt another force signature, weak, like one that belonged to a lightsaber but it wasn't coming from her the one on her belt it was coming from the place where Emira had placed her sleeping pallet. Alana opened her eyes and looked at the spot where she had felt the signature coming from. To her immense surprise she saw a lightsaber lying innocently on top. Alana picked it up and turned it over, it felt familiar and comfortable in her hands a sense of déjà vou washed over Alana.   
Unexpectedly her vision swam and she saw a young girl no older then 7, with the same shade of hair as her, wearing Jedi robes sitting in a small meditative garden and constructing her lightsaber- the same lightsaber that Alana was currently holding in her hands. Alana tried calling out to the girl:  
-Um, excuse me is this yours?  
She received no answer. Alana went closer to the girl and crouched down, when she saw the little girls eyes she nearly fell over: the little girls eyes were exactly the same shade as hers but they looked a lot younger, much more innocent and above all happy and full of determination. Her caramel brown hair was short and it reached her shoulders, the robes fit on her quite well as though she was born to be a Jedi. All in all she looked like a much younger version of Alana. Alana shook her head to rid herself of the ridiculous thought and suddenly the vision vanished as though it had never been there. Alana looked down at the lightsaber lying innocently in her hands and after holding it in the proper position she ignited it:  
-Woah...  
Was all that came out of Alana's mouth as a purple blade extended out of it. Quickly feeling like this was something she shouldn't do Alana switched it off, deciding that she would go see Master Yoda or Master Windu the next day to ask them to identify who this lightsaber belonged to. With that thought in mind she changed at and after unfolding her sleeping pallet lay down and drifted off to sleep.  
==================================  
In a dark room on Coruscant a Sith Lord was talking to his apprentice, who was kneeling on the hologram.   
-Darth Tyrranus, I have a task for you.  
-Yes,Master?  
The apprentice looked up. The masters yellow eyes gleamed:  
-There is a new Sith in the midst. Find him and bring him to me. I wish to know who he is.  
Darth Tyrranus bowed reverently and said:  
-Of course, Master.  
-Good good. Now tell me how is our new project fairing?  
-It's all going according to plan Master, and the Republic or their Jedi,- he spat out the last word with distaste,- have no idea at all.  
-Just as I predicted. Continue as before - the Republic must feel the height before the fall. Go Darth Tyrranus and do what I have instructed you too.  
-Of course, Master.  
The hologram cut off and the Master turned away. Darth Sidious was pleased, very pleased. Everything was going according to plan. It would all work out according to plan, that is, if I a certain naive but very perceptive Jedi didn't interfere. Darth Sidious looked out onto the city he muttered:  
-Alana Sheelan, I will not let you interfere.


	9. The solo assignment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm back and I'm finally done with chapter 9! Yay! It's the holidays so I'll be able to write a lot more than usual so we may get another update or two in before they end for me which is on the 11th of January. Anyway, this chapter is the final part of the first arc and the next one will be the beginning of the second arc. I hope you enjoy this chapter, I actually had a ton of fun writing the part where the bounty hunters appear in it and I hope you enjoy it too. Now I'm sorry if Mace Windu seems OOC since I had trouble writing him. Ah, well. 
> 
> Disclaimer (I keep forgetting this): I don't own Star Wars but I do own my OC's.

It had been one galactic standard week or 5 days since Alana found the lightsaber and even though a week had passed she just couldn't find Master Windu or Master Yoda which was definitely odd. Well, Master Windu could always be away because of the Clone Wars but for Master Yoda to be gone too? Now that was definitely unusual. Alana sighed as she sat cross legged in the small meditation garden trying for what felt like the four thousandth time to get in touch with the remains of the Force signature of the purple lightsaber in front of her. To no avail, the only results that Alana had managed to achieve were a few glimpses of that same girl and a headache. Throwing her hands up in frustration Alana placed the lightsaber on her lap and leaned back against the tree. Throughout the week she had tried to deduce by herself who the lightsaber had belonged to but she could only do that during her free time. Yeah, Just because they weren't on a mission that didn't mean Alana could slack off, she was a padawan after all. Even if it wasn't with her Master (who had also been oddly scarce during the past week) Alana did jobs around the temple which were both educational and counted as training: she sparred,she helped sort through the library records, she helped out with the younglings... Alana felt a small smile appear on her face at the last thought. She had always loved children and whenever she was around them she couldn't stop smiling and children responded to her in the same way. Whenever Alana was around children her presence in the Force seemed to calm them and in return they managed to stop the turmoil and chaos that was going on in Alana's soul. In Alana's opinion children were the most precious and amazing things the universe could offer, they were the little rays of light in the darkness. The younglings at the Jedi temple were still children even though they were more disciplined, she had noticed how they eyes sparkled with curiosity when a Jedi told them about the feats of various great Jedi in the past, how enthusiastic they were while using practice lightsabers, how they smiled and laughed while they ate, how lively and cheerful they were and most of all how eager to learn and how caring they were. Around them nobody could remain angry even though there was bound to be at least one troublemaker in the group. Alana wondered had she been like that as a child? These were the moments when she wished she could remember her past more than ever. Now that she came to think of it the little girls in her visions looked like she was a youngling, she even had the initiate patch. But since she had constructed her lightsaber she must have been close to becoming a padawan or already be one. But what bothered Alana the most about that girl was the uncanny resemblance between them. In a way she looked a lot like Alana and yet not like her, she was too innocent somehow - Alana had never seen those eyes in herself, not even when she just joined the Jedi order, her eyes always held a some taint of darkness, of sadness. So who could the girl be? If Alana wasn't a Jedi she could have seriously thought that the Force was showing her a vision of her daughter, if she were ever to have one but again that only would have applied if Alana wasn't a Jedi. True, Alana, like any other being that was female , had fantasised about having children but she knew that that peaceful family life just wasn't in the cards for her. She had chosen the path of the Jedi and she wouldn't stray from it, no matter what she might have ever wanted. So she satisfied herself by watching the families of parents and children on the streets of the worlds she visited and the knowledge that she was helping keep them safe helped. Alana had discussed the aspect with Emira and she was glad her friend agreed. Come to think of Emira, Alana suddenly remembered that she was leaving on her first solo mission today. As Alana jumped up and began running towards the landing bay in front of the Jedi Temple she recalled what Emira had told her the day before:  
Alana and Emira were sitting in the Jedi temple's library each researching something of their own when Emira quietly spoke up:  
-You know, I'm leaving tomorrow?  
-Really? How come?  
Emira shrugged and turning back to her research said:  
-Some hotshot senator and his documents need a Jedi escort to Hapes. Figures, they'd choose me for this job.  
-Hey, come on- it's your first solo mission you should be excited and not grumpy.  
Emira sighed and leaned back in her chair:  
-It's not that I'm not excited, because yeah this is awesome and I'm taking my first steps to becoming a Jedi Knight but the problem is that it's Hapes we're going to.  
-Ah...  
Alana bit her lip thoughtfully. Yeah, that was a problem - Emira was from Hapes. She was Hapan ,her stunning blue eyes and deep blue hair said so clearly. Slowly Alana said:  
-You're afraid to run into them again, aren't you?  
Emira hesitated for a moment but nodded. Alana sighed and also turned away from her research. She understood Emira's reluctance very well. About 4 years ago Emira and Master Lunas had gone to Hapes, as part of a mission and during their mission they got split up. Emira was lost in Ta'a Chume'Dan, the capital of Hapes when she accidentally bumped into a young Hapan girl about her age and with striking resemblance to her. The girl had inquired what was wrong and Emira had opened up to her, explaining that she was a padawan and that she had gotten separated from her Master. The young girl responded enthusiastically by saying that she would help her find her Master. Emira introduced herself and was surprised to find that the young girl had the same last name as her, she was: Ayume Leeta and she was 10 years old. Two years younger than Emira, even though they were both surprised at the familiarity they brushed it off as nothing. A moment later Ayume received a message from her parents which told her that they were at the entrance to the palace right now, talking with a Jedi Master and she should come meet them. Ayume and Emira went off to meet them. At the entrance to the palace had stood Master Lunas and a man with a woman. The man had deep black hair and sky blue eyes while the woman had long cerulean hair which was in a complex updo and had honey-coloured gentle eyes. Ayume had run up to them with Emira walking beside her. While initially Master Lunas had looked relieved to see Emira she looked slightly apprehensive. When the man and the woman saw Emira they stopped and stared and Emira had stared back. Then a chocked sob had suddenly escaped the woman as she looked at Emira which caused Emira's eyes to widen with surprise. Sobbing the woman whispered:  
-Emira?  
Emira had suddenly felt a warm pulse of the Force pass through her which was filled with love,grief,disbelief and so many other complex emotions that her head began spinning slightly. Perplexed Emira nodded:  
-Yes, that's my name. I'm Emira Leeta.  
At that moment Ayume had piped up:  
-Isn't it awesome that she has the surname as us?!  
However the man just cast a hard look at Master Lunas who was looking at the ground attentively and asked:  
-What is the meaning of this Master Jedi? Don't tell me the children you take get to keep their last names?!  
Master Lunas looked up, her normally calm teal eyes flaring:  
-Why yes they do! And we do not take children we take them in with their parents consent for their own protection!   
-You are now using them as weapons! And those children don't even know who their own parents are!  
-I beg you pardon,Mr. Leeta! We do not use children as weapons. Does your daughter look hurt to you?!  
In the heat of the moment Master Lunas hadn't realised her critical slip up until it was a moment too late. Emira had looked between her Master and the two people she just now realised were her parents bewildered before softly asking:  
-Are you really my Mum and Dad?  
Tears streaming down her beautiful face the woman had nodded:  
-You've grown so much since I last saw you. You were just two years old when they took you away... I know you're a Jedi now and probably don't care anymore but we're proud of you.  
Since that moment Emira had been hesitant about returning to Hapes, as a Jedi she knew that she must not get attached to her parents and sister but the heart and the mind often want different things. Alana gently patted Emira's shoulder and said:  
-Hey, Hapes is a big planet - what are the odds of you running into them again? It's like me meeting that bounty hunter anytime soon.  
-Yeah,you're right.  
Emira muttered seemingly agreeing with her friend but Alana had the feeling she was saying that to calm herself. Suddenly Emira's eyes filled with hope and she asked Alana:  
-Will you meet me next to my ship tomorrow?  
-Of course, I promise.  
Alana shook her head and increased her speed. When she reached the landing platform she could sense Emira's depression in the air. Alana mentally facepalmed herself - she was such an idiot to loose track of time so easily. When Emira saw Alana a smile graced her face and her spirits lifted. Alana halted to a stop only when she was right in front of Emira. Panting slightly she huffed out:  
-Sorry...I'm....late!  
-No big deal, you were working on that lightsaber again, right?  
Alana nodded her head, finally catching her breath. Not meeting Emira's eyes she mumbled, her voice laced with guilt:  
-It's no excuse to nearly stand you up!  
-Nearly doesn't count. Besides you're here now aren't you and that's what's important. Now I can go to Hapes in peace.  
Alana frowned at her friends wording, she crossed her arms:  
-Don't talk as if you are dying. I know there's a war going on but please be careful.  
Emira grinned brightly and climbed into her starship cheerfully. Before closing the cockpit she waved and said:  
-Careful is my middle name! See you when I get back Alana, try not to make your poor master go insane by then.  
-As if. As for the last part- why do you care?  
-I don't want to miss out on the fun of course.  
-You're insane yourself. Get going - Senator Valorum won't be pleased if you are late.  
Emira scrunched up her knows in annoyance:  
-Tell me about that old geezer. Bye, take care, Alana!  
With those parting words, Emira plopped down on to her seat and the cockpit of her fighter jet latched closed. Alana waved as Emira took off, feeling a tinge of loneliness appear. Suddenly Alana heard her name being called from the other side of that platform:  
-Padawan Sheelan? What are you doing here?  
Alana turned around and came face to face with one of the people she had been searching for the whole previous week. Alana hurriedly put on her exemplary padawan mask:  
-Master Windu, good afternoon. I was seeing my friend, Emira off.  
Master Windu nodded thoughtfully:  
-Yes, she has her first solo task today. Speaking of tasks, the Jedi Order has one for you.  
Alana froze, startled. Recovering slightly she stammered out:  
-M-me?  
Master Windu nodded paying no heed to her apparent nervousness. He continued on:  
-Come to the Councils meeting room today when we call for you, you'll hear more about it then.  
He nodded his goodbye and began to walk away, when Alana called after him, remembering why she had been looking for him in the first place. He stopped and Alana finally caught up to him and asked:  
-Master Windu, is it true that lightsabers posses force signatures?  
He nodded:  
-Yes, it is imprinted by the owners. Why?  
Alana shifted from one foot to another,slightly nervous before saying:  
-About a week ago, I found a lightsaber in my quarters and it was just left there. As soon as I picked it up it showed me a Force Vision of the past. It had belonged to a very young padawan learner, not from Coruscant. But as soon as I shook my head it disappeared and I haven't been able to reach out to it since.  
Master Windu looked thoughtful for a moment before holding out his hand:  
-Give me the lightsaber and I'll see what I can find out.  
Alana nodded and handed the dark skinned Jedi Master the lightsaber that had been hanging on her belt, opposite from her normal one. Master Windu nodded and after taking it in his hands, walked inside the Jedi Temple motioning Alana to follow him. As soon as they reached a small but calm room he sat down in a meditative position and closed his eyes. Alana sat down a little farther away from him and focused on taming her growing curiosity and impatience. Unexpectedly she felt a gentle tug inside of herself, as though someone or something was calling out to her through the Force. She closed her eyes and reached into the Force, searching for whoever or whatever was calling out to her. She heard a whisper, but it wasn't coming from the room she was in. It was coming from elsewhere... What did it say? There it was again the whisper. Alana stilled reaching deeper and deeper into the Force. And when she finally understood what was being whispered she felt a shiver run up her spine. One word. The whisper had been one word. It didn't sound human nor alien but it kept whispering that one word:Alana. It was strange and slightly unnerving to say the least. Suddenly she felt Master Windu come out of whatever meditative trance he had been in and open his eyes. She did the same, inwardly making a mental note about keeping her mouth shout about whatever voice had been calling her name. Master Windu was looking between her and the lightsaber in the palm of his hand thoughtfully.  
-Well, whoever made this has definitely got style.  
-Um... Do you have any idea who made it?  
-Maybe.You say you found it just lying in your quarters?  
-Yes.  
-Well, this is confusing indeed.  
-What is it, Master?  
-Can you give me your lightsaber for a second?  
-Of course.  
Alana unclipped her green lightsaber from her belt and handed it to him. He placed both lightsabers on the floor in front of him beside each other. Alana stared. The similarities between the two were uncanny. They were nearly of the same shape, and size. In fact it almost looked exactly like her lightsaber. Master Windu looked Alana square in the eyes:  
-You can see it, Padawan. The resemblance?  
-Yes...  
-Well, this lightsaber's force signature imprint matches yours. Sheelan, this lightsaber is yours.  
Alana felt shock run through her. Even though the Force was confirming the Jedi Masters words Alana weakly protested:  
-But I never created a second lightsaber! How could this be?  
Master Windu picked up the two lightsabers and handed them back to the bewildered padawan before standing up and saying:  
-I am afraid I don't know the answer to that but perhaps the Force can show you the answer. Please don't be late when we call for you.  
With those parting words he swept out of the room leaving Alana alone with her thoughts. Alana stood up and clipped both lightsabers onto her belt. How could this be? She had never created a second lightsaber, she knew Jedi who carried two lightsabers - Anakin's padawan Ahsoka was one of them, but Alana had always wielded one. Either way, thought Alana, one day I may get to the bottom of this mystery but it doesn't seem like it'll be anytime soon, Master Windu did say that they may have an assignment for me. Alana walked out of the room and decided to head over to the sparring room for a bit, if she was to go on a mission she might as well get some training in. When she had just started out as Master Lionis's padawan they had tried out different lightsabers forms and ways to wield them that had included duel wielding lightsabers. Although Alana had chosen to use one lightsaber that in no way did mean that she was a complete amateur and wouldn't be able to use two just as well. Sure, she was a bit rusty perhaps but that was nothing a little training couldn't remedy.

===================

Kai leaned back in his seat in frustration and sighed. They had been searching for five days and yet not a single fact had come up on Aroko. Perhaps it was true: the current Jedi database was too new to know much about Aroko. Or maybe Aroko was just too new for the Jedi database. Either way that had made literally no progress whatsoever and what frustrated Kai even more that he was stuck here searching for nonexistent data meaning he was neglecting his padawan. Kai glanced sideways at the white-haired sitting beside him and diligently combing the archives. How she had so much patience with the subject Kai had no clue. Then again her padawan was not wondering aimlessly in Temple she was off on her new mission today. Suddenly she looked up from the screen,her teal eyes sparkling with excitement:  
-I found it! Well, it's not much but I believe it's important!  
Master Yoda, who was seated across from them looked up as well:  
-Find something did you, hm? See it we shall.  
He walked over to properly see her. Ayla glanced between the two before she began speaking, she seemed nervous:  
-Aroko was not always an uninhabited planet it was once well populated in fact. But that was millions of years ago, even before the old Republic and the Mandolorian war. It was during the time when the Republic was just forming, at that time Aroko was home to a great Jedi Temple. I suspect those Jedi were the founders of what is now the Jedi Order.  
Kai's eyes widened: a Jedi Temple on Aroko? Sure, he had seen ruins when Master Yoda and he had crash landed there but he had never assumed that they were the remnants of a Jedi Temple. And the founders of the Jedi Order? Could it really be true? Yoda seemed to be thinking along the same lines:  
-Puzzling this is, but possible too. Raise another question this does: Your Padawan doing on that planet what was she?  
Ayla stared at Alana's master:  
-You found Alana on Aroko of all places?!  
Kai nodded sighing heavily:  
-I guess I forgot to tell you she was wondering around on an uninhabited planet.  
-But how did she get there? Could you sense any other sentient life forms?!  
-No. She was the only one there apart from us and we couldn't just very well leave a ten year old child on a deserted planet.  
-But how did she get there?  
-Well, we know she can't give us an answer. I just wish her memories would come back already!  
Suddenly there was a voice from behind him:  
-Maybe that's not the best wish you could make.  
Kai and Ayla turned around to see the Mace Windu standing there. He spoke seriously:  
-Some things are better left in the past. Alana is one person who's past is definitely not a bright one.  
Kai looked at the man in surprise:  
-What do you mean?  
Mace sighed and sat down beside them. He steepled his long fingers and leaned his forehead on them, slowly he began speaking:  
-A little while ago, Sheelan came up to me asking me to identify a lightsaber that she had found lying in her quarters. She seemed really unnerved by it and she also said that it had shown her a Force Vision when she had picked it up. I did as she said and when I tapped into the lightsabers Force Energy I was shocked by what I saw. I didn't tell Sheelan that I had seen anything but you should know. That purple bladed lightsaber is hers but it showed me something that I had never expected to see: it was a little girl, who looked incredibly like her, fighting against a full fledged Sith lord . And she was holding her own, and then there was blood ,so much blood spilled. People were lying dead all around and there was panic in the Force. Chaos reigned. They were just a few flashes but that was enough. I don't know how and why that lightsaber belongs to her but it's imprinted with Sheelan's Force signature. All I can say is your Padawan isn't what she seems. She's a Jedi and an honest person but if what I saw was indeed a flash of her past then her past hides many secrets and she posses many abilities.  
There was a long silence after Mace finished speaking. Most of it was induced by shock. Yoda spoke first:  
-Look like the Sith what did?  
Ayla nodded in agreement:  
-Did he look like Count Dooku or even Maul?  
Mace Windu shook his head:  
-No. He wore a long black cloak and I couldn't se his face. He wielded a crimson bladed lightsaber of which the hilt was a little bent and overall his Force Signature didn't match any known Sith.  
Kai gasped and sat up straight:  
-Did you say the hilt was bent?!  
-Yes, why?  
-That must be him!  
Ayla turned to Kai, confused:  
-Who is it?  
Kai explained to them about the Sith Lord they had met back on Ralak. With each word he said Yoda's and Mace Windu's faces grew graver and graver. They both knew that a new Sith appearing on the scene didn't mean anything good. When Kai had finished they both stood up:  
-It seems that it is high time for the High Jedi Council to convene.  
-Agree with you I do.  
-Please excuse us. Oh and Kai, your padawan, will be getting her first solo assignment today so don't worry she'll have something to do.  
-Understood Master Windu.  
The Jedi all bowed to each other before walking off in their separate ways. As Kai left the archives Ayla followed him. She heard him whisper dispiritedly:  
-Why is all this happening now? And why to Alana of all people?  
Ayla placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and looked into his green eyes with a small smile on her face:  
-It must be the will of the Force. But don't worry, Alana's a big girl she'll be fine. It's yourself you have to worry about now.   
-What do you mean?  
-Kai, stop being so stubborn. We talked about it yesterday if you don't handle it soon it'll become a huge problem.  
Kai sighed as he looked at his determination female companion:  
-Alright, I'll look into it soon.  
-Look into it?! You told me you were ready to go!  
-I lied.  
Kai shrugged and with a small glance at the mock angry face of Ayla Lunas he sped off laughing to himself quietly with her hot on his heels, smiling.

===================

As the sun over Coruscant set, three certain bounty hunters sat in on a roof. They were wearing casual clothes but that didn't mean their guard was down, no, they had come here for a mission and they intended to complete at least part of it. Getting to the Chancellor and the Senator was impossible now but the data could still be retrieved. But what puzzled them the most was how their plans had been foiled and that had almost never happened before. It was all because of one teenage girl, a teenage Jedi in their defence though. But still she was the only reason their plans had been foiled. Completely and utterly. The only female bounty hunter in their group, a woman who had a striking resemblance to the infamous bounty hunter Aurra Sing differentiating from her only by her blonde hair and her clothes, was the first to break the silence:  
-Who was that girl?  
The Iridonian shrugged and said:  
-Ask Jayden, he was the one who fought her.  
The woman turned to the young Mandolorian. Jayden sat casually with one knee propping up his chin while the other lay still on the surface of the roof, the passing breeze ruffled his already slightly messy obsidian black hair and his pale green eyes stared off into the distance, thoughtful. Seeing that she was not going to get a response from him like this, the woman shook his shoulder gently:  
-Jayden.  
Jayden snapped out of his trance and turned to look at the woman questioningly:  
-Oh,Seila , sorry I wasn't paying attention. What did you want?  
Seila smiled and shook her head:  
-I was asking you who that girl you were fighting was.  
-Oh, her. Sorry can't help you much since I don't know much about her.  
The Iridonian snorted:  
-You seemed to know her name close to the end of your fight.  
Jayden shrugged:  
-I don't know how I knew it, it was just there.In my head. Like I heard it when we first locked blades there was this... connection. I don't know what it was but I'm certain she felt it too, by the look on her face it was evident. So I guess I do know a bit. Her name's Alana Sheelan, she's a Jedi and a worthy opponent.  
Seila sighed, exasperated:  
-Jayden, really? Come on we could've all known that much, well, apart from her name.  
Jayden grinned slightly and shrugged:  
-Hey, I warned you I didn't know much about her. But I have a feeling this isn't the last we'll be seeing of her.  
The Iridonian sighed:  
\- Keep talking like that,kid, and you'll end up jinxing it. We don't need her in our way. Or what's worse you'll be stuck with her and let me tell you there's nothing worse than being stuck with a woman.  
Seila raised an eyebrow:  
-Care to repeat that?  
The Iridonian, who quickly understood where he'd slipped up, said hurriedly:  
-You don't count.  
Seila nodded an eyebrow still raised:  
-Good to know, good to know.  
Jayden, who had been watching the exchange with extreme amusement, said:  
-Hope you don't mind me telling Alda that. She'll be very interested to know what her husband thinks of her.  
A panicked look appeared in the Iridonian's dark eyes:  
-Don't you dare! And I don't mean Alda either.  
Seila smirked:  
-Funny you should say that to Jayden,Heims, since you met Alda the same way.  
Jayden looked curious:  
-Heims met his wife how?  
Heims fixed Seila with a steely glare:  
-He doesn't need to her my life's story, woman. Long story short, kid, I met Alda on a mission ,we fought, she defeated me and before you ask this is the only time I was beaten by a woman and will ever be beaten. Bla bla bla, I met her on another assignment ,we got stuck to each other, we both fell into this sappy thing called love and got married. The End. Happy now, woman?  
Seila shrugged:  
-Well, if that's the way you want to tell it then fine. Speaking of which, isn't Alda the one who's bringing us the data tomorrow?  
Heims nodded and Jayden sighed in disappointment:  
-Not fair, I won't get to see her. I have to get a start on that mission tomorrow, right?  
Heims nodded:  
-And, kid, don't you dare screw it up.  
Jayden lay down on the roof and mumbled:  
-I know, I know. Come on Heims, I'm not an amateur. For Sarlaac's sake I took down a Krayt dragon, I think I can handle this.  
-Don't get too cocky.  
Jayden turned to Seila with a mischievous look on his face:  
-You sure we can't tell Alda what he said?

=========================

Alana sat perched on one of the many windowsills in the Jedi Temple. She had been slightly fidgety all day, she couldn't get the fact that the Jedi Council could have an assignment for her out of her mind. She was slightly excited, she had to admit, perhaps it was childish but Alana thought that a mission with her Master was way more interesting and practical than just sitting around the temple. She had had enough of that. But still the mysterious appearance of the purple lightsaber troubled her. She kne she had never created one unless... No, that was impossible. Alana shook her head, she couldn't have created a lightsaber before she had lost her memory she had been a complete novice everyone on the Jedi Council had said so when they had tested her, well, everyone apart from Master Yoda that is. Alana leaned her head back against the wall and sighed, this was super confusing. An elderly human female Jedi Master came up to her:  
-Are you alright, my dear?  
Alana sat up straighter:  
-Yes, I'm fine just slightly tired.  
The elderly woman smiled:  
-Training with your Master I presume? I'm glad they still keep their padawans in shape.   
Alana shook her head and nervously fiddled with her padawan braid:  
-I haven't seen my master in 5 days.  
-A whole week! Oh my, is he on a mission?  
-No. At least I don't think so he said he's doing some research for the council.  
-Well then I'm sure he'll be done soon. Why don't you go to bed and get an early start tomorrow. It is getting late.  
Alana shook her head but smiled:  
-I'm waiting for--  
Alana's comlink beeped in a way that signalled that the Jedi Council was calling for her. Alana heeding Master Windu's warning about not being late, jumped off the windowsill and bowed slightly to the old Jedi Master:  
-Um, I've got to go. Thanks for talking to me, Master...  
-Master Shaaron. It was nice to meet such a polite padawan. Go on, I know what that code means. You don't want to keep the High Jedi Council waiting.  
Alana smiled and quickly bowed once more:  
-Thank you and goodbye, Master Shaaron.  
Alana took of running, thankfully she didn't crash into anyone and was soon at the door leading to the room where the Council was seated. She had just managed to catch her breath when she was called in. Alana slowly walked in and bowed slightly to the assembled council. All the masters were seated on chairs, each custom made for the occupant. Though some masters were only here as holograms the whole Jedi Council was here. As usual it was a bit nerve-wracking to be here and even more so without her Master but Alana calmed down a bit when she spotted the friendly look Obi-wan was giving her and the small smile on Master Yoda's face. Hologram Master Shaak Tii was the first to speak:  
-Padawan Sheelan, welcome. We have summoned you here today because we have an assignment for you.  
Alana blinked, the only part of her face expressing her shock:  
-For me, Master?  
Master Windu nodded:  
-Yes, we need you to complete a task for us, and unfortunately with the Jedi stretched thin as we are, your Master can't come with you.  
-I understand, Master.  
Master Yoda spoke next:  
-Worry you need not, simple this task is but not too simple.  
Master Kenobi picked up:  
-The point is, we need you to go to a few planets for us and notify the families of a few children of their potential.  
-You mean the families of future younglings, Master?  
The hologram of Master Ki-Adi-mundi nodded in answer:  
-Yes. When it turned out that we had no Masters or Knights for the job, an experienced Jedi Master, Master Shaaron, recommended you specifically she said she had seen you helping out with the younglings and was amazed with your ability to interact with children and people taking care of them. We need you to leave tomorrow morning and board the shuttle that is taking Senator Organa to Alderaan, he has volunteered to take you that far and this way you'll also be providing extra security.  
-Understood, Master.  
Master Yoda spoke up next:  
-Good. Dismissed you are, May the Force be with you.  
-Thank you, Master.  
Alana bowed once again and stepped out of the room. As soon as she was a good distance away from the room Alana leaned against the wall and took a deep breath, trying to steady her rapidly beating heart. She was going on her first solo assignment. It was a though that was both exciting and terrifying. But if she were to be perfectly honest, Alana was glad that the elderly woman, Master Shaaron, had recommended her. Maybe she wouldn't be as lonely as she thought even with Emira gone. There were bound to be a few problems on the mission but she would deal with them as they came. She could do this, it would all go smoothly. With that though in mind Alana started heading to her quarters, she needed to get some rest before getting an early start tomorrow. But as she walked a nagging feeling in the back of her mind, which she was expertly ignoring,told her that this assignment would not be as simple as it was made out to be.


	10. Hijackers ahoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I've reached my second milestone: chapter 10! Yay! Took me awhile but it's finally here!  Now I'm warning you that school is starting for me tomorrow so updates will be slower. Anyhow enjoy!

Alana peeked out of the hood of her cloak slightly impatiently. She was standing in front of the ship which Senator Organa was supposed to board and per her Masters request was waiting for him to show up. As Alana turned around she accidentally tripped and bumped into someone. She quickly apologised to that person without noticing that her hood had fallen off:  
-Um, I'm sorry --  
-Hey, it's alright.   
Alana looked up to have her midnight blue eyes meet with a pair of pale green ones and see a hand being stretched out to her. A boy around her age with slightly messy obsidian black hair which reached the base of his head and pale green eyes was offering to help her up.She smiled and thankfully grasped it, as soon as her hand clasped his she felt a jolt of the Force. A jolt she had only felt once before. He pulled her up but even when she was standing for some reason she didn't let go of his hand and neither did he let go of hers. They just stood there for a moment. He was wearing brown jeans,a pale blue shirt with a somewhat familiar insignia at the shoulder and a dark blue vest with a collar. He smiled sheepishly:  
-It was partially my fault for not looking where I was going. Sorry.  
-Um, it's really ok. I was too lost in thought.  
-How about we call it a draw on whose fault it is?  
-Sure, are you boarding the cruiser?  
-Nope, but I am docking my ship with it.  
-Are you allowed to do that?  
-If you've registered, sure. Um, this may seem weird but have we met somewhere before?  
-I think so, but I can't exactly remember.   
Alana bit her lip and looked down, the cloak was completely covering her apart from the hood, which she had just noticed had fallen off. The jolt of the Force, the connection... He couldn't be, could he? He let go of her hand:  
-Well, I'm sorry but I've got to go. Still got to dock my ship, bye!  
-Goodbye.  
As Alana watched him jog off, she pulled her hood back up. She may be on a republic planet but there still were some people who didn't like Jedi, so it was better not to stir up trouble. Thankfully out of the corner of her eye she saw a man and a droid approaching her. Her Master was coming over with J2 at his side. She smiled when they were standing right in front of her.  
-Master, nice of you to come.  
-Come on, Alana, you know I wouldn't stand you up.  
Alana smiled brighter and nodded her head, she trusted him and he returned that trust. Suddenly her Master hugged her, pulling her close, he said:  
-I'm going to miss you ribbing me.  
Alana pulled back slightly and grinned:  
-Don't worry when I get back I'll call you and old man twice as many times as usual.   
-Ok, but you must return in one piece, you hear me?  
-Loud and clear. Take care and Master?  
-Yes?  
Alana opened her mouth to say something but then closed it again, she shook her head smiling ruefully:  
-Nothing. Stay safe.  
-I should be telling you that. Alana, remember, that Sith is still out there.  
A serious expression replaced Alana's smile:  
-And he wants my blood.  
-Exactly. Alana, whatever is happening now, it's revolving around you.  
-I'll be careful. Good luck on whatever research you're doing.  
-Thanks, May the Force be with you.  
-May the Force be with you too.   
Alana crouched down to hug J2 who at first tried to roll away, but after a moment gave up and let the girl hug him. Alana stood up and faced her Master who unexpectedly asked:  
-Two lightsabers?  
-It's a long story. Short version: they're both mine. I'll explain when I get back.  
-Are you going to be using the Jar'Kai now?  
-Yes, I've been practicing the Rising Whirlwind and such. Look, Senator Organa is here, Master I've got to go.  
-Alright. Take care, don't forget to report in.  
-I know, goodbye.  
As Kai watched Alana walk away he smiled and said slightly sadly:  
-Force, she's grown up. She can take care of herself but then why do I feel like when I see her again this Alana will be gone for good? Huh, Jaytoo?  
The droid whistled in agreement. Kai watched Alana walk up to Senator Organa, take off her hood and bow, he saw the smile on her face and he saw her nod in agreement to something. Somehow Kai felt that this was the last time he'd see her so eager and free. He hoped he was wrong but after all this was the will of The Force.

===========

Jayden walked away from the girl with the midnight blue eyes. Who was she? She seemed so familiar and that connection again. Could she really be Alana? But the way she smiled and the way she looked flustered, she didn't seem like the fierce warrior he had fought. Besides she was wearing a cloak so he couldn't see if she had lightsabers or not.No,there was no way that she was Alana and that was that. Jayden quickly mounted the ramp of his ship, the Crimson Storm. He sat down in the pilots seat and for a moment closed his eyes, relaxing his entire being. He hadn't noticed that he'd been tense. Unexpectedly he heard a woman's voice behind him:  
-Hey, are you gonna sleep or are you going to complete the mission?  
Jayden opened one eye lazily and saw a few strands of blonde hair:  
-Seila. Weren't you meeting Alda with Heims? The data?  
Seila made a face:  
-I was but then the sappiness started and I took that as my cue to leave. We got the data.But don't change the subject: are you going to get a move on or not?  
Jayden sat up straighter and flipped a switch. The ship began to hum:  
-I'm going, I'm going. See? Now unless you want to be my travel companion for the rest of the trip I suggest you get off.  
-Ok,ok, I'm getting off. By the way, Jayden?  
-Hm?  
-You should change the shirt. It may give you away.  
-Seila, we talked about this and I'm not going to hide the insignia. Perhaps I'm risking it but I'm not going to hide it. Plus, come on, how many people here know the symbol? Basically none. So nobody will recognise me.  
-What if you run into that girl again?  
-Alana? Hmph, I doubt it. Seila the chances of us meeting anytime soon are a million to one. I can say I'm pretty sure I won't meet her. Now get off the ship.  
-Sure,sure and by the way I left the emergency bag near the ramp.  
-Again? Seila I don't know how you guess what I may need but thanks. Now shoo!  
-I'm going, I'm going. Don't get shot, kid.  
With those parting words Seila stepped out of the ship leaving Jayden alone. He quickly flipped the switch for the ramp to close and fired up the engines. He was ready for take off. As the Crimson Storm took off Seila watched it from afar and smiled. If what she had packed in that bag was correct Jayden was in for one interesting journey.  
Oh, she just couldn't wait for him to get back. 

===================

Alana sighed as she walked along the relatively empty corridors of Atlantida (that was the name of the cruiser), she was bored. All the people on board were the senators and nobles, a few representatives of different moons, droids and providing security- Clones. So in short Alana had absolutely nothing to do and no one to talk to. Alana turned the corner of the ship and nearly crashed into a clone. He was a bit different from the others, his armour was white and red. He was a clone commander, like Rex and Cody. Alana quickly apologised (what was it with her and bumping into people today?):  
-Sorry, I didn't see you.  
-Not a problem, Miss. Are you lost?  
-No, just bored. I've got absolutely nothing to do.  
-Why are you not joining the party with your parents?  
Alana stared at him for a moment, bewildered, before laughing. Smiling she said:  
-Sorry, you've got it all wrong. I'm not the daughter of any of the senators or representatives, my clothes definitely show that.  
-I'm sorry, Miss. I don't know much about fashion.  
-Eh, it's okay. There's no need to call me "Miss" my name is Alana Sheelan. I'm the Jedi.  
-Ah, so you're the Jedi that was said to be joining us for additional security. Nice to meet you, General - I'm Clone Commander Arc.  
-Nice to meet you, Commander Arc.  
-The pleasure is mine, General Sheelan.  
-Um, I'm not a general. I'm just a totally bored Padawan that has nothing to do, I'm not even a Jedi Knight yet. So please call me Alana.  
-Alright, Miss Alana. Do you want to join me on the security inspection then?  
-Sure that's better than doing nothing.  
Alana followed commander Arc through the corridors. As they passed the clone troopers they saluted their commander and Alana could feel their curiosity in the Force directed towards her so she simply smiled. This curiosity the clones had defined them as humans, in a way that was both comforting and torturous. Tortuous because Alana understood they were sending out millions of human beings to fight for them in the war with no choice in the matter and comforting because they were not cold, heartless machines like the droids of the Separatists were. They were strictly disciplined soldiers who could think, could care about others, who had a better chance of surviving this ghastly war. Commander Arc turned to Alana and asked a trace of concern evident in his voice:  
-Miss Alana, are you alright?  
Alana was silent for a moment before softly saying:  
-How long? How much longer is this war going to continue? How many more will die?   
-Miss Alana?  
-I'm so tired of this fighting, of this war. The Force is filled with anguish and sadness. I wish ... I wish I could do something to make it stop. To make the pain go away. I don't want to sound completely negative but if we carry on like this we'll end up destroying the very thing we're fighting for.  
Alana lapsed into silence and Commander Arc didn't say anything, they continued walking through the corridors with Commander Arc noting things down on a data pad each time they passed a security post. Unexpectedly as they were nearing the docking ports they heard voices arguing. Alana quickly glanced at Commander Arc,who nodded, before taking off towards the source of the voices. As she ran she felt a jolt in the Force, whoever was close by that person was important, she knew that person.

============================

Jayden inwardly rolled his eyes as he looked at the officer in charge of the docking bays. Sure, he knew that he hadn't registered (come on, what idiot would leave behind a trail when you're trying not to be found?!) but the guy could stand to indulge him a bit by at least checking the list. Another officer came up seemingly hearing the noise. He turned to his colleague:  
-What's wrong?  
-Well this guy says he registered while I know there was no ship of that type on our list.  
-Did you check?  
-I know clearly that there is now HNM model registered!  
-Ok,ok, but let me check.  
Jayden sighed, they were getting nowhere he didn't know if this trick would work (because sometimes it didn't) but it was his only option. Jayden closed his eyes for a moment and reached into it. The "it" was something Jayden couldn't quite describe, he called upon it when he desperately needed help and sometimes the oddest things happened. He couldn't control it, it was like an instinct. He hoped it would help him out this time. Jayden opened his eyes and focused on the officer that was checking the registration list and said firmly, drawing upon "it":  
-I am on the list.  
The first officer looked at him mockingly:  
-Look, buddy, I know you're not on the list so drop it.  
Jayden, however, was undeterred. He said again adding even more power into his words, this time he focused on both officers:  
-I am on the list.  
The two officers obediently repeated:  
-You are on the list.  
Jayden inwardly sighed in relief, it was working. He concentrated once more:  
-You will --  
Before Jayden could order them to go about their business a demanding girls voice cut him off:  
-And what exactly is going on here?!  
Both Jayden and the officers turned to look at the girl. Jayden felt a strange sensation run through him for the second time that day, she seemed really familiar somehow. She had long caramel brown hair that was pulled up in a ponytail that was tied by a midnight blue headband which matched her eyes perfectly. She wore a black dress that stopped a bit above her knees and knee-length black boots, on her arms were a pair of fingerless elbow-length grey gloves. On her grey belt hung two lightsabers. A Jedi. Jayden looked at her face closer, she looked about the same age as him and in her eyes he saw a flicker of confusion and recognition. She asked:  
-Hey, aren't you the guy I met this morning?  
This morning? Jayden's mind reeled back to the morning and he remembered the girl he had accidentally bumped into. It was her. But for some reason this wasn't the only thing his mind made him remember, he recalled the night when he had fought the young female Jedi. She had the same expressionate midnight blue eyes as the girl in front of him, now that he came to think of it her clothes and one of the lightsabers looked familiar too. She seriously couldn't be ,could she? Thankfully the two "idiotic morons" (as Jayden had named them in his head) saved him from answering her question:  
-Oh Master Jedi, don't worry it was just a misunderstanding.  
The girl lifted an eyebrow and crossed her arms:  
-A misunderstanding?  
-Yes, it was mainly our fault. You see, this young man had told us that he had registered and was allowed to dock but my colleague didn't believe him and neglected to check the list. I checked the list and it turns out he is authorised to dock. Please forgive our negligence!  
The two officers bowed and Jayden had to hold back a laugh. He was really surprised by the amount of reverence they were showing the young Jedi but, in all honesty, this all was a bit funny. The Jedi seemed to be surprised too, from the look on her face she didn't know quite what to do. She said:  
-Well, it's alright just make sure this never happens again.  
-Yes, Master Jedi.  
-Good. Now, you really should go about your work. While you,- she fixed Jayden with a steely glare,- please stay behind.  
Jayden shrugged in response while the two officers scrambled away. Soon it was just him and the girl, he knew that she recognised him the same way he did her but why was she looking at him suspiciously. And moreover where did this connection come from? Before either of them could say anything a clone commander (Jayden deduced from the markings on his helmet) appeared beside the female Jedi.  
-Miss Alana?  
-Yes, Commander Arc?  
-There seems to be a problem on one of the higher levels if you'll excuse me--  
-Of course! It was nice meeting you, Commander.  
-The same.I hope I have the honour to fight beside you one day when you become a general, Miss Alana.  
Commander Arc went off somewhere leaving Jayden and the girl alone. He had called her Alana but there was no way in the world she was that Alana, right? Suddenly the girl asked him:  
-Are you Force Sensitive?  
-What do you mean?  
-I mean can you use the Force?  
-Like you Jedi? Nope, I'm just an ordinary guy. Why?  
She looked away and said quietly:  
-I must have been mistaken then. Anyway,- she faced him again,- who are you?  
-Full name, last name or first name? Would you also like to hear my life story so far?  
-Just your first name is fine. And heck no, to your life story!  
Jayden laughed, this girl, she intrigued him. He held out his hand:  
-I'm Jayden and you are?  
-Alana, but you may have guessed that already.  
She slipped her slender hand into his and they shook hands. And there it was again. That jolt, that unknown spark. Unexpectedly Alana asked:  
-Did you just feel that too?  
-Yeah, I've felt it every time.  
Suddenly Alana looked worried and as if on cue the alarm sounded. They quickly let go of each other's hands and exchanged a glance before nodding and beginning to run 

====================

Alana raced through the numerous hallways of Atlantida aiming for the bridge with Jayden right behind her. As they ran she heard him ask:  
-What do you think caused the alarm to go off?  
-I don't know but I have a bad feeling about this.  
As if on cue an assassin droid appeared before them and they both skidded to a halt. The droid aimed a blaster at them and spoke in it's deep mechanical voice:  
-Hands up, surrender your weapons humans. This ship is under the control of the Red Hand Syndicate.  
Alana and Jayden spoke in unison:  
-Pirates.  
The droid fired a warning blast right beside Alana's head and said:  
-Drop your weapons or the next shot will kill you. This ship belongs to us, everyone aboard is our hostage, if you don't want anyone to get hurt you better do as we say. Now--  
Suddenly a blaster shot sounded and the droid fell to the floor with a clank, it's head blown off. Alana turned to look at Jayden beside her who shrugged and slipped his blasters back into their holsters:  
-What? He was going to start monologuing.   
Alana smiled and shook her head:  
-Nothing. Good shot.  
-Thanks. But if the Red Hand syndicate is really here this could spell trouble.  
-You know them?  
-Better than I care to admit. Let's go we have to seize command of the ship.  
-Right, let's go. Follow me, I know the way to the bridge. Jayden nodded and ran after Alana. Alana had memorised the ships schematics beforehand and was now immensely grateful that she had - the ship was a maze and with the Red Hand syndicate in control this was double the trouble. As she ran Alana tried to recall all she knew about the Red Hand Syndicate. They were a notorious gang of pirates and held power equal to that of the Black Suns. Unlike other gangs they were all highly trained, bloodthirsty and ruthless. They were the blood-stained elite. That's how they got their name, the Red Hand or otherwise known as the blood-stained hand. Alana knew as well as Jayden did that just by surrendering to them they were condemning everyone to death. The Red Hand would hold them all hostage, they'd use a few people for ransom, sell a few pretty faces and a couple of individuals into slavery or worse to the separatists and then they'd blow up the ship with many still inside. They never left anyone alive. So giving up wasn't an option, they had to stop them. They both knew that.   
Jayden was really not looking forward to meeting any of the gang members again. He didn't want to admit it but with it being just Alana and himself they were at a distinct disadvantage even with Alana being a Jedi and him being a highly trained Mandolorian warriors/ bounty hunter. There had been a time when Jayden, while he was still very young had worked for the syndicate. They were all bloodthirsty and merciless killing machines and what's worse they enjoyed it. He hated to admit that as part of his past but it was the truth. He glanced at Alana in front of him, her body language didn't betray a trace of fear and that both worried and comforted him. If Alana and he were to be overpowered and caught they would both end up in some very unfavourable circumstances. He would most probably be killed because he had left the syndicate after betraying them as a little boy and Alana... Alana would most probably either be sold to the separatists or as a slave, she was definitely pretty enough for that. But that was just the best case scenario if they were to be caught. Suddenly Alana made a sharp turn left and Jayden had to slow down a bit so as not to crash into the wall as he turned. Geez, he thought to himself, who built this place?!  
Alana veered sharply left, they were very close to the bridge and oddly enough she could sense anyone on it. It was empty and that bothered her. Just before they entered the bridge Alana stopped and so did Jayden, although he was a bit confused. Perplexed he asked:  
-What's wrong?  
-There's no one inside.  
-Are you sure?  
-Positive. I don't like this at all.  
-Me too but we need to go in. Weapons at the ready?  
-That better not be a question.  
Alana unclipped both of her lightsaber and Jayden got out his blasters. Now armed both of them went onto the bridge. It was just as Alana had sensed, empty. There was not a soul inside. Alana walked up to the main computer and after glancing at the monitor looked back at Jayden, her face alarmed:  
-Um, we may have a  few rather big problems.  
-What are they?  
\- Problem 1: the senators and all the guests are trapped in one room and are surrounded by the syndicate and it certainly doesn't look pretty. Problem 2: the clones are all knocked out in one room so we're on our own. And the biggest of them all, problem 3: the ship is wired to explode and without the deactivation sequence I can't do a thing!  
-That is an issue. Let me try something, watch my back.  
Alana nodded and they switched places. Jayden quickly started trying to deactivate the countdown sequence, he still remembered the wiring sequence they used but he had a sneaking suspicion that they had changed their deactivation sequence after his escape. Unfortunately he was proven right.   
-Damn...  
-Didn't work?  
-No. It looks like--  
A voice sounded cutting Jayden off:  
-Like you two are trapped?  
Both Jayden and Alana whipped around to see a large group of pirates and a quite few assassin droids standing at the doorway. Jayden's pale green eyes flickered with hatred:  
-Aures.  
-Long time no see Jayden Callen. I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about us with your new bounty hunting job.  
Jayden felt Alana tense beside him and inwardly cursed Aures for mentioning that he was a bounty hunter. Aures saw the flicker of discomfort in Jayden's eyes and his voice dropped to a dangerous level:  
-But I can assure you that the syndicate never forgot about your betrayal. And you know how we deal with traitors.  
-Betrayal? I stopped you from taking millions of innocent lives Aures, you were and still are monsters. I was never truly part of you.   
-Sadly I believe that's true. As much as I'd love to sit down and have a chat for old times sake I have a traitor to execute. Specifically you.  
Jayden slowly pulled out his blasters so as not to draw attention to what he was doing he retorted:  
-You know that not how it works Aures, I'm sure that Kiznyd would want to do that himself. Or are you saying you want to become a traitor yourself?  
-Damn you, Jayden Callen! It's been 11 years and you're still as infuriating as you were when you were 6.  
-And you still are a bunch of monsters.  
Aures eyes suddenly flickered over to the young woman standing beside Jayden:  
-Oh and who is this gem? Is she your newest partner Jayden, because if so I'd have so much more satisfaction in taking her life.  
-You won't be dragging her into this Aures, she's not involved. This is between the syndicate and me.  
Aures laughed and Jayden felt a shiver run up his spine. Oh how he hated that laugh. The skin on his back stung as he unwillingly recalled all the punishments he had received while hearing that laugh. It was as though his back was being torn open again and again with blood rushing down it and the excruciating pain exploding in him. He forced himself back to the present just in time to see Alana stepping forward and igniting her two lightsabers and saying her voice ringing out across the bridge:  
\- Deactivate the bombs at once.  
Aures just laughed:  
-Oh a Jedi?! The separatists will pay well for one but on the other hand you do have a pretty face and you'd go for quite a price on the black market.  
-You'd have to catch me to sell me.  
-Honey, I don't like announcing the odds but a little girl against all of us - I like our chances. Boys, catch her and the traitor!  
The pirates and the assassin droids sprang into action at the same time as Jayden whipped out his blasters. The fight quickly became an all out kill zone. Alana and Jayden were surprisingly for the pirates holding their own until Aures cried:  
-Hiaro, we're getting nowhere like this! Gas them!  
Before Jayden had any time to warn Alana a gas grenade was detonated and a poisonous yellowish-brown vapour filled the room. Alana's vision swam and everything went black. The last thing she remembered was hearing Jayden calling her name.


	11. The power of two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Welcome to chapter 11! Sorry it's so short but if continued it would be way too long. Anyway you'll learn a bit about Jayden here but not too much. I hope you'll be able to notice that Alana and Jayden aren't exactly buddies and they sort of argue with each other but at the same time respect the others opinions because that's what I was sort of aiming for. There's some Mandolorian here:
> 
> Di'kut-idiot
> 
> Cyar'ika- darling,sweetheart, beloved...
> 
> Anyway I once apologise for the wait and the shortness. Other than that as always - Enjoy!

Alana groggily opened her eyes and blinked twice to get her surroundings to come into focus. She heard as sigh of relief just above her and a familiar voice said:  
-Good, you're awake. I was beginning to get slightly worried.  
Alana looked up to see his face above her and with immense embarrassment realised that her head was lying on his knees. She instantly shot up and immediately earned herself a tiny headache.  
-Ow.  
-Easy there, that vapour they gassed us with can really mess up your system.  
-Then how come you're ok?  
-Oh I'm not really ok myself but because this isn't the first time they've used this gas around me I have some degree of resistance to it.  
Alana's mind instantly forced her to remember what had transpired on the bridge and her breath hitched. Her eyes widened as she stared at Jayden's face, quietly she breathed out:  
-So you are the bounty hunter I fought on the senate building.  
Jayden stared back at her evenly:  
-And you are Alana Sheelan, a Jedi and a worthy opponent.  
-Why didn't you tell me?  
-I didn't see a reason to, after all we are strangers. And you never asked me who I was.  
-Fair point, but we're not strangers anymore Jayden Callen so I think we need to get a few things set straight.  
-Agreed but before we do you might want to take a good look and see what kind of predicament we've gotten ourselves into.  
Alana did as he said and let out a soft groan of annoyance:  
-Ugh, don't tell me they caught us.  
-Alright, I won't.  
Alana's and Jayden's hands were in handcuffs that were buzzing with energy and their legs were chained together in the same way. They were sitting in one of the holding cells on the ship, with the door firmly locked. They were in quite the predicament.Alana turned to Jayden:  
-Alright we can solve the identity issues later but for now it seems like we need to work together.  
-I agree, nothing is going to get done if we fight.  
-Good. I'm going to need you to fill me in since you evidently know this gang better than I do and because you woke up earlier than I did.  
Jayden nodded although Alana noticed a flicker of apprehension in his eyes. She sighed and gently placed her hand over one of his clenched fists:  
-Look, I don't know what happened between you and those monsters but there's evidently some bad blood. I know it may be painful to recall the past, I myself am no stranger to that. But I need your help, everyone is depending on us. I for one could never live with myself if I just sat back and let everyone get hurt or killed, it the same for you, right Jayden?  
Jayden nodded and finally relaxed his fist and Alana showed him a small smile:  
-Thank you. I know you're a good person.  
-How can you say that?! You've just met me.  
-I don't need to know you to tell that. I can sense the light within you as well as the darkness but that's normal as long as the light overshadows the dark. Plus from the short time I've known you, you've shown me a few of the traits of a good person. Now can I count on you to help me?  
-Yes. I've got a score to settle with a few of these bastards myself.  
-Ok. Let's begin.Do you know how long we were out of it for approximately?  
-I was out for about 45 minutes, you - one hour.  
-Damn, that sucks. We're running short on time, those bastards could blow the ship up anytime now.  
-They'd probably come and fetch you first.  
-I am not going to let myself get sold!  
-I'm not suggesting that you should. I'm just saying we'll know when they're planning to blow up the ship.  
-But we have to escape before that.  
-Right. But the main problem is our weapons. We're going to need to find Aures.  
-That jerk?! I know they're all monsters but the way he was acting was super creepy and that laugh...  
Alana shuddered while a shadow crossed Jayden's face. The memories flashed before his eyes and he winced. Alana instantly looked concerned:  
-Jayden! Hey,Jayden, are you ok?  
Jayden's face was bent down ,his hair covering his eyes.Not meeting her eyes Jayden said:  
-Yeah,I'm fine. I think you should know about my connection to these guys before they completely confuse you, I don't want you to get the wrong idea.  
-Only if you want to tell me...  
-Yeah, I need to. I was 6 when I got roped into doing the dirty work of the Red Hand Syndicate but at the time I was grateful for having a place to stay. However I soon realised that they weren't people, they were monsters. Killing people on a whim, punishing anyone just for fun their members included.  
Jayden shivered,an unpleasant memory flashing before his eyes. Alana remained silent watching Jayden carefully with a thoughtful expression on her face. Jayden continued:  
-What Aures said is true from their point of view: I did betray them. They were planning to bomb a fairly large village just because they were bored and I decided that I couldn't stand it any longer, I was 8 back then, I rigged their technology so it'd blow up on them. But that's when I faced a problem, I needed to hide but there was nowhere I could go plus I was lost. And then suddenly I felt it, it was calling me. I followed it out and ended up in the village, the villagers helped me and the Syndicate has been mad at me ever since. The end.  
Jayden finally looked Alana in the face and was surprised to see no horror or revulsion on her face, just thoughtfulness. After a bit of silence Alana finally said:  
-Well, everyone makes mistakes besides you were a little kid. But what bothers me is what you call "it". Have you come in contact with it again?  
-Yes, sorta. Sometimes when I'm in a critical situation it acts up, like for instance I can lift stuff up without touching it or I can jump really high or , like you nearly caught me doing today, I can use it to persuade people. I have no idea what is but it's always there--  
-Oh my flipping Y-wings! I was right!  
-What in the universe are you talking about?  
-You, Jayden Callen, are a Force sensitive being.  
-Huh?! I'm no Jedi!  
-I'm not saying you are, I mean you can tap into the living Force and use it! I have had my suspicions since the first time we met but this totally proves I was right all along!  
-So you mean to tell me that the "it" I've been using is the Force?!  
-Yeah and from what I've witnessed you're really good at it. But how come the Jedi Council didn't take you in for training...  
-My childhood is a sensitive subject... Anyway what did you mean by my using it the first time we met?  
Alana looked away, for some abstruse reason somewhat embarrassed:  
-Remember when I jumped and extended one hand to Force Push you to the ground?  
-Yeah. I remember for some reason instinctively copying your hands movement and then we got blown away from each other.  
-Well, you subconsciously used Force push on me. That's a strong force ability.  
Before Jayden could say anything else footsteps resounded in the corridor, an alarmed expression appeared on his face. Jayden grabbed Alana's shoulders (which was awkward because of the handcuffs) and whispered urgently:  
-Quick! Act like you're asleep and whatever happens don't make any signs of waking up!  
-Why? What's going on?  
-There's no time to explain just please do it!  
There was such pain and urgency in his voice that Alana nodded and complied. She closed her eyes and was about to lay down on the floor when Jayden unexpectedly grabbed her and pulled her to him, holding her in a sitting type of princess carry. Alana's eyes snapped open in surprise but Jayden just shook his head and motioned for her to act like she was asleep. With a final sceptical glance Alana did as she was told and just in time. The cell door slipped open and Jayden nearly gagged when he saw who was standing there: Aures and his goons. Aures smirked at the sight of Jayden and Alana in handcuffs:  
-Not so tough are you now, Jayden?   
-That last move was low, Aures, even for you.  
-Oh, don't force your morals on me. You were always too kind-hearted.  
-It's better than being a scumbag and a coward.  
Aures just sneered at that:  
-Oh, how cute. You know, I warned you that one day this day would come and now it has. Sorry, traitor, but I just can't take you seriously when you're like this. You're so pitiful and weak.  
-I don't need my hands to hurt you, Aures. So I'd watch your back.  
Aures laughed:  
-Oh, how adorable. By the way, how's the little princess? Still asleep I see. Girl's definitely not as tough as she seems, pretty face though.  
Inwardly Alana felt like punching the guy in his ugly face but refrained when she remembered the pleading look on Jayden's face and just sighed inwardly, reluctantly leaving it up to him. She searched the Force for any familiar signatures and was surprised to find four of them. Her lightsabers and Jayden's blasters! Wow, was this guy an idiot or what?! Who in this galaxy or in any other for that matter brings their prisoners weapons to the prisoners?! This was just too easy. While Jayden and Aures continued their fierce argument Alana reached into the Force and carefully used it to get her lightsabers and Jayden's blasters out Aures's bag and float them over to a very dark corner of the room where she soundlessly used the Force to lower them to the ground. And she'd accomplished all that without moving a single muscle, old man would be proud of her. Suddenly Alana tensed up as she felt a coarse large hand on the bare area of her leg forcefully squeezing her skin, goosebumps erupted on her skin and she fought the urge to gag. Unexpectedly the unwelcome appendage was slapped away and Jayden's voice rang out:  
-Don't you dare touch her!  
-Hmph, whatever. You'll be dead soon enough and then she'll be all alone. Kiznyd sent me to tell you that you only have half an hour left to live before we execute you right on this ship, so say your prayers. You can also beg for your life of course but you'll never give me the satisfaction now will you, Jayden?  
-For once we agree.  
Aures laughed and waved his goons to leave the cell but just before locking the door he met Jayden's glare and smugly said:  
-I've been waiting for this day for so long! I'll enjoy watching you die! Goodbye forever, Jayden Callen.  
And with that the door slammed shut. After waiting for a bit to make sure they had gone Jayden released Alana and sighed:  
-Damn, this really sucks.  
She stretched and looked at him with a small smile on his face:  
-What does?  
-Well, I don't if you've noticed but we're locked in a cell and our weapons are in that scumbags possession plus I've got about half an hour to live so we need to come up with a plan stat.  
-Way ahead of you.  
Alana grinned and Force pulled their weapons so that they floated in the air just in front of them while Jayden just stared between her and them dumbfounded:  
-H-how?  
-Simple, they really need to upgrade their handcuffs when handling a Jedi. Plus that guy, Aures, needs to get checked for idiocy - he brought them in here like an idiot.  
A grin slowly spread across Jayden's face:  
-You're kidding?!  
-Nope. He really did so while you men were busy taunting each other I did all the work.  
-Come on, you couldn't have done that without my distracting him.  
-Fair enough. Here.  
Alana handed him one of her lightsabers and he just looked at her sceptically:  
-What exactly am I supposed to do with this?  
-Cut my handcuffs obviously.  
-You're kidding?  
-Nope. Just do it.  
-Alana, you do realise I have never used a lightsaber in my life?  
-Yes.  
-And you do know that I may not be able to control it?  
-Yep.  
-And that I may end up cutting your hands off?  
-Of course!  
-I'm really starting to take a liking to you!  
Jayden grinned and ignited the lightsaber. Carefully (because in all honesty he didn't want to chop off Alana's hands) he cut the through the metal rings imprisoning Alana's hands and they fell to the floor with a quiet (thanks to Alana using the Force) clank. Alana clipped her purple lightsaber onto her belt and took her green one back from Jayden. He raised an eyebrow but didn't even flinch when Alana cut off his handcuffs too. Jayden knelt down and picked up his blaster pistols but didn't put them away. He had a nagging suspicion they'd need them soon.

=====================

As Alana and Jayden turned another corner they were confronted by the third pirate group. The leader tried to look formidable but in the face of Alana's lightsaber and Jayden's highly effective blasters he could only stutter:  
-G-give u-up! W-We wo-won't let you p-pass!  
Jayden rolled his eyes:  
-Really,Curyk? How much more of a coward can you be?  
-Jayden Callen?! How are you still alive?!  
-Doesn't matter, so are you going to get out of our way or not?  
Curyk's red eyes squinted, displaying his rage. But both Alana and Jayden could sense his fear. He shook his tiny fists and shouted:  
-NEVER! BOYS DESTROY THEM!  
Alana easily deflected all the blaster bolts and sighed:  
-Really? Who taught you guys to shoot?! I'd hate to think what would happen if soldiers ever became like that. Now if you'll excuse us, we have a ship to re-hijack.   
-Wait Alana--  
-Put a mental block up! Now!  
Jayden hurriedly did as she said and just in time. Alana released a powerful Force persuasion wave which made all the pirates fall asleep. Jayden stared at Alana in shock:  
-Woah... How did you do that?  
Alana looked as surprised as he was:  
-I...I don't know. I mean I was trying to Force Persuade them to go to sleep when this happened.  
-Um,Alana I don't want to scare you but you're sorta glowing.  
-WHAT?!  
Alana looked down at her hands and sure enough a blue glow was surrounding them, the same blue glow as in when she had fought the Sith on Ralak. What was going on?! Alana groaned:  
-Not again...  
-What's going on?  
-Search me. I have no clue how to control this thing. All I know about it that it amplifies my Force abilities majorly and when it shuts off I'm really drained.  
-How long does it last?  
-No idea. I'm guessing until I'm safe?  
-That's good because with Kiznyd we're going to need all the help we can get. We better get moving, do you still remember how to get to the bridge?  
Alana nodded and made a left turn, Jayden followed her still staring at the shimmering light blue glow around her. He could feel how strong the Force was around her even if his connection to it was weak. And it once again made him wonder who in the universe was she? She was strong, fearless, determined but at some points she showed her gentle side and from her words it was evident she had her own weaknesses that if discovered would unbalance her greatly . And it worried him slightly, he knew Kiznyd and he knew his knack for guessing people's weaknesses and latching onto them until the person bent to his will. Jayden was jolted out of his thoughts when Alana abruptly stopped and ducked behind a supply crate. He followed her and whispered:  
-What's wrong?  
-He's here.  
-Who?  
-That man in the black cloak. He's a Sith and he's most probably looking for me.  
-What?!  
Jayden carefully peeked out from the supply crate to see a tall figure in a black cloak with something silver in his hand talking to the cowering pirates. Suddenly the man lifted his one free hand and the leader of the pirates starting clawing at his throat as if trying to pry an invisible hand that was chocking him. Alana let out a choked sound between a sob and a groan:  
-Oh Force no... He can't find me... Not now...  
-Alana, what's the big deal with this guy? How's he doing that?  
-What's the big deal?! The big deal is that when my Master, a highly skilled Jedi Master, and I faced off against him last time my master ended up nearly dying and I was a hair away from death myself. I have no clue how I managed to overpower him last time but if he finds me again now, we're totally screwed. He's a servant of the Dark Side and he's a fully trained Sith Lord that seems to know something about my past so he has perfect leverage!  
-Your past? What's wrong with your past?  
-Now's not the time! Let's just say I have no idea what I did before I was 10 years old.  
-Amnesia?  
-Yes. Now we seriously need to get out of here before he senses me or you too for that matter!  
-Why me?  
-Because you have an incredibly strong Force Presence and I can't keep masking it forever.  
-Damn, this is definitely a problem.  
Alana rolled her eyes at Jayden:  
-You don't say!  
-Are you going to be sarcastic or are you going to formulate a plan?  
-Fine but I'm fresh out of ideas.  
Before Jayden could say anything a cold voice sounded. It was the one Jayden had been dreading to hear: Kiznyd.  
-My Lord, isn't it more prudent to look through the hostages for the girl?  
-No, she's too clever to let herself get caught. I know she's out here somewhere. Perhaps she's with the boy that betrayed you?  
-Of course, My Lord. That must be it. I shall have all my men search for them!  
Jayden's eyebrows knitted, Kiznyd was never one to bow down to someone so if he was they were in serious trouble. He whispered so to Alana who nodded and made the sign for him to keep silent and listen. Meanwhile the Sith answered:  
-No need. I shall find them myself. You continue with your petty operation. If I find the boy I will try to get him to you alive but things happen ,if he tries to protect her he shall perish.  
-Of course, sir. Whatever you say.   
Kiznyd's footsteps quickly receded and the two teenagers were left alone with the Sith. Luckily though he didn't seem to be aware of their presence. Alana and Jayden's eyes widened when they heard him mutter:  
-Alana Sheelan you are but a relic, and you shouldn't even exist. I shall end what I began. And then all the fools here will perish, they're worthless life forms anyway.  
Alana had no idea what made her stand up and face him, perhaps it was that she had gotten tired of wallowing in her fear, or maybe it was because she couldn't condone the loss of innocent life but nevertheless the results was the same: she stood up and turned to face him, her midnight blue eyes blazing with a fire so bright that the room seemed to dim in comparison. Jayden quickly followed her example, whoever she may be he was not about to let her face a psycho like him alone.   
-Looking for me?  
The Sith turned around and Alana saw his yellow eyes gleam:  
-Alana Sheelan how kind of you to come to me. And you've brought a friend with you too. I shall enjoy taking his life too or maybe I should take him as one of my test subjects. But never mind that, how's the dear fool that you call a Master?  
-Alive and kicking, no thanks to you.  
-Pity and I was hoping to help Sidious out at least by removing one of the vermin. But don't mind me I'm just babbling. Now if you'll excuse me I have to get rid of any witnesses before we have our little chat...  
Unexpectedly Alana chucked something small and round at the floor, grabbed Jayden's hand and dashed away from the clouds of smoke that had unfurled behind them. As soon as she had put enough distance between them Alana stopped and let go of Jayden's hand. Catching her breath she said:  
-That should buy us some time.  
-Paralysation gas?  
-Yeah...  
-How long does it last?  
-Normally? An hour. With him? Half that time.  
-Okay so we're on a time limit.  
-Yes. So what's the plan?  
-Well, we've definitely got to get Kiznyd out of the picture- he's a major player so he could really get in the way. We also should wake up the clones since--  
-We may need their help to hold off the Syndicate while the passengers evacuate?  
-Right, glad we're thinking along the same lines. From what I saw it's useless to try and deactivate the bombs, the only thing we can do is get everyone out of here before the ship blows. Except for a few bastards of course...  
-Wow, even you have a completely ruthless side...  
Jayden snorted:  
-Of course. Did you forget who I am?   
Alana rolled her eyes:  
-Right, how stupid of me. You are the great Jayden Callen, a Mandolorian bounty hunter from House Salaktori in the Bounty Hunters guild, a 17 year old elite who for some unknown reason is helping little old me. Why thank you ,your grace!  
Jayden lightly bopped her on the head and rolled his eyes:  
-I didn't think you'd remember my whole speech.  
-It was ringing in my ears for a day at least and I don't need that again.  
-Glad my monologue left such a deep impression on you. But what I was trying to say is that I'm no cute fluffy and harmless little sand cat!  
\- Yeah, if anything you look like a Wampa cub, wrong fur though...  
Said Alana mock seriously appraising Jayden with a critical eye. Jayden attempted to catch the cheeky girl but Alana easily avoided him all the while softly laughing. She raised her hands to pacify the competitive Mandolorian:  
-Fine, I give up but,- her laughing expression turned serious-,in all seriousness we should get going. I'll go wake the Clones while you disable the the bridge security system and wait here for me to back you up.  
Jayden shook his head, his pale green eyes steely with determination:  
-No. Kiznyd is my enemy, this is my fight - I must face him myself.  
Alana sighed and nodded, realising that it would be pointless to argue:  
-Alright, but Jayden please don't play the hero: if you run into a tight spot contact me - immediately.  
Jayden smiled teasingly and nodded:  
-Sure,cyar'ika .  
-Don't kid around! I'm worried about you, di'kut!  
-Wow, so you do know Mando'a!   
Looking at Alana's fierce face Jayden relented:  
-Ok,Ok I'll com you if I get in trouble.  
Alana nodded, pleased with his answer and began walking away. Suddenly Jayden called back after her:  
-Good luck!  
Alana grinned over shoulder:  
-May the Force be with you!  
Jayden shook his head exasperatedly and began running. As he ran he smiled and muttered:  
-Stubborn girl.  
Jayden increased his speed, Kiznyd needed to be taken out and the sooner the better. Every second mattered.

===============================

Alana carefully traversed the corridors until she reached the securely locked armoury. As Alana easily sliced the lock she muttered under her breath:  
-Thank you, Anakin.  
The door to the armoury slid open revealing all the clones including Commander Arc sprawled out on the floor, out cold. Ok, so she had managed to get in but how was she supposed to wake them up? Alana rifled through about a dozen ideas in her mind until she came up with one that would help her achieve her goal simply. Alana concentrated and sent a fairly well charged Force Shockwave at the clones. It wasn't strong enough to hurt them but just enough to make them come into consciousness. Commander Arc rose first:  
-General Sheelan...  
-Come on,guys, let's go - we have a Syndicate to kick out!


	12. And it goes Kablooey!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry about leaving you hanging for so long but as I may or may not have mentioned before I have exams this year and if I don't pass them I'll have to repeat a year which something I'd rather not do for obvious reasons. Anyway I made this chapter pretty long so I hope it makes up for the wait. Oh and there's one thing I need to clear up - I'm confused as to what's cannon and what's not so I'm just going act like all I've written is cannon from Alana's universe,my universe. So just don't go ranting it's not cannon! and so on.Also forgive me if my fight scenes are bad, there are three topics I can't write about or I'm really bad at writing and this is one of them. Also this the beginning of the second arc.So that's about all I have to say so - Enjoy!

Chapter 12 - And it goes Kablooey!

Alana cautiously peeked around the corner of the corridor,the clones right behind her, and sighed when she saw how many enemies there were and how big of a commotion there were going to make. To say it would attract a lot of attention would be the understatement of the year. Although she had to admit the Pirates were obviously serious with the amount guards they had stationed around the room. Alana reached into the Force to try and see if there were anymore hostile presences inside. There were a few, but what alarmed Alana most was the mental state of the hostages. To say they were terrified would be putting it lightly. Alana turned to Commander Arc:  
-Any ideas?  
-Including myself, there are 15 men here. We could split up into two teams and while one team stays behind here to take care of the droids the other goes in to get the hostages.  
-It's a good plan but with the number of people outside you're going to need more than 8 men.   
-Do not underestimate us,General Sheelan.  
-I'm not underestimating you and I'm not a General.  
-As of now you are filling in the role of one. I'm sure you can tell how serious the Syndicate is,General, even with you being a Jedi you will need support.   
Alana nodded her agreement, Commander Arc made a good point:  
-Alright. I'll take 5 guys so that should still leave you with enough people to take care of everyone here.  
-Understood,General.  
Commander Arc turned to relay the plan to his men while Alana took this free moment to sense out how Jayden was doing. She didn't really know why she was so concerned, it wasn't as if he was a friend or anyone close to her. They were just allies out of circumstance nothing more, nothing less but still she found herself worrying about him. She knew he was angry at Kiznyd and probably rightfully so but she was afraid that that anger would be his undoing. She reached into the Force and instantly found Jayden's presence: he was fine, for the time being. Commander Arc turned to her:  
-My men and I are ready, General.  
-Good. Let's go.

=====================

Jayden checked the map again to see if he was going the right way, he was. It had taken him less than 5 minutes to hack into the system and deactivate the security forces now that just left the syndicate to deal with.Which was actually easier said than done, Jayden had to admit he had lost the upper hand when Alana had separated. He knew the syndicate but the syndicate also knew him-this was not going to be easy. He was nearing the bridge now and with every step he took the more alarmed he grew.   
    Kiznyd was a formidable enemy to deal with and now he had to worry about the Sith. He wasn't a Jedi so he was pretty sure that if he ran into both of them he'd be screwed. As Jayden passed the security droids he had fried when he had overloaded the main terminal beside them on purpose, he frowned: it was quiet, far too quiet. Why was no one getting in his way? Suddenly Jayden felt a shiver run down his spine and the room grew cold, so cold. A voice whispered: Where is she? Where is the girl?Jayden straightened out instinctually and whispered out loud:  
-I know you. You're that Sith Lord.  
-Correct. Now, where is the Alana Sheelan?  
-What makes you think that I would tell you? Or that I even know?  
-Don't lie to me, boy. What would you gain from protecting a strange girl?  
For a moment there was silence before Jayden firmly spoke:  
-What would I gain? Nothing and everything really. But if you don't mind, I really have to be on my way. Oh and I wouldn't underestimate Alana if I were you.  
Suddenly an invisible hand grabbed Jayden by the throat and began choking him. Inwardly Jayden felt a part of him triumph, you know, the part that wasn't slightly concerned with dying from asphyxiation. He knew perfectly well that what he was doing was extremely foolish and possibly borderline suicidal but he didn't regret his actions.   
He was keeping the Sith Lord distracted and ultimately keeping him away from Alana. He still vividly remembered her panic stricken face when she had first caught sight of the Dark Jedi. However Alana wasn't someone special to him,after all, they were just two strangers who circumstance had forced to ally and yet even as he thought this Jayden could still feel that spark, that odd bond that they shared. Besides Alana needed to get the hostages evacuated and that was all that mattered. Alana's parting words about not playing hero rang out in the back of his mind and he smiled wryly, like she was one to talk. Suddenly a spark of something that felt like pure warm light energy erupted within him and by enveloping him within itself it pushed the darkness back. The light felt warm,loving, gentle and yet fiercely protective. The voice of the Sith Lord hissed again but this time it was much much fainter:  
-So you are here too?! Well,well it seems you have learned to multitask but pray tell how long can you keep this up?  
A much softer and feminine voice answered:  
-Long enough. Besides your business is with me for whatever reason so leave him out of it. If you want me, come find me yourself!  
-I would love to. However it seems that the little stunt you pulled just now has left me impressed and even a bit drained, nobody has been able to banish me from another's mind and multitask at the same time before, so as a little reward I will let you go for now. That aside I'm sure we will be seeing each other again shortly and next time I won't be so merciful.  
The ominous presence of the Sith Lord retreated from Jayden's mind and the second voice sighed:  
-Good riddance. Ugh, that was nerve wracking. Damn, I got shot because of that.  
Alana. That's who that voice and warm presence belonged to but how? How did she know? As if she had heard his unvoiced question Alana's voice in his head stated:  
-I honestly have no clue but it has something to do with this strange Force Bond. Anyway I'm sorry but I sorta have a pest problem here so I gotta go. And don't you dare play hero without my for backup again!  
Jayden closed his eyes and shook his head,smiling.   
-Sorry, but I can't make any promises. I don't take orders too well.  
There was no answer just the feeling of that warm light energy disappearing from inside of him. For a second Jayden felt oddly cold and lonely but he pushed that thought to the back of his mind and concentrated on the task at hand. Force bond or no, that girl was definitely something. Jayden shook his head exasperatedly and muttered:  
-Guess I owe you one. I'll try to return the favour.  
Jayden gripped his blasters tighter before taking off down the seemingly empty hallway. He was relatively close to the bridge now and he felt his heart rate speed up but he quickly forced himself to calm down: panicking would only hinder him. Just as Jayden was about to round another corner he heard the echoing sound of blaster fire and a small explosion. Turning his head towards the noise, he found that it was in the direction where the hostages were located. He felt the corners of his mouth turn up:  
-Someone's certainly making a ruckus...  
Jayden turned the corner, wishing Alana luck in his mind. Instantly he was surrounded by a platoon of assassin droids. They all mechanically echoed:  
-Surrender and you may live.  
Jayden raised his blasters and flipped the switches from stun to kill:  
-Yeah, that's not really an option for me. Sorry about this.  
Jayden shot a second before the droids did,which gave him the upper hand. He managed to dodge the fatal blows by dropping onto one knee and just received a small blaster wound on his left arm. While in that position he shot out the legs of 2 other droids before instinctively force leaping and finishing them off. Faced with the remaining 10 droids out of the previous 15 Jayden sighed wearily:  
-Why is everyone so intent on stalling me? Surely Kiznyd isn't so afraid?  
The only answer that came from the droids voice a unanimous "Destroy!". Jayden shot the head off 2 more and dodged the volley of blaster bolts by using another droid as a shield:  
-You guys are so rude, seriously, can't you answer a question?  
-Destroy! Destroy!  
Jayden shot out the rifle out of a droids hands and then blew his head clean off. The droids responded by surrounding him and chanting "Destroy!" with what seemed like menace. Jayden gathered all his energy into his legs and reaching into the Force for a boost before jumping over them. As the droid slowly turned around chanting "Destroy!" Jayden asked:  
-Can't you use another word? Like a synonym?  
-Destroy! Pulverise!  
-That's better, see? You should use your vocabulary to its full potential.  
The droids seemingly didn't like using their vocabulary to its full potential and they definitely didn't like Jayden because they shot at his injured side, narrowly missing his heart. Jayden winced but didn't back down. A droid snuck up behind him and with a mechanical "Destroy!" threw down a thermal detonator. As if in slow motion Jayden saw the rapidly beeping detonator rolling towards him and barely manger to get out of the way before it exploded. Even though he had managed to avoid getting blown up the shockwave still made him fall to his knees. Jayden looked up to see the 5 surviving droids pointing their rifles right at his head and surrounding him, leaving him no route of escape. Jayden cursed under his breath- he was almost done for. Almost, but not quite. One of the droids shot at his leg and Jayden bit his lip, repressing a groan of pain. That same droid addressed him:  
-Organic, surrender and you may live.  
Through gritted teeth Jayden replied:  
-Like I said, that's not really an option for me.  
-Do you choose death,organic?  
Before Jayden could answer one of the other droids addressed the previous one:  
-Wait TL-K59. Didn't the boss order us to capture the organic and bring him back alive?  
-Yes, but the organic refuses capture so we must eliminate him.  
-TL-K59, I believe you are in need of maintenance.  
-Perhaps,you are right..  
The droids switched their attention away from Jayden which was exactly what he was waiting for. His uninjured hand slid over the side of his right blaster holster and a small metal sphere fell into his palm. Jayden pressed on the top of the sphere and right as the droids refocused their attention on him, he threw it at them and his voice sounded cold as he said:  
-First rule of battle tactics: Never take your eyes or photoreceptors off the enemy.

===================

Alana lightsabers blazed as she cut down droid after droid. Inwardly she was thankful it was this easy with two lightsabers and the force glow surrounding her but she also was well aware how heavy a toll on her body it would take. The Pirates were putting up a good fight but a cowardly one at the same time. Sending out droids instead of fighting them head on- that was an act of cowardice. Alana also discovered as she fought that she was in fact a lot more comfortable using two lightsabers rather than one, it felt more natural that way. She was implementing the Jar'Kai style of fighting, a style that consisted mainly of one lightsaber being used for attack while the other for defence though both blades could be used for offence. The Jar'Kai style was useful against multiple opponents so with the waves of droids coming at her it was an advantage but the Jar'Kai style also had weakness. Thankfully though these were not weakness that could be exposed by droids and blaster users. Dropping down onto one leg Alana effectively chopped two droids in half. Alana blew a fallen hair strand out of her face as she chopped down droid after droid:  
-Seriously?! How many droids or these guys have?  
Alana whipped around as she felt a strong wave of pain from behind her and saw a clone fall to the ground. She ran over to him and crouched down:  
-Are you alright?  
-General, the battle...  
-Don't worry about it right now. I know what I'm doing. Now where did you get shot?  
-General, there's no need--  
Alana glared at the trooper:  
-Yes, there is a need! I'm not loosing any men in battle! You're not expendable! So just be quiet and stop resisting!  
The trooper did as she asked but he felt a new sort of respect grow in him for the young general before him.Alana quickly raked her eyes over the normally pristine white armour and found the blaster wound. Shutting off her green lightsaber Alana placed it onto the ground beside her and channelled the force into her hand and it began to flow with a flickering teal glow which was only enhanced by the blue glow that was surrounding Alana. She placed her hand on the blaster wound which was just above the heart and began healing. Just as she was halfway done a blaster bolt flew right past her ear and hit the wall. Without stopping healing Alana turned around to see a droid pointing a rifle at her. Without exactly knowing what she was doing Alana glared at the droid and said through gritted teeth:  
-Excuse me but I'm a bit busy here. Can you just wait for a minute while I finish up? What you did just now was extremely rude.  
The droid didn't seem to take a hint and aimed for the injured clone. Alana's eyes suddenly seemed to grow darker in colour and unexpectedly she released a powerful wave of the Force. Unexpectedly the droid was lifted into the air before being torn apart by some invisible force and clattering to the ground as a pile of parts. Alana felt her mouth part in surprise and the clone troopers shock permeated the Force. As Alana finished healing she murmured:  
-I did that?  
The previously silent trooper calmly responded:  
-I believe that's the only possible explanation. You're a Jedi after all.  
Alana finished healing and removed her hand ,slowly shaking her head. What she had done wasn't supposed to be possible.You couldn't just make a droid tear apart. To keep her hands from shaking Alana gripped both of her lightsabers tighter. She clipped one of her lightsabers onto her belt and pulled the clone trooper up. She then ignited both of her lightsabers again.  
-Let's go.  
-Yes,General.  
Alana started to run off when she suddenly turned around and asked the trooper:  
-Hey,what's your name?  
-My designation number is C-2342256, General.  
-That's not a name. Is it okay if I call you Twos?  
-Thank you general, I like that.  
Alana smiled and nodded before both of them took off down the pathway littered with droids after the other 4 clones. As soon as they caught up to them they instantly apologised:  
-We're sorry for not noticing that you weren't with us general and going ahead.  
Alana waved it off:  
-It's no big deal, besides it's what I wanted you to do anyway. Right, let's go in shall we?  
The clones all lined up:  
-Yes, General.  
-Relax, I'm just substituting after all. Follow me.  
Alana was about to enter the room where the hostages were held when she heard a shout behind her:  
-General, duck!  
Alana quickly did as she was told and a volley of blaster bolts flew just overhead. She turned around to see another slew of droids and pirates fighting Commander Arcs group, it had been Twos who had warned her. Alana quickly assessed the situation: there were only 5 pirates in the room with the hostages and there were tons of enemies for general Arc to fight. She could handle the 5 herself. She turned to the clones in her group:  
-I'm going to need you to help out Commander Arc with his problem. I can handle these myself.  
-Understood, General.  
The clones all went off to follow her orders, all except for Twos. He said:  
-General, I wanted to thank you for saving my life.  
-Don't worry about it. You just saved mine - so we're even now. Now go.  
Twos nodded and followed the other clones. Alana took a deep breath and walked into the room, the Pirates instantly surrounded her. They laughed:  
-Where are your clone friends little girl?  
-They were needed elsewhere, I can handle you myself.  
-Like one little girl could handle all of us! Oh, look she's a Jedi.  
One of them asked the others:  
-Hey do you think this is the Jedi boss mentioned?  
-Must be, there's no others.  
-Capture her!  
The Pirates lunged at her with their blasters rapidly firing off blaster bolts which Alana easily deflected. Suddenly out of nowhere a grenade flew at her and exploded enveloping them all in smoke. Poisonous smoke. The Pirates who had stepped back cheered - they were certain that the young Jedi couldn't have evaded it. As soon as they smoke cleared they felt as if they were frozen. The young Jedi had not only evaded the blast but she was now also holding a lightsaber against their leaders throat. Alana's cold voice rang out through the room:  
-Now then, what was that about me not being able to handle you?  
The pirates could only watch in shock. This teenager, this little girl had managed to take down their leader in a matter of minutes who was the bosses second in command. Just what kind of insane Jedi was she?! The hostages also watched on in shock. The blast from the poisonous grenade had somehow hit an invisible wall when it had expanded towards them and from that it was obvious that it was the work of the Jedi.  Just who was she? Bail Organa smiled as he saw Alana hold her own. His friends,Padme's,words had turned out to be true: Alana was very powerful, so much that it could be frightening. Behind that young pretty face hid a skilled warrior with a just and fair heart. Alana spotted a small droid trying to sneak out unnoticed and closed the door with the Force:  
-I wouldn't do that if I were you.  
The droid whistled and instantly rolled away from the door. The leader coughed and said:  
-You're so naive Jedi, you may have taken down us but you don't stand a chance against the boss.  
-Good thing, I'm not the one fighting him then.  
-What?!  
Alana didn't answer and simply sent out a powerful Force wave that knocked out all the Pirates for a short while. A moment later Commander Arc and his men came in.  
-All finished here, General?  
Alana switched off her lightsabers and clipped them back onto her belt:  
-Yep. Now to evacuate the hostages.  
Just as she was about to head over to untie the first hostage Alana dropped to her knees and clutched the area around her heart, she couldn't stop a quiet groan of pain from tumbling off her lips.Commander Arc instantly rushed over ,concerned:  
-General?! Were you injured?  
Alana shook her head and slowly stood up:  
-I'm fine. I just need to go somewhere, get all the hostages to the escape pods and throw these bastards into one as well, after which make sure you and your men get into one too. The ship's rigged to blow.  
-But General what about you?  
-I'll be fine, I just have to take care of somethings first. Sorry, but I've got to go. Do you understand?  
-Understood,General!  
Alana nodded and took off running. Jayden,that idiot, what had he gotten himself into?

=================

Jayden grimaced as he took down the last of the Pirates which stood between him and Kiznyd. This was really taking going to take a toll on his body. Every sane cell in his brain was screaming at him to stop, that he couldn't handle Kiznyd in the state that he was in, but the adrenaline rushing in his veins wouldn't stop either. There was no way he could back down now, not when he was so close, so close to another possible piece of the puzzle and to helping everyone aboard. Kiznyd held one of the missing pieces of information that Jayden was desperately searching for. He couldn't stop no matter what. So Jayden did what a small voice inside him was telling him to do: he closed his eyes, took a deep breath and reached out into it, into the Force. He felt it all around him, surrounding him,enveloping him in itself and he drew strength from it. The strength to keep going, the strength to fight, the strength to protect and the even the strength he needed to live - it gave him all of that. It was both frightening and calming at the same time. Jayden opened his eyes and grim resolve was shining bright within them. The door in front of him slid open and he was standing on the bridge once again. In front of the control panel stood a lone man, just the sight of his back made Jayden's breath catch in his throat. He felt fear wash over him like a tidal wave before he pushed down but it tried desperately to rise to the surface again when Kiznyds slightly mechanical cold voice rang out:  
-So, you still fear me Jayden Callen. And you are right to do so.  
The man turned around and Jayden saw a familiar face, a face he wished desperately he would never have to see. Among all the pirates Kiznyd was the only human but even he was not entirely human any longer. Kiznyd had orange eyes that glowed with malice,a face marred by innumerable scars and in the place where his lower jaw should be a vocabulator was implanted, his forehead was inked with a black tattoo that looked like two spears curving in and his head was covered by grey hair which was the only tattletale sign of his age. For a second Jayden's mind flashed back to the time he had first had those eyes focus on him and he felt as though he was frozen. Kiznyd spoke again, his voice seemingly freezing everything in the room:  
-You betrayed us 11 years ago Jayden Callen. After we saved you, you repay us with betrayal? I hope you know the price traitors pay here.  
Jayden didn't know exactly what it was that quelled the fear in him, anger at Kiznyds lie or it may have been the desire to finally chase away the ghost that had haunted him for the past 11 years but it had done its job. Jayden countered in a calm and dangerous voice:  
-You saved me? What you did was just make me serve you. There was no difference between you and the people who I was with before. No,there was one, I suppose: with them I never had to kill people. And what I did was not betray you but stop you from taking hundreds of innocent lives for entertainment!  
Kiznyd's eyes flashed:  
-You claim that you didn't betray us? I suppose, that claim is true to a degree, since you never were one of us. So,Jayden Callen, what did you come here to do if not to die? To reminisce?  
Jayden regarded Kiznyd calmly with his green eyes:  
-No. I came here to make you relinquish hold on this ship and to make you answer a certain question.  
Kiznyd dropped into a stance and Jayden sighed realising that the only way he would get the answers was by beating him. But before he could even move a punch landed on his torso,narrowly missing his heart. For a moment Jayden felt his heart stop before it weakly began beating again. He collapsed to his knees and clutched the area over his heart-the blaster wound coupled with Kiznyd's blow had almost killed him. Jayden breathed heavily trying to keep his heart from failing, standing over him Kiznyd grumbled:  
-Kriff,the kid's not dead. Hiaro, finish him off!  
An alien affirmative sounded and to his horror Jayden found that he couldn't move. Kiznyd's hit had somehow left him temporarily immobile. Everything around Jayden seemed to move in slow motion, Kiznyd turned around and a blaster shot sounded. Jayden's eyes widened from shock before the corners of his mouth twitched into a smile when a voice rang out in his mind - "You idiot! Di'kut!". Suddenly there was a cool rush of air and the blaster shot was deflected. Kiznyd twisted around to see a girl with two lightsabers deflect Hiaro's shot. Outraged, he shouted:  
-What?! Where did you come from?!  
Ignoring him expertly Alana crouched down:  
-Are you alright?  
Jayden sat up and let out a small groan of pain. He rubbed his head:  
-Well, I'm not dead,if that's what you're asking.  
-You would be without me,idiot! And it seems if you get hurt-I get hurt too.  
Jayden's eyes reflected confusion:  
-What do you mean? Does it have anything to do with that glow around you?  
-Now's seriously not the time.  
Alana pulled Jayden up and the two stood back to back, with Alana facing Kiznyd and Jayden facing the zabrak Hiaro. Alana coolly regarded Kiznyd and he looked at her with barely contained rage dancing in his amber eyes. Alana turned her head to Jayden:  
-Mind if I steal your dance partner? You can moan about the unfairness of it all later.  
Jayden snorted:  
-Feel free. I'm better at long range anyway.  
-You're being awfully cooperative.  
-Yeah,well, I'm keeping you to your word.  
Alana rolled her eyes even though he couldn't see her and focused on Kiznyd. Truth be told she had another reason for choosing to deal with Kiznyd herself and pushing the zabrak onto Jayden. It wasn't because Jayden was injured or because she doubted his abilities,oh no, she knew perfectly well that Jayden could best Kiznyd in close combat if Kiznyd wasn't relying on what he was. If he wasn't what he was. Jayden just didn't have the appropriate training. Alana spoke calmly and patiently, her voice measured to mask her anger:  
-So, you must be the puppet master-Kiznyd Jarkalis.  
-I'm impressed you know my full name,Padawan. And I prefer to think of myself as the grand conductor.  
-I never imagined I'd meet a fallen Jedi here of all places.  
-Going straight to the heart of the matter, are you,padawan?  
-I prefer not to beat around the bush,Dark Jedi.  
-Ah. So you know I am not a Sith, clever girl.Pray tell,how did you come to the realisation that I am no mere man?  
-There were three key factors that gave you away. Number one: Your eyes have changed to orange from brown. Number two: that punch should not have hurt as much as it did. Number three: I can sense your connection to the Dark Side. Now, I don't suppose you would relinquish control of the ship if asked you nicely?  
-Sorry but if you want something from me you're going to have to defeat me first.  
-Fair enough.  
Alana ignited her two lightsabers and Kiznyd pulled out a black blade. Alana gasped:  
-That's not... The first lightsaber prototype ever forged by the Rakata: the forcesaber! It uses the persons connection to the dark side to function.  
An evil glint appeared in Kiznyd's amber eyes:  
-So you know what it is. Perfect.  
Kiznyd rushed at Alana at such speed that she barely had time to block. The duel between the two proceeded at such speed that an onlooker would get dizzy. Kiznyd's attacks weren't quick and well strategised like Alana's but they were forceful and strong and Alana had to draw heavily on the Force just to counter them. Kiznyd was playing upon the Jar'Kai styles one weakness and he knew it. Jar'Kai was a very useful style of double bladed combat but it had one major downside: if the user wasn't physically strong his or her defences could be pierced with heavy and insistent blows. Blow after blow, block after block Alana felt her already low physical strength draining away. And then finally it happened: Kiznyd managed to pierce through her defences. As Alana saw the black blade rush towards her she instinctually shut her eyes but instead of feeling a burning pain she heard Kiznyd's cry of outraged cry. Alana opened her eyes and to her great shock found that the air in front of her had somehow been solidified to form a shield in which Kiznyd's weapon was stuck. As Kiznyd looked at his opponent in outrage he felt the long forgotten emotion of fear creep up on him. He felt that the force around that young Jedi was like a whirlwind. The shield that had been conjured out of nowhere: that hadn't been her, it had been the manifestation of the Force itself. The Force was protecting her. While this striking thought hit Kiznyd, Alana wasn't about to waste an opportunity given to her by the Force. The shield disappeared the moment her blades took on the scissor formation at Kiznyd's throat. Alana's dark blue eyes locked with Kiznyd's orange ones, anticipating his next move Alana shook her head:  
-Don't try it. You'll regret it.  
Kiznyd didn't listen and swiped upwards with the forcesaber, at the same instant one of Alana's blades aimed down and swiped. Kiznyd stumbled back clutching his arm, from which blood was pouring. Alana had managed to cut it to such an extent that it nearly came clean off. She regarded him coldly:  
-I warned you.  
Kiznyd stumbled back and slid down against the wall. Just as Alana was about to get the deactivation codes out of him she heard Jayden shout from behind:  
-Alana, look out!  
In shock Alana looked down at her feet and saw a thermal detonator. She didn't have time to move. Just a second before the charge blew up Jayden tackled Alana to the ground and by that he pushed them both a sufficient distance away from the explosion. Hiaro suddenly clutched his left leg: in the commotion Hiaro's charge had caused Jayden had shot his opponent in the leg. As Jayden helped Alana up he smiled:  
-Ok, now my debts down to one,-he saw Kiznyd with a heavily bleeding arm leaning against the wall,- You won against him?  
-Yes, but not without a lot of trouble.Now,- she turned to Kiznyd and lifted one of her lightsabers to his neck,- what is the deactivation code?  
Kiznyd grimaced and said:  
-There is none, besides even if there was one there's only us and 6 minutes left. We're all going to go down together.  
-Not if I can help it!  
Alana suddenly used the Force to knock their two wounded enemies unconscious. She grabbed Kiznyd by his shirt and turned to Jayden:  
-Come on, let's go.  
Jayden nodded and grabbed Hiaro. They ran through the the corridors of the silent ship with Alana dragging Kiznyd and Jayden- Hiaro. There were 3 minutes until detonation when they reached the ship. Only to escape pods still remained, commander Arc and Twos were waiting beside one of them. Alana looked stunned by the sight of them before exclaiming:  
-What are you still doing here?! The ships going to blow in three minutes!  
Commander Arc payed no attention to her indignant remark and Just handcuffed Kiznyd and Hiaro before shoving them into one of the escape pods and pressing "eject" on the outside. Twos climbed into the escape pod and turned to Jayden and Alana:  
-Come on,General,civilian.  
Alana shook her head and before anyone could protest she shoved Commander Arc into it and locked the door. As she pressed "eject" she smiled:  
-Don't worry about me, my friend has a ship. We'll get off somehow. And arrest those criminals when you land back on Coruscant.  
And they were off. With everyone finally evacuated off the ship Alana mumbled:  
-Good, everyone's safe...  
Before the blue glow around her shut off and she fell to the ground. Jayden crouched next to her in concern and sighed in relief when he felt her pulse against his fingers- she was only unconscious. There was only one and a half minutes until detonation. Jayden scooped up Alana and took off running,mumbling:  
-I am not about to go owing my life to a dead person.  
He didn't even realise how soon he reached the ship. Jayden however didn't stop to check the time and ,after carefully depositing Alana in the co-pilots seat , started up the engines. Jayden managed to get the Crimson Storm away from the Atlantida a second before it blew up. Looking out at the blossoming flame flower of an explosion Jayden sighed in relief and leaned back in his seat:  
-That was cutting it way too close, even for me.  
Jayden glanced at the girl seemingly unconscious on the co-pilots seat. It took a moment for him to notice the steady rising and falling of her chest - she was fast asleep. How in the universe could she sleep so soundly after everything?! Suddenly remembering about their fight against Kiznyd, Jayden facepalmed:  
-Damn, I never got around to asking him about them! But,maybe, for now that's for the best.  
With one final glance at the now fading explosion, Jayden turned back to the navigational computer and set a course for Alderaan. After hitting the lever, the vast dimension of hyperspace swallowed them. It had been one heck of a day.


	13. Aftermath and the Space Chef

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I'm back and this time I didn't take too long. So that's good. But the bad news is I'm really not very happy with this chapter - probably one of my choppiest pieces of work to date but I'm sick and between that and the mountain of schoolwork- this'll have to do. Anyway-Enjoy!
> 
> Oh and Mando'a with the translations are beside the sentence marked like this [T:].

Alana opened her heavy eyelids tiredly to see the blue tunnel of hyperspace in front of her. Realising that she was slumped on a seat in a ships cockpit, Alana sat up straight and rubbed her eyes. A voice came from her right side:  
-Well, you didn't sleep long. Hey, how about you warn me before you fall unconscious next time?  
Alana turned to see Jayden working with a panel on one side of the cockpit. Ignoring his joke, Alana looked around and asked:  
-Where am I?  
Jayden didn't look up from what he was doing and answered:  
-We're on my ship - the Crimson Storm. I managed to get us off the Atlantida before it blew up. We're headed for Alderaan,before you ask.  
-Oh.  
Was all that Alana could say. Suddenly a panel in front of her flashed and she stood up to see what it was. The symbols on the screen weren't aurebesh but somehow Alana understood what was written. She turned to Jayden:  
-Hey,there's something wrong with the ship on the starboard side.  
Jayden turned at the sound of her voice:  
-Hm? What do you mean?  
-Seems like something has grazed the communications system. At least that's what I can make out from the data.  
Jayden walked over and glanced at the display before staring at Alana:  
-Alana, this isn't aurebesh.  
-I'm aware of that,yes. But I understand this, whatever it is.  
-You can read Mandolorian?  
-I guess so.  
Alana shrugged, after 6 years with no memory one gets used to such surprises. She turned back to the panel:  
-You think the explosion caused this?  
-Most probably, as if she wasn't banged up already. Looks like we'll have to change course a bit.  
Alana locked her calm blue eyes with Jayden's frustrated green ones:  
-What do you mean?  
-I mean that with the Crimson Storm as damaged as she is we can't exactly show up on Alderaan without attracting a lot of attention. And given my profession that is not something I need.  
-Fair enough, then where are we going now?  
-Well Alderaan has a moon on which ,coincidentally, I have a friend who can help me out. Just a sec.  
Jayden leaned under the panel where he had spotted a scorch mark and winced when a sharp jolt pain shot up his leg. Jayden inwardly cursed the Rodians who had messed with his ship and the damn droids. He just hoped Alana hadn't noticed. No such luck :  
-What happened to your leg? For that matter, your whole body?  
Grumbling Jayden sat down on the pilots seat and faced Alana before hesitantly saying:  
-Damn droids.  
Alana unexpectedly stood up and placed a hand on his head with her eyes closed. After a moment she said:  
-Will you stop pushing me out?! I want to help.  
Jayden eyed her warily:  
-What exactly are you doing?  
-I'm trying to assess where your injuries are without having to do it the manual way which would be very uncomfortable for the both of us. But you keep forcing me out so just let me take a look , it'll feel weird but it's better this way.  
Jayden sighed and complied. It definitely felt weird to have someone else's presence rush through your body but it didn't last long. Alana removed her hand and opened her eyes. She crouched down and placed her hand on the blaster wound on Jayden's leg and by channelling the Force into her hand she began healing it. Jayden, no longer resisting her help, watched in wonder as the damaged skin was replaced by a new layer and healed completely. Alana then did the same thing to his shoulder before hesitantly moving her hand to just above his heart. She knew she had to watch what she did now: too much pressure and his heart could fail plus for some reason she felt embarrassed by being able to feel his heartbeat right under her fingers. Jayden took this chance to take a proper look at her. She looked no older than him ,perhaps even a bit younger, her midnight blue eyes were displaying the utmost concentration and her brows were furrowed. A strand of her caramel brown hair fell on her face but she was too absorbed to even notice, a small braid hung beside her ponytail which ,Jayden recalled, symbolised her apprentice status in the Jedi order, her complexion was fair at the start but after the taxing day they'd had it looked even paler. And yet in her eyes something lurked, something Jayden had seen in his own eyes all too often. Something that most normal people only acquire after decades of life. Her lips were compressed into a tight line,subconsciously, Jayden was surprised when he actually noticed a slight very faint tinge of pink on her face. She was embarrassed- Jayden grinned at that. She was definitely something, alright. Unexpectedly Alana's eyes met his own and she withdrew her hand, crossing her arms before saying defensively:  
-What?  
-Nothing, nothing,  
-I don't believe you. You're all healed by the way.  
-Why thank you, milady....  
Before Alana could protest a loud beeping sound was heard. Both of them rushed to the monitor. Jayden's eyes widened when he read what was written:  
-There's a problem with the hyperdrive?! But how... Those damn Rodians!  
Alana looked at Jayden worriedly:  
-Is it dangerous?  
-No, but we're going to have to drop out of hyperspace if we want to live so I can temporarily rig something.  
Alana nodded and Jayden pulled on the levers, dropping them out of the seemingly endless blue tunnel.

============================

Kai Lionis just couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, terribly wrong. It wasn't coming from around him, it was elsewhere but not too far away. Kai had just returned to the Jedi temple from an errand he had had to run in the city when Ayla Lunas sprung out of nowhere,suddenly grabbed him by the arm and started dragging him somewhere at record speed. Looking at Ayla in surprise, Kai asked:  
-Ayla? What's going on?  
She didn't say anything and just continued to drag him to the room where the Council had most of its communications broadcast. When they entered the room Kai felt that it held a tense air. In the room apart from himself and Ayla there were Master Yoda,Master Kenobi and Master Windu and they were all watching a reporter on the holonet with grim expressions on their faces. Ayla let go of his arm and bowed slightly:  
-I have brought him here as instructed.  
The others turned to Kai and Ayla and nodded. Kai descended down the few stone stairs and walked up to where the hologram was being displayed:  
-What's going on?  
Mace Windu turned to him first:  
-Surely you have felt it? The uneasiness looming over Coruscant.  
-Yes,but I don't know the cause.  
Master Yoda spoke up:  
-Know that we do.  
As if on cue Mace Windu switched to a holorecording of a vaguely familiar ship exploding and a barely noticeable small dot blasting away from it. A moment later it hit Kai: that was Atlantida, the ship Alana had been on! Kai instantly turned to the Masters, trying to mask the fear in himself he asked:  
-What happened to Alana?! She was on the ship!  
Ayla turned to Kai with a sad expression on her face:  
-That's what we don't know. According to the reports almost everyone is accounted for.  
Kai looked at Ayla in numb disbelief:  
-Almost everyone?! I need to know where my padawan is!  
Master Kenobi threw him a warning look and Kai took a deep breath, repeatedly chanting in his head "There is no emotion,there is peace". Obi-wan understood what was going on in Kai's mind, after all Anakin had caused him countless moments of distress when he was a padawan. Once Kai had calmed down sufficiently he bowed his head to the Masters and said:  
-Forgive me,Masters. That's was overstepping the boundaries.  
Master Yoda's eyes held some sort of hidden emotion as he said:  
-Understandable, your distress is, but mindful of your emotions you should be.  
-Yes,Master.   
Kai paused for a moment before once again asking the most pressing question on his mind:  
-So does anybody know what happened to Alana?  
The masters shook their head and there was a grim pause before Master Kenobi said:  
-Why don't you go to the crash site of the escape pods? They were all jettisoned. Maybe someone can tell you what happened there.  
Kai nodded and made a small grateful inclination of his head at Obi-wan who just nodded in response. Ayla walked over to Kai's side:  
-I'll come with you.   
Kai smiled at her and nodded. Suddenly Yoda stood up as well and said:  
-Visit the crash site I will. Have a bad feeling I do.  
Kai and Ayla looked at the Jedi Master in surprise but didn't protest. The three of them left the meeting room together.

=========================

-How's it going back there?  
-Mhmp.  
Alana laughed as she flipped the visor of the helmet covering her face and placed the welder she had been using on a nearby workbench. She turned in the direction of the engine room:  
-That is so informative! I can just vividly imagine the progress you've made!  
-You know, I've noticed you enjoy being sarcastic.  
-Blame Mother Nature.  
-I think I'll just blame whoever introduced you to the fine art of sarcasm.  
-Pfft,you do that. But,seriously, how's it going?  
Jayden paused,there was a loud metal clang and indistinguishable mutter before he answered:  
-Pretty good. I'm about halfway done. You?  
Alana stretched and yawned tiredly, the day's exhaustion was catching up with her:  
-I'm all done with communications system. Need some help?  
-No thanks, but can you hand me the hydrospanner?  
-Sure,just let me put the the equipment away first.  
Alana took off the helmet and placed it, together with the other tools in a compartment before closing it. She walked into the adjacent engine room and instantly noticed the hydrospanner on the floor beside the opening Jayden had removed to get deeper into the inside of the ship so as to be able to at least temporarily fix the hyperdrive. Alana picked it up and,after crouching down beside the opening,handed Jayden the hydrospanner.   
-Thanks. You can go rest up or something. You look tired.  
Alana yawned and covered her mouth and nodded wearily:  
-I am, but so are you. Besides...  
Jayden's teasing voice came from below:  
-Don't feel safe sleeping on a ship with a guy you just met?  
Alana snorted:  
-As if I couldn't beat you again. Besides I wanted to go see if there's any news about the others that were aboard the Atlantida.  
Jayden hoisted himself out of the opening and started rifling through the toolbox while saying absentmindedly:  
-There should be a report on the holonet about it soon. You should go look it up.  
Alana nodded and was quiet from a moment before asking:  
-Hey,do you have any food aboard this ship?  
Jayden facepalmed, leaving a dark smudge across his forehead:  
-I knew I was forgetting something this morning! I forgot to get pre-prepared food.  
Alana raised an eyebrow:  
-So you do have food aboard but you can't cook it?  
-That about sums it up. I don't suppose you can cook?  
Alana shook her head and said:  
-Never cooked in my life. We don't exactly have cooking classes in our Jedi training program. Besides most places have droids for that.  
-Pity. You could be world class chefs with the Force and all. I bet it'd be cool to see the Grand Jedi Master cook.  
It took a moment for Alana's imagination to conjure up an image of Master Yoda cooking before she fell about laughing.[AN:Go on, imagine it]. Jayden just smiled at her laughter. Wiping tears of mirth from her eyes, Alana choked out:  
-Oh Force, that was hilarious. I'm sorry but that mental image is just too funny.  
-Glad you think so. Guess we're dieting tonight, don't worry I'll get some food when we stop for maintenance on that moon.  
Alana shook her head and stood up,grinning:  
-Just because I've never cooked before doesn't mean I can't try. You learn something new everyday,right?  
Jayden sighed,evidently he didn't share her newfound bubbly excitement:  
-And how are you going to go about doing that? I don't suppose the Force offers cooking guidance?  
Alana walked out of the room but not before smiling and saying:  
-Ho-lo-net. Oh and you have a smudge on your forehead by the way.  
Realising that he wouldn't win against her, Jayden just took the needed tool and climbed in but not before shouting after her:  
-Don't blow up the ship!  
Alana called back happily:  
-I'm not an idiot,you know! If you don't want to eat it-don't.  
Jayden felt like beating his head against the machinery. First Seila, now her - what did he do to deserve such stubborn women in his life?!

======================

Kai,Ayla and Yoda stood looking at the semi-chaos going on at the crash site with mixed emotions. The clones were all sitting in a group with medic droids checking over them - they looked worse for wear but alive, while the disgruntled and slightly jumpy senators and nobles were being escorted by guards on speeders back to their residences. The Force held a flurry of emotions: jolts of pain,flickers of fear, sparks of relief and there was one especially prominent emotion although it was only being projected by two people-worry. The Jedi ,of course, kept their emotions concealed. But what bothered them the most was the injuries the clones had sustained and the loss of their numbers. Ayla was the first to voice the one thought that had gone through all of their minds:  
-This couldn't have happened just because of the explosion.....  
A voice came from behind them:  
-That's because it didn't.  
The three jedi turned around to see Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan and Commander Arc standing behind them. Bail Organa looked tired but unharmed while the clone commander had numerous injuries and was thus leaning against a nearby pole. Master Yoda was the first to greet them:  
-Senator Organa,Commander Arc, glad to see you alive we are.  
Bail Organa bowed his head slightly:  
-Well, it's all thanks to you Jedi.  
Ayla furrowed her eyebrows in confusion:  
-Pardon?  
Commander Arc filled in:  
-I believe General Sheelan is a member of the Jedi Order,yes?  
Kai nodded:  
-Yes, she's my Padawan.  
-Help you did she,hmm?  
Bail Organa smiled:  
-Help us? She practically saved the ship not to mention defeat the Pirates. Though as the Commander tells me she had an ally: a boy her age.  
Yoda looked mildly astonished as did the others:  
-Pirates,you say? Trouble present why did they?  
Commander Arc cleared his throat embarrassedly:  
-We aren't exactly sure, sir. You see all of us were knocked out by some strange wave of power, which I can only assume was the Force since General Sheelan used it to wake us up. But the wave that knocked us out was different, before passing out I though I saw a red blade. If it wasn't for the general there, this would have been a tragedy. This ship was boarded by the Red Hand Syndicate.  
Ayla gasped and Kai's eyes widened:  
-Isn't the Red Hand Syndicate an infamous crime group that is as big as Black Sun?! I've heard they're famous for selling people to the republic, the separatist and worst of all to slavers as well as killing people for sport.  
Commander Arc nodded and took off his helmet so they all could see his face:  
-That's them. We were attacked just before we could go into hyperspace. The alarm went off and we all rushed up there but when we entered the armoury we were all knocked out by the owner of that red blade.  
Kai exchanged a look with Ayla and with start they both suddenly realised that Master Yoda had disappeared. Kai frantically looked around before he spotted the Grand Jedi Master touching one of the most scorched escape pods. Kai went up to him after exchanging a small nod with Ayla who was using her Jedi Sentinel skills to weed out information from the Senator and the Commander. Kai softly asked:  
-Master?  
Yoda was silent for a moment before speaking in a grave voice:  
-The Dark Side of the Force, taint the ship it did. The Dark side strong here is.  
Kai didn't question the Jedi Masters words and simply ask:  
-Do you believe it was the Sith?  
-Your enemy, I believe it was.  
-Do you mean he's gone to track down Alana?! But if that's so--  
-Begun her trial has.  
-Her trial?! Master, what do you mean?  
Yoda just shook his head and said:  
-Check with Master Lunas you should, know the fate of your padawan she may.  
Kai didn't look happy but still nodded and went back to Ayla.  Yoda however looked at the scorched escape pod and then up at the now dark sky:  
-The will of the Force this is. But not ready,is she. Not complete is her training! Too young is she!  
The little green Jedi Master sighed and closed his eyes. He had no say in this, this was the will of the Force. This was the path that Alana had chosen, be it subconsciously or not. Yet his vision of her future was clouded but so was the knowledge of her past. She was surrounded by clouds, covering whoever she had been and whoever she would eventually turn out to be. That Sith... Him targeting Alana bothered Yoda. He could sense it - the Sith was powerful. Very powerful. But why had he chosen her out of everyone?

======================================

Alana had discovered two things: one- she really enjoyed cooking, two- it was very convenient to have the Force while cooking. The holonet provided her with the simple recipe she needed, since she wasn't a pro and Jayden more than had the necessary ingredients. Alana yawned and covered her mouth with her free hand. She was almost done, she needed to call Jayden. Just as she thought of that the aforementioned person came in, he had thankfully already washed his hands and face. Alana turned her head to him and cheerfully said:  
-Hey, you're here. I was just about to call you.  
Jayden nodded and looked around. The food smelled nice and he only just noticed how ravenous he was. Alana also looked extremely happy which made Jayden slightly suspicious. He decided to try something out:  
-Vor'e par nayc shabiir. Te Ge'tai Storm ast. [T: Thanks for not blowing up the place. The Crimson storm still is itself. ]  
Alana glared and pointed a kitchen utensil at him:  
-Ne shab'rud'ni. [T: Don't mess with me.]  
Jayden grinned at her response:  
-Udesi. Ni nuhun'la. [T: Calm down, I'm joking.]  
Alana sighed:  
-Di'kut... [T: Idiot...]  
Alana turned back to the stove:  
-Anyway,-Alana switched back to basic-,Why'd you talk to me in Mando'a?  
Jayden shrugged and sat down at the table,yawning:  
-I wanted to check how well you knew it.  
-Why?  
He stretched his arms out on the table and paced his head on them, mumbling sleepily:  
-It's really rare for someone to speak Mando'a fluently nowadays, especially an "outsider". Where did you learn it?  
Alana didn't answer for a while,Jayden sighed:  
-Forget it, I didn't mean to ask such a personal question. Sorry.  
Alana shook her head and quietly said:  
-It's not that it's personal. I-I just don't know,-Alana turned her head and smiled self-depreciatively,-Funny,isn't it?  
Jayden raised his head his eyes had grown serious, all previous traces of sleepiness gone:  
-No,it's not. You're referring to your amnesia, aren't you? That's the reason that you don't know,no, can't remember?  
Alana nearly whispered her answer:  
-Yes.  
-How much? How much time have you lost?,- when she didn't say anything Jayden just shook his head and muttered,-Never Mind.  
Alana didn't say anything and simply placed the now prepared food on a plate and handed it to Jayden, before doing the same thing for herself. She sat down on the chair beside him and fake cheerfully said:  
-Haili cetare. [T: Eat up, let's eat etc.]  
Jayden looked at the tempting food suspiciously and said:  
-Vor'e. [T:Thanks]  
Inwardly gathering up his courage and taking note of Alana's anxious expression (which she had failed to conceal) he put a piece of meat in his mouth. Alana felt like holding her breath - she was worried and that was putting it gently. Alana may act like an invincible Jedi warrior but in truth she was just a typical teenage girl, granted one that could use the Force and had amnesia, who had her own worries and insecurities. Add that to the fact that she had never cooked before (as far as she could remember at leat, which was 6 years) and the general statistic of a first attempt being successful - well, it would suffice to say that she was nervous. As Jayden chewed his eyes lit up, and when he had swallowed he enthusiastically said:  
-This is actually really good.  
Alana sighed in relief:  
-Thank the Force...  
She smiled and subconsciously sat up straighter:  
\- Is it really ok?  
\- Yeah, it's very good. I would've never guessed that it's your first time cooking.  
-Thanks. I'll try some too.  
Alana put a piece of the meat into her mouth and was relieved to find that it really tasted ok. Beginners luck, probably. As she ate she unexpectedly remembered Jayden's question and decided to answer it:  
-10 years.  
-Huh?  
-You asked me how much I can't recall.  
-Yes, I did. But--  
-I can't remember the first ten years of my life. I don't know anyone from my past: my parents, maybe siblings, master. All that. I was 10 when it happened.  
-What?!  
Alana shrugged nonchalantly and continued eating while Jayden stared at her incredulously. What? She was hungry. Jayden tried placing himself into her shoes and was immediately overwhelmed by terror, sheer terror. How was she so calm? Sure, he hadn't had the best past but he was glad that he could recall his parents, his grandma, his teammates and here she was with not a memory of the most important 10 years in a persons life and she was completely calm about it. What had made her like that? How did she loose her memories? Had she cried when she first realised that she didn't remember anyone? Somehow, Jayden couldn't imagine Alana crying but then again he had only officially met her today - if Alana wanted to tell him: she would. Jayden cast a glance at Alana and before resuming eating said:  
-Hope you don't mind if I don't babysit you. You can handle yourself in my opinion.  
Alana smiled:  
-I'd be mad at you, if you did. I told you this to answer your question not to make you pity me.  
-Good, we agree then.  
Alana and Jayden smiled at each other. Soon the two of them had finished eating and while Alana insisted on cleaning up, Jayden decided to make some tea. This time Alana sat down across from him and when Jayden passed her the teas she just nodded her thanks. A comfortable silence broke out, with both quietly regarding each other. As Alana sipped her tea her dark blue eyes grew wide:  
-This is awesome, what is it?  
Jayden suppressed a large smile at her child-like surprise and delight, it was good to see that dark shadow gone. He tried to contain his amusement as he answered her:  
-I though you might like it, it's Shig. A type of tea that's said to relax a body.  
-Woah, it's amazing. I can feel it working.  
-I'd say it's just what the medical droid ordered after the long day we've had. Anyway, let play a game.  
Alana raised an eyebrow:  
-A game?  
-Yep, a game. It's like 20 questions. We answer basic questions to learn something simple about each other, nothing too personal.  
Alana nodded:  
-Ok.  
-Ready? Ok, your age?  
-16,you?  
-17. Ok, you ask a question.  
-Um, favourite colour?  
-Midnight blue.  
-Like, the ocean at night?  
-Hate to say it but it's closer to your eye colour. You?  
-Green, it's full of life. Your turn.  
-Ok, Morning person?  
Alana thought for a moment before replying:  
-Yes and No. I'm okay once I pull myself out of bed. You?  
Jayden shook his head:  
-No way. Mornings are evil.   
Alana smiled at his stubborn answer:  
-My turn. Ok, might be a bit personal but allegiance?  
Jayden shrugged:  
-Neutral. You're republic, right?  
-Mhm. Your go.  
-Sure: home planet?  
Alana calmly replied:  
-No flipping idea. Amnesiac here, remember?  
-Kriff, sorry forgot for a moment. I thought you might recall it.  
Alana shook her head and sipped her tea:  
-Nope, for personal information all I have is my name, day and month of birth and age.  
-Must be scary.  
Alana leaned back in her chair and sighed softly:  
-You get used to it after 6 years. Um, favourite planet so far?  
Jayden smiled:  
-Alderaan, weirdly enough. What about you?  
-Don't really have one. I like them all well enough but no favourites here.  
-Ok, we'll find you one. So, what languages can you speak apart from Mando'a and basic?  
Alana inclined her head to the side thoughtfully:  
-I have no idea how many I know or which, since memories missing here, but it turns out that apart from the two you mentioned I also know Huttese and Ithorese, maybe more. What about you?  
Jayden seemed oddly detached as he said:  
-Apart from those two - Huttese.  
Alana carefully looked at him:  
-I take it you're not a fan.  
Jayden smiled but it was obvious to Alana that it was a fake one:  
-Well, who'd like those giant slugs anyway?  
Alana laughed and let his odd behaviour slide, it was his business after all:  
-Point taken. Um, favourite food type?  
-Sweet.  
Alana looked surprised:  
-I didn't think you would.  
-Yeah, I often give that impression, you?  
-Sweet and spicy. Your turn.  
-Right. Favourite club or cantina?  
Alana rolled her eyes:  
-Riiigghht, because as a Jedi I have tons of free time to attend bars!  
Jayden held his hands up in defeat:  
-True. Ok then: best friend?  
Alana smiled as she remembered Emira:  
-She's half-Hapan, half-human. Her name's Emira Leeta. Who's yours?  
Jayden finished his tea:  
-Heims, but he's more of an annoying uncle rather than friend. By the way, it's time for the holo report.  
Alana also finished hers:  
-Right, go ahead.  
Jayden switched in the holo and adjusted the volume and system to hear a the reporter clearer:  
-There had been a hijacking of the Ship of Senator Organa today, by an infamous group of pirates known as the Red Hand Syndicate, the ship later blew up but thankfully nobody was onboard. One of the guests stated that they were freed from their hostage situation and alerted to the ships imminent destruction by two human teenagers one male and the other female, both of whom were not located in the pods. Everyone else is safe and accounted for. We hope they survived but no official news can be given. Now onto the --  
Jayden switched off the holo. And looked at Alana with a smile on his face:  
-See? Everyone else is fine  
Alana nodded and smiled, feeling very relieved. Jayden teased:  
-You were about to cry from relief right now, right?  
-No. Jerk.  
-Hey, this Jerk saved your life.  
Alana fixed him with a steely glare:  
-Only after I saved his. And anyway I'm just tired.  
-Uh huh and I'm a Tauntaun.   
Alana gave him a once over before shaking her head teasingly:  
-No, can't say you look like one. You need to be a little taller, have a longer neck - want me to help you become one?  
-Heck no!  
-Good. But I really am tired...  
Jayden sighed and grabbed her hand  
-Come on I'll show you to the guest quarters. Honestly I thought you were gonna fall asleep while we were watching the broadcast.  
-I'm 16 not 6, just so you know.  
-You don't say...  
Said Jayden sarcastically which caused Alana to lightly punch him in the shoulder. He faked pain:  
-Ow. So not only are you sarcastic but you're violent too? How come you Jedi females, aren't ladylike?  
-Hmph, like you're a gentleman.  
Jayden laughed for the first time that day:  
-Fair enough.

===========================

In a dark ship sat a man. He was rewatching a holorecording of a young Jedi  fighting droid with two lightsabers. His yellow eyes gleamed with a malicious fascination, much like the one of a predator when he watched his prey. He wore a black cloak an deep obsidian robes, on his belt gleamed a lightsaber with a curved hilt. His arms were crossed over his chest in a sign of relaxation. The man exuded a dangerous aura: it felt dark,evil and foreboding. He way a Sith. But no mere Sith, he was a Sith Lord. Suddenly there was a beeping noise that alerted the man to an incoming transmission. The Sith tore his eyes away from the hologram of his prey, annoyance flickering in their yellow depths. And yet he was intrigued: who had managed to locate him? He had spent the past 6 years in hiding and highly successfully he might add. For someone to locate him they would have to do the impossible....Ah, no. There was one man who could locate him, but it would make even him expand enormous amounts of effort. Darth Sidious- the Sith Lord of this era. The Sith sighed but clicked the accept transmission button. Instantly a hologram of a man most people widely knew as Count Dooku- the leader of the Confederacy of the Independent Systems and the man few knew as Darth Tyrannus- the apprentice of Darth Sidious appeared. The man looked at Darth Tyrannus with slight curiosity and hidden amusement:  
-Ah,Darth Tyrannus how nice of you to greet me. I take that this was your Masters incentive? It's said to see that playing double agent has made him so busy that he can't even greet a fellow Sith Lord.  
For a millisecond a surprised expression resided upon count Dooku's face but then in a flash it was gone. The Sith Lord's lips curled up into a smirk: he had the two current Sith sitting unwittingly in the palm of his hand but he would play along...for now. Darth Tyrannus replied, forcing his voice to remain steady just as he had practiced so many times as a politician:  
-Ah, then we can skip the tedious introductions but before I we continue may I please have your name? As a fellow Sith?  
The Sith Lord looked at him with a hidden expression in his eyes:  
-Yes, I suppose you may. Pass it on to your Master as well. My name is Darth Tenebris- remember it well.  
Count Dooku bowed slightly:  
-My Lord, I will most certainly do as you have asked.   
Darth Tenebris nodded before speaking once again:  
-I see your master has managed to finally locate me. I seem to have gotten a bit sloppy by letting the Jedi on Ralak survive. Though I must admit I underestimated the girls powers.  
-My Lord...  
Darth Tyrannus hesitantly interrupted. Darth Tenebris's eyes flicked to him:  
-Yes?  
-My master wishes to meet you and--  
-Yes, I presumed as much. Tell him that we shall meet on Malachor, at the ancient Sith Temple in a weeks time. Also inform him that of my prey is to be harmed by any hand other than mine or in any way- there will be irreversible consequences. That is all.  
Darth Tyrannus bowed on the hologram once more before cautiously asking:  
-Your prey, my Lord?  
The Sith Lords eyes flickered to the hologram of the young Jedi before he said calmly:  
-Her name is Alana Sheelan - I believe she's part of the Jedi Order. If Darth Sidious or anyone else lays a hand on her - they shall suffer a fate worse than death, this whole galaxy shall suffer. Now go.  
-Understood, My Lord.  
The hologram of Count Dooku dissolved into nothing and Darth Tenebris sighed. This task was too tedious for him but it had to be done. Besides Darth Sidious may be a worthy ally to have with all his power despite the fact that the current Sith Lord was much weaker than him. The Sith Lord smiled a cruel and sadistic smile: Alana Sheelan would meet her end be it sooner or later. There was simply no other outcome, after all this era had not witnessed the full extent of his power just yet.


	14. Arrival on Alderaan's moon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovely readers! Jedi, Senators, Sith, Bounty hunters and everyone else thank you so much for sticking with me this long. Now to get to the point: this  and the next chapter were originally supposed to be one long chapter but when I noticed that I had over 6000 words here I decided to take a break and split it into two chapters. So yeah, this may seem a bit incomplete. Now a fair word of warning: as I said I have exams this year and now there's a little under two months left until them so I'm going to be studying like crazy. Please excuse the not too frequent updates. And with that said- Enjoy! 
> 
> Mandolorian:  
> Di'kut- idiot, jerk, dummy etc. (Learn it and use it as insult XD)  
> Cya'ika- sweetie (She's being sarcastic)  
> Mesh'la-Beautiful
> 
> Fun Fact: you may notice I never mentioned the name of Alderaan's moon. It actually doesn't have one. XD
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars.

Even though she was exhausted Alana couldn't sleep peacefully. At first she was plagued by restless shadows lurking in the corners of her dreams- all who had a pair of yellow eyes, then those shadows were replaced by Master Yoda's and the councils voices saying that she had failed them and she was to be cast out of the order. At this point Alana desperately wanted to wake up: she hated how vulnerable she was while asleep when suddenly all the bad dreams stopped and instead Alana found herself looking at a slightly blurry image of what looked like herself in a dark place. She looked the same but her hair was loose and her padawan braid was gone or hidden, she was also wearing different clothes however her lightsabers where still there,attached to a belt in special carriers to hide their true nature. She couldn't see her own face but from the slight movement of her cheeks Alana deduced that she was talking to someone. Suddenly out of nowhere a droid rolled out and nudged her in the leg, Dream Alana turned to him and nodded with a grave expression on her face, but before they could do anything about half a dozen red blades appeared behind them.  
Alana woke with a start. She pushed herself up into a sitting position and placed both of her hands at her throbbing temples, she could hear her rapid heartbeat echo in her brain. What was that? It had seemed so real and yet so distant, abstract at the same time. Was what she had just experienced a full Force Vision? About the future? She wasn't sure, her master had warned her about not fully relying on the visions as these were rare and extremely abstruse. One must never decide what the vision means alone.   
Slowly her heartbeat returned to normal and the headache lessened. The ship was silent apart from the low hum of the sub-systems and the sensors. Both Jayden and Alana had gone to sleep so as to get their much needed rest and not look like monsters in the morning. Deciding that she couldn't sleep anyhow Alana pushed the blanket aside and got off the bed. After slipping on her dress over her undergarments and pulling on her boots, Alana folded away the bedding and unlocked the door (which thankfully had a lock). She quietly made her way into the cockpit and sat down in the co-pilot's chair. Looking out at the distant glimmering stars and the thumb-sized ball that was Alderaan, Alana felt at peace. It was very early morning according to the ship's data on Alderaan.Out one of her belt pouches she got out a miniature crystal and inserted it into the nearby holo-reader. After a second a hologram of the Galaxy sprang up with a few systems highlighted. Alana traced each system muttering:  
-Taris...Duro...Bakura...Kashykk...Rodia...New Plympto...Mygeeto...Christophis...Nar Shadaa. Eight planets and one moon in total and some of them are even Separatist, half of them actually. And I thought this would be moderately easy.  
Alana leaned back on her chair and closed her eyes. Yep, this was not going to be simple. She supposed she could take a transport to Alderaan from the moon and then get on a public transport to Duro or New Plympto from there but then the rest would be tricky. She was a Jedi and Jedi weren't exactly welcome on separatist worlds which included both Duro and New Plympto as well as Bakura and Mygeeto. Add that to the fact that these destinations of hers where scattered around the Galaxy and that she had a murderous Sith Lord after her and you get trouble with capital T. Sometimes she wondered if her life hated her. Well, there was no use worrying about in now - when the time came she'd get through it, somehow.   
Suddenly her less than peaceful thoughts were interrupted by a loud beeping noise. Alana jumped slightly on the chair, startled by the sound. She stood up to see what it was. Someone was attempting to contact them and if Alana looked closely she could see an average sized ship approaching. For a moment her hand hovered hesitantly over the accept button but pushing all of her worries aside Alana pressed it. Instantly a hologram of three men appeared: two looked Alderaan guards and one like their commanding officer. In a subconscious nervous gesture Alana pushed a fallen lock of hair behind her ear. The commander spoke:  
-Hello, this is the Alderaan space control. Identify yourselves.  
Alana cleared her throat and spoke confidently but politely, masking her true feelings:  
-Good Morning, Officer. I am Alana Sheelan a member of the Jedi Order and a passenger aboard this vessel. If you need proof of my identity I will easily provide it.  
A note of surprise sounded in the generals voice:  
-Oh, Master Jedi, good morning. No there is absolutely no need. May we ask why you are floating in realspace above Alderaan?  
-We had a slight malfunction of our hyperdrive and communications system so we had to drop out of hyperspace. Rest assured we shall continue our journey as soon as all the necessary arrangements are made.  
-Ah, I see. And where are you headed?  
-Alderaan's moon. Any other questions?  
-None, Master Jedi. However we must ask that you get moving soon since soon the flow of ships will start and we don't want an accident.  
-Of course, crimson storm out.  
The transmission cut and Alana flopped down on the seat. Great, she had just pulled the "I am a Jedi" card again - she disliked doing that but sometimes there was no other way. The Alderaan space control group was one of those cases- that group took great care monitoring the realspace above Alderaan so she had to give them worthy credentials for them to lay off the "interrogation". Either way she had to wake Jayden in a bit but for now, while it was quiet, Alana decided to meditate. Perhaps the Force could give her the answers she sought.  
======================================  
Kai Lionis was meditating in the room of a thousand fountains. He had decided to do this to calm his newly found slightly fidgety self. Although Kai had learned from Ayla that the clone commander said Alana had pushed the him into the escape pod and claimed that her friend had a ship, he couldn't stop worrying about her. Her survival - he was sure of but her being with this "friend"? Now that was another matter entirely. But he knew that he should trust her judgment in character a bit more and if worst came to worst she could defend herself. In a way he was now seriously regretting not sending J2 off with her. And on top of all that Master Yoda had mentioned something about a trial but what trial could he possibly mean? Kai sighed softly and closed his eyes. This was out of his hands, all he could do now was just watch and have faith in his padawan. For some reason his mind suddenly recalled the time he had been given Alana to train.  
Kai Lionis stood alone in the centre of the High Jedi Councils meeting room. It had been a week since they'd found Alana on Aroko and three days since they had returned to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Alana was very nervous and jumpy around other people but she seemed to relax a little more around Kai and sometimes even let her true sarcastic attitude shine through. She had been very nervous and uncomfortable when Kai had left her with Emira and Ayla a few minutes prior to this moment. He just hoped that the Jedi Council had found Alana's friends or relatives to whom she could be entrusted to. Master Windu started off:  
-We have done an extensive search for the girls relatives and we even looked in the archives for any clues about her family but we have no record of her or her family ever existing on any known planet. That little girl is alone in this galaxy.  
Kai felt his heart drop- she was really alone? But how in the universe had she ended up on Aroko, an uninhabited planet for millennia, of all places? Master Shaak Tii looked at Kai inquiringly:  
-Does she have any personal items? Like a datapad which could give us clues as to who she is and where her family is?  
Kai shook his head:  
-Nothing apart from a small pendant around her neck which I already looked over. All it had was a faint residue of someone's Force signature, someone who sadly is already one with the Force.   
Kai sighed heavily before suddenly bursting out:  
-I just don't understand who could be so cruel as to leave a child like her on an uninhabited planet?! Especially with her wounds!  
Ki Adi Mundi raised an eyebrow:  
-Wounds?  
Kai reluctantly nodded his head:  
-Yes. She was wounded in the arm and her left leg a couple of times. A medical droid stated that she was also slashed over the chest at least twice. It may sound slightly insane but it seems that the damage was dealt to her by a blade. And by the intensity we can only conclude that the blade was at least a vibroblade or worse - a lightsaber.  
The whole Jedi council looked shocked, well everyone excluding Yoda who was already aware of this fact. They just couldn't fathom it? A lightsaber? That was out of the question: no Jedi would hurt a young innocent child and the Sith had been nearly extinct for decades so for them to come out of hiding to attack a little girl on an uninhabited planet? Preposterous. And a vibroblade? Those hadn't been in use for years. Master Plo turned to Master Yoda:  
-Master Yoda, what is your opinion on this matter?  
There was a moment of silence before Yoda spoke and for some reason his voice was laden with grief:  
-Been to Aroko, I have. Saw what is there I  did, hear the Force there I did. Shadows of people full of pain and suffering there were, as there were of those with hate and anger. The Dark side and the Light conflict there do. Among the shadows she was. Alone, lost and scared she is but strong. In both the Force and her mental strength. Hides a secret this planet and this child does but to look for it the time is not now. However her connection to the Force surprise me it did. Like a whirlwind around her it is, protect her it does. Has she no family, Master Windu?  
Master Windu nodded numbly, his mind still processing master Yoda's slightly cryptic words:  
-Yes. She appears to be the sole living member of her family.  
Master Yoda sighed and said:  
-Grieve me that does but perhaps for her hope there is.  
Kai looked at Master Yoda with hope, perhaps the wise Master knew how to help her:  
-What is it?  
-Train her, we shall. Become a great Jedi she will.  
The council instantly felt tense. Master Windu was the first to speak out:  
-Master Yoda, she is far too old. We accepted Skywalker and he was younger than her when we did and that was because of Qui-Gon Jinn mainly but this girl? And with her amnesia she is far too vulnerable. The Dark Side could easily seduce her and with all those factors into play which Jedi would accept her as a padawan?  
Surprisingly for everyone Kai firmly said:  
-I would. I believe in her, I have seen what she is like and I refuse to believe she would fall to the Dark Side easily- if anything she opposes it strongly in her subconscious. She does not seem to lust for power or attention and although there is much darkness in her I sense it is from sadness more than fear and anger. She has a very powerful connection to the Force and if she were to become a Jedi she would bring stability to the Light. Her powers are still growing and although she is untrained her control over them is remarkable. If you do not believe my words summon her here.  
Before anyone could protest Master Plo nodded:  
-Call her up here.  
Kai contacted Ayla and a few minutes later a slightly nervous, 10 year old Alana walked into the room. Instantly the whole of the council felt the strange whirlwind of the Force around her and it just didn't seem to match as she timidly clung close to Kai and said:  
-Masters? You wanted to see me?  
Master Windu snapped out of it first:  
-Yes, young one, we did. Do you know anything about your family or what you eye doing on Aroko wounded like that?  
Alana slowly shook her head:  
-No, Master, I can't remember. It's like there are clouds, like an endless fog which is solid that I can't see through.   
Master Shaak Tii leaned in a bit to get a better look at the child:  
-Alana, would you like to become a Jedi? Like all of us?  
Alana's dark blue eyes filled with wonder:  
-A Jedi? Like Kai and Emira and Ayla?  
Master Yoda nodded his head, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes:  
-Yes,young one. But hard the road will be, no easy path is there.  
Alana nodded her head quickly:  
-Yes. I don't care if it's hard or if there's no easy path. Masters, I want to become a Jedi. I woke up because a voice called out to me, that voice was the Force. I can feel it all around me and it seems out of balance somehow, like there's a lot of sadness. I want to help. I want to become a Jedi, to help save it from being overturned and from my own free will.  
Master Windu looked at the young child in surprise as did the rest of the council. For some reason Kai felt proud, like an older brother would feel proud when his younger sister said something clever.  Master Windu spoke:  
-Those are wise words, little one. Very well, I accept Master Yoda's decision.   
Master Plo and Shaak Tii also nodded:  
-As do we.  
Slowly the rest of the council agreed although a few were reluctant. Master Yoda looked directly at Alana as he spoke:  
-Very well, Kai Lionis's padawan you shall be. Learn from him you shall.  
Kai suddenly snapped out of his reminiscing when he felt someone poke him in the shoulder, hard. He opened his eyes with annoyance and rubbed his wounded shoulder while glaring at a white haired and teal eyed woman grinning at him:  
-Ow, Ayla. Did you really need to poke me so hard? Can't a guy meditate in peace?  
Ayla smiled happily:  
-A guy - yes, you - No. Not until you get a move on with what you're supposed to be doing.  
-But I'm waiting for Alana to contact me.  
-Which will happen even if you start doing what you're supposed to be doing. Honestly, Kai, we're going to end up dead before you get it done at this rate.  
Kai stood up and stretched:  
-Alright, alright already I get it. Let's go.  
Ayla easily jumped up from her seat and followed Kai. As they walked Kai muttered barely audibly:  
-I have no clue how I fell in love with you but I am, like a madman.  
Even though he thought that she didn't catch it, Ayla did. She grabbed his hand and looking down at the floor murmured in a small voice:  
-Please, Kai. Please. I thought we both agreed. You know how I feel too but we're Jedi and we've made a commitment we cannot break. The Republic and the Force need us more than ever now so please don't.  
Kai cupped her hand a sighed, nodding:  
-You're right, I'm sorry Ayla. Now, let's get a move on before we really do die from lack of doing anything.  
Kai and Ayla exchanged a small smile but it was obvious that it wasn't a sincere one.  
================================  
Jayden woke up from a loud knock on the door. Sitting up groggily he asked:  
-What is it?  
A female voice replied:  
-Hate to interrupt your beauty sleep but we've got to get a move on. Yesterday you said you didn't want to attract attention and well looks like attention already found us.  
Jayden shot up, instantly alert. In his line of work extra attention was never a good sign. Ever. Even if it was from a droid or a child, never ever. Jayden hastily nodded even though Alana couldn't see him and said:  
-Right. Let me get dressed and we'll talk in the cockpit.  
-Okay, I'll prep some food for now.  
-Thanks.  
Jayden heard Alana's retreating footsteps and shook his head to focus. He quickly threw on his clothes and grabbed his twin blasters, slipping them into their respective holsters. He checked his holo to find that Seila had sent it him a message. It was simple and consisted of four words: "How's your mission going?". Even though there was no voice Jayden could just hear Seila's sarcastic and teasing voice asking him. What in the universe did this woman mean? Shrugging off the least pressing issue on his mind Jayden walked into the cockpit. Subconsciously noting that a certain Jedi was already there, Jayden sat down in the pilots chair and fired up the main systems. Alana handed him a sandwich and with a nod he took it. As the ship started off toward the moon,Jayden asked the question that had been bothering him:  
-Who was gracious enough to pay us special attention?  
Alana shrugged and said:  
-Just Alderaan space control. They wanted to know why we were floating out in realspace.  
Jayden groaned:  
-Great, those guys. They conduct a full interrogation?  
Alana swallowed her food before shaking her hair and replying:  
-Nope, managed to shut them up by playing the Jedi card.  
Jayden shook his head in slight amusement:  
-What were their reactions?  
Alana felt a grin coming on herself:  
-They were scared. I guess anyone would be if they thought they had just offended a Jedi Master. Pity they were wrong though.  
-You're an apprentice, right?  
-Padawan, but close enough.  
There was a moment of silence before Jayden asked:  
-Why were you heading to Alderaan anyway? And without your Master? Care to share? As long as it's not secret Jedi business, of course.  
Alana leaned back and quietly spoke:  
-It's not. I was heading to Alderaan to find a shuttle to one of the nearby planets. The Jedi Council sent me on a mission to notify the families of future younglings of their potential. My master was too busy with some crazy secret business so I had to go by myself. Beats hanging around the Temple all day if you ask me. What about you, bounty hunter? Or is it a classified bounty hunter job.  
Jayden's lips tugged into a small smile at the name:  
-Ha-Ha. Normally it's confidential but I'll tell you this much: I was only stopping by at Alderaan to hide my tracks and then heading out to another planet to meet with my informant.   
-What about your team?  
-You know about them?  
-Well, yeah. I met the Iridonian guy that night and your female friend wanted to snipe my friend.   
-So you really foiled all of our missions. What can I say? Business is business.  
-And you're okay with hurting people?! After being with the Red Hand Syndicate?!  
Jayden's gaze darkened but he didn't tear his eyes away from the viewport before saying in a quiet and dangerous voice:  
-You don't know me just as much as I don't know you. Besides unlike the others I have a sense of honor. I don't kill people-I collect or eliminate acquisitions. That's my job. Don't tell me you've never killed anyone on one your missions before? Or are you really that innocent? Don't tell me the Jedi never kill, because that's a lie.  
Alana quietly looked down at her hands:  
-We don't kill the weak and the helpless or prisoners but you are right. If I said we've never killed that would be a lie, a big lie. And I am not that innocent or naive. This is war and I have to do my part. Yes, I've killed people before - I'm not proud of that fact but I have. I'm not helpless and my record's not clean - there is no way it could be at this point in time. Let's just drop it, ok?  
Jayden didn't answer and the rest of the trip was silent. After a while, when they were in the atmosphere Jayden sighed and said:  
-Listen I'm sorry, I snapped like that.  
-I'm sorry for bringing it up.  
-Truce before we murder each other?  
-Truce. So, are we landing in one of the big towns?  
Jayden shook his head as he started the landing sequence:  
-Nope. We're landing in a very unique spaceport.  
Alana rolled her eyes before asking:  
-Can I expect pirates, smugglers and bounty hunters?  
-Precisely. Oh and unlike Alderaan this place isn't very fond of Jedi. They're actually extremely unwelcome here.  
-That's going to be a problem.  
Jayden shrugged as the ship landed and Alana's eyes swept around the view that could be seen through the viewport. The place they had landed in looked like a small residential-ish area but it was filled with the biggest assortment of buildings. The atmosphere was cool like on Alderaan from the look of things and the few bright green trees were a bright contrast to the steely grey buildings.Neon signs hung here and there adding a little colour to the otherwise bleak buildings. People milled about and nobody payed any attention to the newly arrived spaceship - this was normal here. Jayden stood up and looked at Alana:  
-You coming?  
She stood up and nodded. How would she disguise herself? She didn't even notice how habitually she had bit her bottom lip. Jayden sighed:  
-You're thinking of how to hide the fact that you're a Jedi?  
Alana looked up in surprise:  
-Am I that easy to read?  
-Not exactly, it's just the only possible explanation for why you're forehead is wrinkled.  
Alana instantly clapped a hand to her forehead and after realising he was lying frowned:  
-Don't joke around. This is serious.  
Jayden put his hands up in defeat:  
-Alright, Alright. Want my help coming up with a disguise?  
-I have a typical Jedi cloak--  
-Didn't it get blown up?  
-Oh, right.  
Jayden sighed:  
-Okay, let me handle this. Clothes wise you're ok for this place,but we have two major problems. Your padaw-whatsit braid and your lightsabers. I don't suppose you want to leave them on the ship?  
Alana firmly shook her head, her ponytail swinging behind her:  
-No can do.  
-Ugh, fine. Just turn them around on your belt that the higher side of the emitter is facing inwards and they'll look like typical shocking rods.   
Alana did as he suggested and after a moment Jayden continued:  
-As for your braid, I don't suppose you can undo it?  
Alana hesitated. She didn't know if that was allowed or not. Sure, she may have trouble if someone spotted it and that could lead to unnecessary bloodshed but defying traditions? Jayden crossed his arms and leant against the wall:  
-Come on, what's it gonna be? We either have a firefight on our hands or you undo it. I'm sure your Masters would understand. Wouldn't they value life over traditions?  
-I...You're right.  
-Good, besides what they don't know won't hurt them.  
Alana shot him a small glare:  
-I hate lying.  
Jayden fixed her with a steely gaze:  
-So do I, but in this case you're not lying and just not telling the full truth. You know from what I've seen so far you're kind of a rebel Jedi.  
Alana who had started undoing the braid looked up at him in surprise:  
-What do you mean?  
-I mean you don't seem to follow the normal Jedi way.  
-Yeah, well, I don't see eye to eye with the council 100% of the time.  
-That's why I said you're sort of a rebel.  
Alana hmphed at that statement but didn't say anything and continued undoing her braid. Once she was done, she felt the right side of her head (where the padawan braid had been) relax. The tight braid had tensed it. Alana pulled down her ponytail and was about to sweep all of the hair back into it when she heard Jayden inhale sharply. She looked up at him mid-move:  
-What is it?  
-I thought of this before but I just realised right now: you look different with your hair down. It looks better this way and more casual.  
Alana tilted her head to the side in confusion:  
-By casual you mean...  
-Way less uptight, less Jedi-like.  
-How is my hairstyle Jedi-like?  
Jayden shrugged:  
-Just trust me on this. When you've been travelling this galaxy as long as I have you learn to identify people even by hairstyles. Just leave it down like that.  
Alana shrugged one shoulder:  
-Whatever you say.

================================

Emira Leeta stood with her lightsaber ignited, it's blue colour illuminating her face. Whoever or more precisely whatever had burned a hole through that wall hadn't been even near human. Emira turned her head slightly and shouted over her shoulder:  
-Hey, Felix, I've found something you may want to see.  
Her voice echoes through the underground tunnels and very soon a boy with dark hair and brown eyes appeared behind her. He was dressed in a Hapan guard uniform. He peered over Emira's shoulder but she quickly took the hint and stepped aside. Felix traced the burn mark slowly before getting out his datapad and recording the whole thing. Seeing how Emira's blue lightsaber was still ignited, Felix raised an eyebrow:  
-You do know we have torches.  
Emira shrugged and switched off her lightsaber, leaving only Felix's torch illuminating the dark tunnel's wall.   
-You didn't give me one.  
-Sorry 'bout that. Here.  
Emira nodded her thanks and flipped on her torch too. Being only half-Hapan she was nearly blind in the darkness but she could still barely make out shapes, she assumed Felix must be the same way otherwise it would be hopeless sending him down here. Hapans couldn't see in the dark after all. With both torches shining on the hole, Emira and Felix quickly noticed the scrape marks on either side. Emira crouched down and ran her hand over them: they were at least 1cm deep and there were 4 of them on each side. Emira turned her head to see the same grim expression reflected on Felix's face:  
-This was done by droids.   
Felix nodded:  
-Precisely what I was thinking. I'd say Mark 8 Assasin Carbo droids.  
While Felix continued to examine the scratch marks, Emira stepped back and while using the Force to float the torch in the air crossed her arm thoughtfully:  
-I don't get it. Why would someone want to kidnap Ayume?  
Felix didn't look away from the wall as he calmly stated:  
-Oh, lots of reasons. Political problems, ransom, trying to hurt the Representatives and so on. As you know the Representatives, Ayume's parents, are highly influential in Hapes's ruling court.  
Emira frowned and wrestled for control with her emotions:  
-Yes, but why Ayume?! She's a kid, she has nothing to do with this.   
-Exactly the point.  
-These guys make no sense! Okay, attacking the Representatives I'd get but kidnapping a little girl? That's just...that's just....  
Felix looked away with a crooked smile on his lips:  
-Insane? Twisted? Normal? Welcome to Hapes nobility, Jedi. That's how things work here.  
Emira didn't say anything and just shook her head. Who would do it? Sure, the event wasn't unthinkable but Emira's Jedi intuition told her that there was a bigger plan behind this whole thing. Felix sighed and stood up:  
-Well, I've written this down but we're going to get an analysis droid here anyways. Let's go back up.  
Wordlessly Emira nodded and followed him down the tunnel. Her mind just couldn't catch up with the events only a few days ago she had arrived here with Senator Valorum and then Bam! She's suddenly requested by the Leeta Representatives because their daughter, her little sister, had been kidnapped. The senator told her to go and that she had completed her mission for him so Emira of course agreed to help look for her. When she arrived at the estate she met Felix - the guy who was supposed to be swapping with another guard in protecting Ayume. She didn't meet the Representatives but she was briefed on the whole situation by Felix and Grell- the chief of security. She had descended into the tunnels with Felix and that brought them up to this point. As they reached the overhead opening Felix muttered:  
-This is all my fault. I should have gotten there sooner.  
-What's done is done. You can't change the past.  
Emira said calmly, her mind elsewhere. Suddenly her companion asked:  
-Hey, you're related to the Representatives too, right?  
Emira nodded:  
-Yep, I'm their daughter. Ayume's my little sister by 2 years.  
Felix stared, his normally cold brown eyes showing shock:  
-What?! But you're... And they didn't even...  
He trailed off. Emira shrugged and absentmindedly tightened her low ponytail:  
-It doesn't matter. I'm forbidden to have attachments as a Jedi and family is included. I know I'm their daughter and that's all. Overall contact is discouraged.  
She calmly stated before force leaping out of the hole, Felix followed her but he had to use less convenient methods. As soon as Emira got out of the tunnel her holo communicator vibrated. A second later a hologram of her Master,Ayla Lunas, appeared. She sighed:  
-Oh, Emira. I was getting worried. Why haven't you headed back to Coruscant yet?  
-Master, I have a slight situation on my hands here. Ayume, my little sister, has been kidnapped and I was asked to assist them in finding her. I hope that's okay?  
-That's fine. But do take care. I don't want to worry about you like Kai is about Alana.  
Emira immediately went on full alert at the mention of her best friend:  
-Alana?! Master, what's happened while I was gone?  
-Alana received a solo mission and well, the ship she was on blew up. We haven't heard from her though the clone commander says that she was with him a minute before the explosion. She and another guy. Kai's worried sick.  
Emira rubbed her head tiredly:  
-Great! Another person I care about has gone missing. This is just fabulous.  
Her Master looked at her sternly:  
-Emira.  
-Sorry, master. Contact me when you have news.  
-I will, take care of yourself. May the force be with you.  
The holo transmission ended and Emira put her communicator away. Looking up into the night sky she murmured:  
-May the Force be with us all. We're going to need it.

=========================================

Alana and Jayden made their way through the winding streets of the spaceport town. Jayden seemed to know where he was going so Alana just followed him. It was a bit weird for her: hiding who she was like this but she suspected she'd have to get used to it with all of the Separatist worlds she'd be visiting. As they walked Alana didn't forget to keep her eyes open for a shuttle port- she'd need to get off this moon somehow and this was the best idea. Alana shivered slightly, it was cool but not too cold. She'd need to get a cloak sometime soon. Suddenly Jayden turned a corner and upon rounding it herself Alana saw a decent sized freighter ship on the landing pad. Beside the open boarding ramp stood a blue twi'lek she seemed to be shouting something. Smiling brightly Jayden approached the twi'lek who, Alana guessed, was his friend. Alan did the same but kept a little behind Jayden. The twi'lek had dark blue skin with light blue parts on her lekku, she looked no older than Jayden and thankfully wore more or less normal clothing, by twi'lek standards that is. She was wearing a brown sleeveless vest that left her midriff bare and under which an orange chest protector was peeking out, on her lower half she wore brown shorts and boots, on her hip was a holster out of which an impressive blaster was peeking out. Her arms had two armband each one on her upper arm while the other bellow the elbow - both were half brown half orange, on her head she wore something like a decoration it fastened around her ear cones and was widest on her forehead. It was brown but had a white square in the middle in which an orange arrow tip pointing upwards was depicted. Her lekku was draped to one side and her forest green eyes reflected frustration.She was shouting:  
-Oh, for Ryloth's sake,Jarris! I told you that that crate goes in the first compartment while the other one goes in the flipping cargo hold!  
An angry jibber sounded in reply and the twi'lek sighed. Noticing that they had visit visitors the twi'lek turned to meet them.Upon seeing Jayden she frowned and her hands flew to her hips but Alana could see the playful look in her eyes. Sounding slightly exasperated she said:  
-Jayden Callen, what have you messed up this time?  
Jayden spread his hands in a innocent gesture:  
-I have no idea what you're talking about, Ayyshiri.  
-Mhm, I bet you my left lekku that something happened to the ship again.  
Jayden had the grace to look sheepish and the twi'lek called Ayyshiri laughed. Leaning a little to see past Jayden, Ayyshiri spotted Alana. She looked surprised:  
-Well hello, I haven't met you before. Who might you be?  
Jayden snapped back and grinning pulled a slightly hesitating Alana forward. He introduced them:  
-Ayyshiri-this is Alana Sheelan. Alana - this Ayyshiri Vrei, my friend who I pester when my ship malfunctions.  
Ayyshiri looked Alana over from head to toe and smiled as she extended her hand:  
-Nice to meet you, Master Jedi. Can't say I've met many.  
Jayden looked slightly surprised but Alana simply smiled and took Ayyshiri's hand, she sensed no danger or malicious intent from this girl just genuine curiosity:  
-Nice to meet a smuggler, from the look of things.  
Ayyshiri raised an eyebrow, impressed:  
-You've got a good eye. I might have taken you for a law person if you weren't with Jayden.  
Alana waved her statement off with a smile:  
-I'm not part of law enforcement, just a simple Jedi passing through.  
Suddenly an ewok came down the ramp and froze as soon as his eyes locked on Alana. He turned to Ayyshiri and jabbered something cautiously. Alana only caught a few word but he said  "What's a Jedi doing here?! They're bad news for our operations!" Or something close to that. Alana raised her hand in a sign of peace and stated:  
-Don't worry, I'm not here to arrest anyone.   
Jarris narrowed his eyes at her, not believing a word. Jayden whispered to Alana:  
-You understand what he's saying?  
Alana whispered back:  
-Sort of, I get the general gist.  
-I only get 2 or 3 words at a time so Ayyshiri's usually the translator.  
The ewok's dark eyes flickered between the two for a moment before something evidently clicked because he approached Alana and extended his paw to her. He said (at least to the best of Alana's rough translation):  
-You with reckless hunter friend. You - his friend, you-my friend.  
I-Jarris Yurik. Ayyshiri's co-pilot.  
Alana too the black furred ewok's paw and shook it, she spoke in her limited ewokese:  
-I'm Alana Sheelan. I am a Jedi,yes, but I didn't come here to arrest anyone- I promise. How did you notice?  
Jarris looked up at Alana from beneath his blue and white hat and said:  
-You smell like Force. Like field of connection.  
Surprised Alana spoke in basic:  
-You can smell it?  
Jayden who had had everything quietly translated by Ayyshiri also looked surprised. He crouched down to be on eye-level with the ewok and cautiously asked:  
-So you knew I had it to?  
Jarris nodded and stated:  
-Yes. Scent on you too. Faint but there.  
Ayyshiri who had translated it for Jayden looked confused. She held up her hands to stop the ongoing conversation:  
-Whoa,whoa,whoa cool your engines. This twi'leks confused: what in the universe is going on? What are you 3 talking about?  
Jayden simply stood up and smiled:  
-We've got a bit to catch up on,Ayyshiri. Let's all go take a quick break at the cantina.  
Ayyshiri pondered on the idea for a moment before nodding:  
-Fine, but no alcohol for you. Not on my watch.   
Jayden laughed:  
-Relax. I learned my lesson and that was accidental, once.  
Smiling Ayyshiri shook her head and Jarris released a sound that resembled a laugh. Only for some reason a certain Jedi was silent. She seemed out of it, her thoughts elsewhere. The previous trio started off towards the cantina when suddenly remembering Jayden and Ayyshiri turned back to the distracted girl. Jayden called out:  
-You coming, Alana?  
She quickly snapped back to the present and sent them a fleeting smile:  
-Don't worry about me: go on ahead, I'll catch up.   
Jayden looked at her strangely for a moment before saying:  
-Ok, but be careful.  
Alana raised an eyebrow:  
-I told you I'm 16, not 6. I think I can take care of myself. I don't need someone holding my hand everywhere.  
Jayden rolled his clear green eyes and turned around, raising a hand farewell, he called back:  
-Don't get lost, it'd be a pain to waste time looking for you.   
Alana rolled her eyes and retorted:  
-Yeah 'cause I don't have any sense of direction and apparently I can't speak basic,- under her breath she added,- Di'kut.  
Jayden called over his shoulder:  
-I heard that.  
Alana sarcastically replied:  
-Have fun with your friends,cya'ika.  
Jayden laughed:  
-You better join us soon,mesh'la. Ayyshiri's really gonna enjoy your sarcasm at my expense.  
Was all he said before running after the once again bickering duo. Alana let out a sigh: that guy.... She just didn't have the words to describe him. It was nice of him to worry (if it was that) but sometimes he could seriously get on her nerves, though she had a feeling that she got on his just as much. Deciding to get started on her little search and explore mission Alana went off down one of the main roads, never noticing a little stalker behind her.


	15. Our Minds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! Thanks for waiting- here's chapter 15. My third milestone- I can't believe it. This is probably my record number of chapters written for one book. The teachers are cracking down on us so I apologise for the sparse updates. Anyway a tiny notice : in the previous AN I said that this was supposed to be part 2 of 2. Well, now it's part 2 of 3. Yeah, the next chapter, although it's gonna be way shorter will be the continuation of the same day. So that's about it-enjoy!

Ayyshiri Vrei was usually a very patient person,really, but whenever a certain reckless Mandolorian with his ship (which Ayyshiri adored) was involved- she tended to be a little short on patience. They sat down in a shadowed corner of the cantina after ordering their respective drink from the  slightly worse for wear droid bartender. After they had settled down Ayyshiri instantly announced:  
-Okay, question time!  
Jayden took a sip of his cool drink and mumbled:  
-More like interrogation....  
Jarris snickered at that until his friend threw him a look and he hid his amusement behind his drink. Ayyshiri turned to Jayden who was oddly restless in her opinion:  
-Relax, she said she can take care of herself.  
Jayden shook his head slightly denying her statement and said:  
-It's not her, it's ...I'm probably just overreacting.  
Ayyshiri shrugged:  
-If you say so. Now down to business. What happened to your lovely ship?  
-Sometimes I feel that you like it more than me...  
-Well of course I do! It doesn't nearly get itself blown up every single time by itself and its a beauty.   
Ayyshiri got a dreamy look on her face and Jayden along with Jarris sighed. They both knew of Ayyshiri's ship obsession a little too well. Jayden tapped her on the shoulder to get her to focus.   
-Right. What happened to your ship?  
-Three words: Rodians and explosion.  
Ayyshiri looked alarmed:  
-Explosion?! Oh my stars, Jayden Callen what did you get yourself into this time?  
Jayden defended:  
-Hey the explosion wasn't my fault. The Rodians? Meh, so-so. The Rodians sabotaged my hyperdrive and the explosion took out my communications array. Alana fixed the later though and I repaired the hyperdrive for the time being but as usual I need your help to fix it properly. Will you help, please?  
Ayyshiri smiled:  
-Maybe. I will, if you explain something to me.  
-Sure, OK.  
Ayyshiri paused for a moment before looking up at Jayden calmly but with a glimmer of curiosity in her eyes:  
-Who is Alana Sheelan?  
Out of all the questions he had been expecting her to ask this was not one of them. Who was Alana? As Jayden tried to quickly formulate a more or less acceptable answer he realised that he couldn't. He truly didn't know who she was. Usually he was good at figuring out what exactly made people tick and who they were but for some reason he couldn't figure her out. Who was she, really? An enemy, an ally, a friend, a hero, a villain, a spy? He didn't know. Alana's laughing face flashed through the back of his mind. She looked like such a normal and simple person and yet she was incredibly complex. Jayden quietly confessed:  
-I don't know. I really have no idea who she is.  
Ayyshiri nodded, she had been expecting that answer. Jayden probably hadn't figured it out but he really didn't know who he was subconsciously trusting. This girl, Alana, she had made a deep impression on Ayyshiri. She held no malicious intent and yet she seemed unbalanced like a piece of her was missing and that worried the twi'lek. Jayden had never been a trusting person, not since he was 3 and therefore Ayyshiri, who thought of him as a dumb little brother that she had to look after, was stunned to see him unwittingly begin to trust someone he didn't truly know. Slowly Ayyshiri posed the next question:  
-Do you trust her?  
Jayden stared at her. Did she really just ask whether he trusted Alana or not? Of course he didn't - he had just met her, right? And yet why, why then did he feel like that was not true. Was it because of that strange Force bond. Once again Jayden WA spaced with the truth: he had begun to trust someone he barely knew - why? Why her? When Jayden looked utterly confused Ayyshiri sighed and asked her final question:  
-Do you want her to stay?  
-Huh?! What do you mean?  
-Exactly what I just asked. You do realise that girl has a life of her own and you just gave her lift so she's not exactly attached to you and yet you have already reached the stage where you worry about her. So? What's your answer?  
Jayden didn't have an answer so he merely shook his head. Ayyshiri sighed:  
-Forget I said anything. So how did you make that group of Rodians mad?  
As soon as Ayyshiri steered of the uncomfortable topic Jayden brightened up and his usual casual smile reappeared. He leaned back in his seat:  
-I may or may not have argued with their chief. With blasters.  
-So you mean you shot him?  
-After they stole my ship! And shot me.  
-Ok, that I can't condone. I love your ship, but I still love mine more.  
Jarris suddenly asked:  
-So is she a nice person?  
Jayden looked at the calm ewok in confusion:  
-Who?  
-Alana.  
-Why in the universe are both of you so interested in her?  
Ayyshiri shrugged:  
-She's just a bit strange that's all. We're curious. Isn't that natural when your best friend comes to pester you and brings a girl of all people with him?  
-You're acting like I'm normally antisocial!  
Jarris piped up:  
-Well, you kind of are.  
Jayden protested:  
-I am not! Ugh, why is it that every time I hang out with you too I end up with lower self-esteem... And tired.  
Ayyshiri smiled sweetly:  
-Well, someone has to bring you back to reality and it's been a long time since I've had time to poke fun at you like this. Since no else does.  
Jayden groaned:  
-I can tell you two will get along great...  
Ayyshiri looked at Jayden excitedly:  
-Oh, so she has spirit.  
-You have no idea. I don't think I've ever met a person who's so stubborn and passionate. And she's supposed to be a Jedi.  
Jarris took a sip of his drink and suggested:  
-A rebel maybe?  
Jayden nodded:  
-That's what I thought but she denies it.Although I guess she didn't say she wasn't outright.  
Ayyshiri looked fairly happy:  
-I'm liking this girl more and more by the sound of this. What are her distinct personality traits?  
Jayden shook his head:  
-Not gonna say. You should get to know her yourself. All I can say is that we seem to get on each other's nerves.  
-Well this should be interesting. I may have just found my new best friend.  
-Ugh, great. I get double the trouble if the two of you team up.  
-Yep.  
Confirmed Ayyshiri cheerfully. Jayden simply looked exasperated and Jarris began to snicker. Jayden cast a glare at the black furred ewok:  
-Oh be quiet, furball.  
Jarris countered Jayden's statement indignantly and the latter rolled his eyes:  
-Well, your head is shaped like a ball and you have fur, don't you? Therefore you are a furball.  
Jarris turned away from him huffing. Ayyshiri rolled her dark green eyes at the two's exchange - they were both so immature sometimes. She finished off her drink and stood up:  
-Well, shall we go then? I'd like to fix the Crimson Storm before it falls apart.  
-Hey, it's not that bad!  
-Yeah, that's what you always say. I swear one day you'll really break it.  
Retorted Ayyshiri walking out of the cantina with Jayden and Jarris following behind her. However just before he left the cantina Jayden felt as if someone was watching him and he cautiously turned around but there was no one. Shrugging he wrote it off as his imagination acting up but he never noticed three Rodians watching him intently.

============================

Alana wandered down the street looking around herself curiously. She had to keep her mind on her goal and that was to find a shuttle that could take her to Alderaan. The cold wind blew and Alana shivered slightly, goosebumps erupting on her skin: she really needed to get some long sleeved clothes. Come to think of it she really did need to get some different clothes - disguises, you know. Alana wondered why the Council had decided to give her, an inexperienced Jedi padawan, this assignment. Sure, she remembered the Masters saying that the Jedi were stretched thin already with the war but surely there were much more competent and experienced Jedi who could take on this task. Well, there was no use dwelling on the why now - they had given her that task and she would do her best to complete it. While thinking of the Masters Alana remembered with a start that she needed to call her own Master, he'd probably be worried sick with the ship blowing up and all. Alana glanced around for a more or less hidden place from prying eyes before she spotted a dark alleyway and went there. She didn't want to start a conflict by being discovered talking to a Jedi Master. Once she was out of view Alana got out her communicator and called the her Master. In a few seconds his hologram was standing before her along with Master Yoda's. Alana suddenly felt a little self-conscious but she bowed her head respectfully and greeted them:  
-Masters.  
Kai was the first to snap out his surprised trance:  
-Alana, thank the Force. Are you alright? Are you safe?  
-Yes,Master. I'm fine. I managed to escape the ship with a friend just before it blew up.  
Master Yoda smiled:  
-Good that is,hm. Rescue the people you did, a good job that was.  
-Thank you,Master Yoda. But Masters there's a few things you should know.  
Kai nodded:  
-We're listening.  
Alana took a deep breath before beginning to speak:  
-The Red Hand Syndicate wasn't the only enemy aboard the Atlantida, at least not for me: that Sith Lord was there. And he's very very powerful.  
Master Yoda looked serious as he said:  
-True then, my assumption is,-he faced Alana with a grave expression on his face,- Hunting you is he?  
Alana nodded:  
-Yes,Master. He said something that confused me, but I didn't let it get to me. He said that I was just a relic that wasn't supposed to exist and that he would finish what he had started. Whatever that means he's going to continue hunting me.  
Kai looked thoughtful:  
-Which will make your mission even more challenging.  
-Yes, but I'll manage.   
There was a pause before Kai said:  
-You look different.   
Alana felt slightly uncomfortable but gave the best excuse she could think of:  
-Yes, that's because the place I'm in right now doesn't exactly like Jedi so I'm hiding like this. I don't want to cause trouble.  
Master Yoda nodded his approval:  
-A wise decision that is. Too much bloodshed there already is.  
Alana bit her lip thoughtfully before saying slowly:  
-There is also one other thing. Aboard the Atlantida I encountered the leader of that section of the Red Hand Syndicate. He was a fallen Jedi - Kiznyd Jarkalis. He should be arrested now, right?  
-Yes, he is. But that's not the whole problem is it?  
-No,-agreed Alana,- while I was fighting him it happened again. The blue glow. Well, to be fair, it started a little after the ship was attacked but when I was fighting him - he nearly killed me. No, he was supposed to kill me if not for what happened.  
Alana was vividly remembering the moment when the Forcesaber had nearly sunken itself into her heart and that blue wall of solidified air had appeared. Both of the Masters where now looking at her hologram in total silence waiting for her to speak. Very quietly Alana continued:  
-When he was about to sink his weapon, the ancient Forcesaber, into my heart and I couldn't react fast enough suddenly that blue force glow brightened and it solidified the air in front of me, creating a shield. The thing is,Masters, I didn't do it. It was as if...as if the Force itself was protecting me. Preventing my death at his hand. I'm not normal, am I?  
Alana looked at both of the Masters with a desperate plea for explanation evident in her eyes. Kai slowly spoke:  
-Alana,we don't know any more than you do. When we found you on Aroko the Force was raging like a whirlwind around you. That was the first time your Force enhancing ability revealed itself. Alana,we believe all the answers to your questions lie in your past. But since you don't know yet that means you aren't yet ready. Alana, I know this is frustrating but have patience and faith in the Force. In time the answers will come to you.  
Alana closed her eyes, took a deep breath and exhaled before opening them again and smiling a small smile:  
-Thank you, Master. There's also one last thing.  
Master Yoda suddenly interrupted:  
-The Force bond you refer to,hm?  
Alana stared for a second before quickly recovering:  
-Um, yes. But Master how did you--  
-Sense your connection I do. Dangerous but strong it is.  
Kai turned to Yoda, confused:  
-Master, what do you mean?  
Alana decided to fill him in:  
-Master, the thing is a Force Bond has formed between another person and myself, I don't know how but it did. And,- Alana drew in a deep breath before continuing,- it's lethal.  
Both of the Jedi Masters were silent for a while. Master Yoda looked at Alana thoughtfully before asking:  
-Certain of that are you?  
Alana hesitated for a second before nodding her head in conformation:  
-During the attack, when there was fighting aboard the ship and he got wounded just above the heart - I felt the pain. It was so strong that it knocked me off my feet and we were on opposite ends of the ship at that moment. Also every time that our hands touch or if we have any skin contact there's something like a spark, a ripple in the Force. And somehow, in extremely dire moments - we have a telepathic connection. I...I don't know what to make of this.  
Kai looked concerned while Master Yoda looked deep in thought. Kai turned to Master Yoda:  
-Is there any way to sever this bond.  
The Grand Jedi Master shook his head:  
-No, there is not. The Force pull them together has. Intertwined their futures are. A powerful but dangerous connection this is. Bring great strength it can but also death. Be careful you should be,Padawan. Trust this person, do you?  
-With all due respect- how can I master? I barely know the guy.  
-And yet entrust your life to him you did,hm?  
Alana made a mental note to fortify her mental shields against Yoda. She definitely didn't need anyone poking around in her head: not her Master, not Yoda and definitely not the Sith. Suddenly Alana felt the Force jolt within her, someone was approaching and it wasn't good. Alana quickly turned back to the hologram and urgently whispered:  
-I'm sorry, Masters but I need to go. I'll be fine - I promise. Goodbye.  
Alana cut off the transmission just as whoever it was cornered her. Alana turned around while carefully sliding her communicator back into its appropriate belt pouch. She was faced with three men, who looked slightly drunk. Alana swept her eyes over the duros, the twi'lek and the human assessing them. The human slurred:  
-Well,well,well what have we here? Why are you hiding little girl? Talking to someone you shouldn't be?  
Alana calmly crossed her arms and looked at the three men. They could be trouble. It's not that she couldn't take them but in this intoxicated state they could attract a lot of attention. In a steady voice she said:  
-I don't want any trouble.  
The twi'lek laughed and replied in an accented basic:  
-We don't like Jedi here. Anyone who's communicating with the Jedi is one. You're in trouble little girl.  
Alana sighed:  
-Is there no way to convince you to leave peacefully and not mention this to anyone?  
The duros man defiantly shook his head and the other two grinned at her. The human put in:  
-We might be willing to forget this if you help us out a bit. There's a few blokes here that we'd like to eat dirt and your pretty lightsabers could help us out with that.  
-I'm not a hired killer.   
-Well, too bad then. Your little secret will get out and do you know how many people will be after you? You'd have to kill half the damn population here just to get away. What's a few blokes more? You owe us.  
This was getting worse by the minute. Alana didn't want to attract attention but with her cover in front of these three men already blown (not that there had been much of one) what else could she lose?   
-I think not.   
Hoping that this worked on them Alana waved her hand to influence the men's minds:  
-You're drunk, you will go home and sober up and you will forget everything you saw and heard. There are no Jedi here, you never saw anyone.You will also find a compromise with the men you were fighting against-peacefully.  
The glassy eyed men obediently repeated:  
-We're drunk, we will go home and sober up and we will forget everything we saw and heard. There are no Jedi here, we never saw anyone.We will find a compromise with the men we were fighting against-peacefully.  
With that said they scampered off and Alana breathed a sigh of relief. That was dealt with. She really had to work better on mind influence, that power was one of her weakest spots. Unexpectedly a voice of an old man sounded behind her:  
-Word of advice, young one, don't use your powers here.  
Alana turned to see an old man in a hood and a brown cloak standing at the corner of the entry to the alleyway. Alana walked out of it and regarded the man cautiously. She sensed that Force was strong around him but it was different from hers. While her's was like a whirlwind his was like the calm waves lapping at the shore. The man had a tan complexion,a medium length white beard, however his eyes and the top half of his face was obscured by the surprisingly dense shadow the hood cast, to Alana's surprise out of the folds of his cloak glinted the silver hilt of a lightsaber. Alana stared up at the man in surprise and mumbled:  
-You're a Jedi...  
The elderly man shook his head:  
-I'm just a simple wanderer, just like you...,- he looked Alana over,- just like you.  
Alana caught on quickly. He didn't want to be found out, so the disguise as a simple spacer was a good idea. Alana decided to play along:  
-Well, "Mr.Wanderer" would you mind telling me how exactly you found me and who sent you?  
-Perhaps but we should go somewhere where we won't be overheard. Any ideas, young one?  
Alana thought for a moment before she got an idea:  
-The cantina!  
The elderly Jedi smiled:  
-My thoughts precisely.  
=================================  
-So that's what happened. No wonder the hyperdrive is so messed up- the sabotage coupled with a blast of that magnitude would normally shred it to pieces.  
Ayyshiri crowned as she worked on the hyperdrive. Jayden who was checking up on the life support systems in the next room replied:  
-I managed to activate the shields to minimise the damage. I'm more glad that I'm alive actually.  
Ayyshiri smiled even though he couldn't see her:  
-Bet that was quite a day.  
-Tell me about it. It's good that she had my back.  
-It was odd of you to rely on her that easily and moreover tell her about that part of your past.  
Jayden shrugged as he wrestled with a particularly stubborn panel:  
-I didn't want them to turn her against me. I'm not sure I'd win.  
Ayyshiri grinned:  
-You hate losing that much,huh? Why'd you run away that night on the Senate building?  
-It's like I said: if the two of us were to continue fighting one of us may very well seriously injure each other.  
Ayyshiri inquired confusedly:  
-But not kill?  
Jayden shook his head and finally shut the panel:  
-We're way too evenly matched for that. Besides I had no reason to kill nor do I have.  
Ayyshiri finished fixing the coupling and teased:  
-Always the noble one.  
-Hey, at least I have a set of morals. Unlike some people.  
Ayyshiri hoisted herself out of the lower ship and retorted:  
-I'm not a human- I'm a twi'lek. By the way your hyperdrive's fixed.  
Jayden nodded his thanks as Ayyshiri came into the room. He was finishing checking the parameters on the oxygen control when she asked:  
-So where's Alana?  
-I don't know. I was with you the whole time, remember?  
-Yes, but can't you contact her or something.  
-Nope.  
Jayden said calmly as he pressed the "set" button. Suddenly Jarris rushed into the room and started jabbering something urgently and pointing towards the cockpit. Ayyshiri held out her gloved hand to stop him:  
-Calm down, I don't understand you. Is something wrong with the navicomputer?  
Jarris took a deep breath and shook his head. He repeated the same phrase he had been but slower. Ayyshiri's dark green eyes widened as she translated for Jayden:  
-He says that there's a very strange object in the cockpit. He said that when he touched it started glowing and the shocked him.  
Jarris added something and Ayyshiri translated:  
-With lightning before shoving him across the room.  
Jayden blinked incomprehensibly. An object that had shocked Jarris with lightning and then flung him across the room? What kind of crazy defence mechanism was that?! The Mandolorian bounty hunter was fairly sure he didn't have anything like that. Exchanging puzzled looks Ayyshiri and Jayden followed the ruffled up black furred ewok into the cockpit. As soon as they were there he said something which Ayyshiri didn't bother translating and pointed at the holoreader. Jayden and Ayyshiri were fairly surprised by what they saw. In the stasis field hovered a small dark green-blue crystal,it was giving off a faint glow. Ayyshiri looked at it in confusion:  
-A crystal?  
Jayden furrowed his brows, deep in though before he said slowly:  
-No, I may be wrong but I think this is a kyber memory crystal.  
Ayyshiri ignored Jayden's words and instead reached out to touch the crystal. Before Jayden could warn her against it Ayyshiri's fingertips touched the surface of the crystal. Unexpectedly a zap of lightning shot out of it and up the twi'leks blue arm before an invisible force flung her across the room. Thankfully though she managed to protect her lekku and her shoulder took the full brunt of the hit. Slowly sitting up the twi'lek groaned:  
-Ow, that hurt. Guys, don't touch it. It's cursed. Oh and I'm fine.  
Jayden rolled his eyes but went over to pull her up. As he did, Jayden remarked:  
-Maybe you should stick to mechanics and leave stuff like this to me. Like I said before, this is most probably a kyber memory crystal. They're highly secure crystals that only Jedi who are keyed to them can unlock - it's a very secure way to store information.  
Ayyshiri looked at the seemingly innocuous crystal floating in the stasis field. She cast a glance at Jayden:  
-So is this Alana's?  
Jayden nodded:  
-It must be. I've only seen them once as a child, but I'm pretty sure this is one. And since I have no way to get one and it appeared only today- this must be Alana's. It could be that this contains the destination she was going to for her mission.  
Ayyshiri and Jarris exchanged confused looks - they had no clue what Jayden was talking about. Jayden suddenly had an idea, it was risky but he had to check. He reached his hand out towards the apparently harmless crystal and was about to touch it when Ayyshiri grabbed his arm and glared at him:  
-Are you insane?! You know what will happen to you!  
Jayden smiled:  
-Don't worry - I have an idea.  
Ayyshiri still didn't let go of him. Suddenly Jayden's breath caught in his throat - for some reason his vision grew dark and he heard a voice "Unlock it, boy. Unlock it so I may find her". The voice was so compelling and no matter how much Jayden tried to resist it he couldn't. Ayyshiri tugged at his shoulder, unaware:  
-Jayden, that crystal will hurt you!  
He turned to her and when their eyes met she tensed with fear.Jayden's normally clear green eyes looked distant and somehow nearly vacant at that moment - so much that it scared Ayyshiri. He shrugged off her hand:  
-It might but it might not. My instincts tell me that I have to do this. A voice is telling me to touch it. It's a force artefact.  
Ayyshiri stepped back. Something was not right here, even with Jayden's reckless schemes this was beyond that. What scared her was the emptiness in his eyes. She stumbled back a bit:  
-Jayden, snap out of it. If you want to touch it go ahead but do it of your own free will! I'm no Force expert but even I can see that this isn't you! Snap out of it! I'm your friend, listen to me!  
The vacant green eyes locked with Ayyshiri's dark forest coloured ones. She looked so determined and yet so scared, behind her Jarris was shaking for some reason. The force adept ewok could sense it - the dark presence. Suddenly Jayden grabbed his head and crouched down groaning. Through gritted teeth Ayyshiri heard him squeeze out "Get out of my head, I won't help you!". His face was scrunched up and it looked as though he was fighting a battle in his own mind. And he was. The dark presence stood there in his mind, hidden by the shadows. No, it was the shadow themselves. In his own head Jayden glared at it:  
-Get out of my mind!  How are you even in here?!  
The shadowy shape laughed a cold, dry laugh:  
-How? Why, it's fairly simple ,my boy! Though I will admit your walls are impressive - it took me a while to chisel through. But you know what it made it easier: you were willing to help me invade your own mind.  
-I would never!  
The shadowy figure looked around slowly:  
-Never say never. You are untrained in the Force but you can perceive it and even control it to a degree - how interesting. You walk in the light and yet you have such darkness. Yes, I can sense it - it's powerful. There is much darkness within you.Ah, I see. You fight with it constantly and somehow the light often triumphs.  
Jayden's head felt like it was about to split open. The shadow was invading his whole consciousness, looking over every crack and crevice. It continued:  
-But where is the source of that darkness? Ah, the past - you try to hide it and yet it still stalks you. You are weak. Tell me where is she?  
-Agh, stop! Get out of my head!  
Jayden shouted out loud. Ayyshiri and Jarris just looked at the boy on his knees clutching his head in concern and fear. After all what could they do? The shadow looked around, it was searching for something:  
-And yet what is this? There is something attached to you. A bond?   
Suddenly the shadow groaned in pain. Jayden, doubled over with pain could barely lift his head to see a reflection of himself shaking hands with the one that force presence which had saved him last time belonged to. Alana. Jayden knew that the shadow had somehow stumbled upon their bond in his mind and since it had Alana's light presence attached to it it hurt it. Jayden felt the pain only intensify as the shadow struggled - he was going to go insane if this continued much longer. An image of and old woman flitted through his minds eye, followed by a younger woman with long dark hair and a smile, after which it was replaced by Seila, Ayyshiri, Heims and unexpectedly Alana. Jayden took a deep breath and finally admitted something to himself in his now shadow ridden mind - he needed to trust them. Even if it was just for a moment. They all brought out the light in him. Struggling through the pain Jayden called upon this bond and with its help made one final attempt to purge the shadow, the Sith Lord, from his mind. He summoned up all his mental light energy and used the bond. It worked. Jayden managed to open his eyes but a sense of vertigo instantly overcame him and he collapsed down onto the floor. His breathing was rapid and his head was still hurting slightly but the worst was over. Ayyshiri and Jarris instantly rushed over. Jayden slowly struggled into a sitting position with two pairs of extremely concerned eyes watching him:  
-I...I'm fine. I can do this.  
Ayyshiri firmly shook her head:  
-No way. I don't care what you want to do - you're not doing it.Not after what I just saw. You are getting some rest first. What was that?  
Jayden coughed:  
-It's all part of the job. You run across one or two people who can manipulate the Force and they control your mind. Occupational hazard, you know.  
Ayyshiri sighed and pull his arm over her shoulder. He stood up shakily and she guided him towards the pilots seat, when they were near enough she set him down. Jayden leaned back and closed his eyes. He wanted to stay awake, damn it! But sleep was already claiming him. The last thing he heard  before he fell into the calm abyss was the dim sound of Ayyshiri giving instructions to Jarris and setting about work herself.

========================================

Alana glanced around the cantina, her eyes searching for any familiar faces. There were none. So, they had already left. They must be at Jayden's ship then. Well, no matter she needed to go back there to retrieve the memory crystal she had accidentally forgotten and to thank Jayden for taking her this far. The old man noticed her looking around and asked:  
-Looking for someone?  
Alana turned back and gave him a small smile:  
-A friend. He must have left already. So anyway, what did you want to tell me?  
The old man looked at her with a strange expression:  
-Be careful. Young Jedi, are you aware of the Jedi code?  
Alana looked at him in confusion:  
-Yes, of course I am.  
The old man who hadn't taken off his hood quietly asked:  
-Recite it for me. My memory seems to have gotten a bit rusty.  
Alana didn't believe that one bit but she did as she was asked:  
-There is no emotion, there is peace,  
There is no ignorance, there is knowledge,  
There is no passion,there is serenity,  
There is no chaos, there is harmony,  
There is no death, there is the Force.  
As soon as finished Alana looked at the old man who hadn't moved a bit. He kept his hands locked together, his hood obscured the top half of his face and his lips were set in a straight line. He nodded ever so slightly:  
-Good, so you are aware of it. And do you agree with it?  
Alana's face betrayed her confusion and shock. Did she agree with it? No, not completely was the true answer but wouldn't that seem strange and wrong? However Alana despised lying and avoided it whenever she could.  
-No, not completely.  
The corners of the old mans mouth twitched at her statement. Alana waited for him to explain why he had asked her this but the old man merely remained silent. After a while he spoke again:  
-And do you believe and trust the Jedi, young one?  
-Of course, I do!  
-And are the Jedi always right in what they do? Always?  
Alana paused, somewhere in the depths of her amnesiac mind something was stirring but what she didn't know. Slowly and cautiously Alana replied:  
-No, I suppose they can't be. They make mistakes too. And especially now that we've been dragged into the war.  
-Ah, and what do you define as a mistake, young Jedi?  
Alana glared at the man frustrated:  
-What do you mean? Why do you keep asking me these questions?  
The old man help up a hand:  
-Patience, young one. That is an important part of being a Jedi is it not?  
-Yes...  
-Good. Now, who are you fighting in this war?  
Alana who still was a bit frustrated answered firmly:  
-The separatists.  
-Ah, but since when did Jedi wage a war with droids, pray tell?  
Alana took a deep breath and reached out into the Force to steady herself:  
-What do you mean?  
-I mean are the mechanical menaces of the Separatists what you fight the war against? Or is it someone else?  
There was a moment of silence until Alana's eyes flew wide open with realisation. Shocked, she murmured:  
-The Sith. We fight the war against the Sith.  
The old man released a sound that resembled a laugh:  
-Yes, now you remember. It's fascinating how easily a Jedi looses sight of that. Of what's important. They believe that one should only follow the path of light, but they forget that too much light can blind a person to reality.  
Alana raised an eyebrow:  
-Are you implying that the Sith are correct? That the atrocities they committed are alright? That the loss of innocent life can be condoned?!  
-Ah, the Sith. Tell me, what exactly do you know about the Sith? What are the Sith?  
Alana crossed her arms:  
-They are malevolent and dark. They serve the dark side and the lives of others are expandable to them. They will do anything to win. They hate the Jedi. They are ruthless killers, apprentices do their master bidding without question like mindless soldiers. They are a threat to the Galaxy - that's what the Sith are.  
The old man sighed:  
-And I hoped that you would retain your sight. Have you already been brainwashed into believing the stereotype of the Sith? Tell me: what is the Sith Code?  
Alana looked at the elderly man with a mix of emotions, emotions she was supposed to keep a lid on:  
-How would I know? I mean no disrespect but all these questions are confusing me. No one but a Sith can know the Sith code.  
-You say you don't know it, but you do. You know it but you hide that.   
-I really don't! Maybe I did once but I lost all of my memories 6 years ago!  
The old man ignored her stubborn statement:  
-You do know. Dig deep into the far reaches of your mind - you can recall it.  
Alana sighed in exasperation- was this man even listening to her?! She didn't want to be rude but he wouldn't listen to her. Even so she did ask he asked, just to humour him. Suddenly words started tumbling from her lips, words she wasn't aware she knew:  
-Peace is a lie, there is only passion,  
Through passion I gain strength,  
Through strength I gain power,  
Through power I gain victory,  
Through victory my chains are broken,  
The force shall set me free.  
Alana clapped her hands over her mouth. Okay, there was only so much weirdness she could handle and this was beginning to exceed the limits. First the Sith, then the glow, then the lightsaber, then the bond and now this?! Yeah, she was creeped out. What normal being wouldn't be? You suddenly find out you know the code of your enemy and that's normal? Nope, that is anything but normal. Slowly lowering her hands from her mouth Alana asked:  
-How... How did I know that? And how did you know that I did?  
The old mans lips merely curled up into a smile. Just who was he? Without answering her question once again the old man spoke:  
-You believe that the Sith are soldiers of evil? You are wrong. The Sith, much like the Jedi, is a belief. The ones that follow it are the ones you face. But now, much like the Jedi, the Sith are blinded for they walk only in the dark. Tell me, now that you have recited both codes - what is the link between them?  
Alana thought for a moment, her brain analysing both codes before she said:  
-The Force. But if both sides are blind, as you say, who is correct? Who follows the path that was intended for us? For those who can use the Force.  
The old man was quiet for a minute before replying:  
-You see there is no answer to your question. Both are indeed blind and both oppose each other. Do you know why the Sith and the Jedi have never been fully able to kill each other off? Apart from the fact that more Force-sensitives are born.  
When Alana shook her head he continued:  
-Because of their blindness. How can two blind men effectively kill each other off? Both seek perfection, both seek to understand the Force, to know it. But how can you when you only know the light or only the dark? Tell me, Alana, who understands the Force?  
By this point it all had finally clicked in Alana's mind. As she quietly answered she felt something once again stir in the deep recesses of her mind:  
-The ones who have walked on both sides or walk in between.  
The old man nodded, seemingly pleased with her response:  
-Yes. But very few take that path. Most choose to either be a Sith or a Jedi. Those people who have been both are the strongest and yet the most vulnerable. In a way it is a paradox but they have the complete mastery of the Force. Does that answer your question?  
Alana mutely nodded, the truth slowly sinking into her mind. Unexpectedly she asked:  
-Are you one of them? The people who know both the light and the dark?  
The old man laughed:  
-Now, what makes you say that?  
-It seems to me that you have the mindset of neither a Sith or a Jedi. Your views on both sides would seem very controversial to most. So tell me, do you have the full mastery of the Force?  
The old man shook his head, a smile playing upon his lips:  
-Oh no, I'm far from being able to understand the Force completely. But as you said I'm not exactly a Jedi nor am I a Sith. Though I would say I tend to lean towards the light.  
Alana leaned her head to the side questioningly:  
-Then what are you?  
-I am something that the order although accepts doesn't publicly acknowledge: a Grey Jedi. I presume you've never heard of us before ,have you?  
-No, no one ever told me.  
The old man sighed:  
-How predictable. And I though your Master may be different, given how unorthodox his teaching methods are. He's quite an original character himself.  
Alana eyed the man warily. He posed no threat as far as she could tell but the way he knew things about her, things she didn't know herself, unnerved her:  
-Just who are you? And how do you know so much about me?  
The old man smiled and even though Alana couldn't see his eyes she knew it was sincere:  
-Now is not the time for you to know, young one,- he raised his left hand with the palm facing Alana,- Sleep.  
Alana's eyelids instantly became heavy and no matter how much she struggled sleep tugged at her. As she placed her head down on her arms she heard the old man whisper:  
-Sleep and at the end of the tough journey that lies ahead of you, you shall know what you are.  
Before her eyes closed and everything faded to black.


	16. The droid and leaving with a bang!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, guys! Chapter 16 and me here! Lame, I know. School is torture but I managed to get this done somehow. So my lovely characters are leaving Alderaan's nameless moon for a new planet - all I can say is finally! I also introduce a new character here- he's gonna be quite the major player hope you like him. I am going to have so much fun writing Jayden and his interactions! Also I thought I'd add a fun fact about Jayden's twi'lek friend - Ayyshiri Vrei since we won't be seeing her for a long time. Ayyshiri Vrei when translated from Ryl means the fortunate one who sing to the stars - I thought it fit her when I assembled it. That's about it- Enjoy!

Chapter 16 - The droid and leaving with a bang!

Jayden slowly opened his eyes and instantly winced as a jolt of pain shot through his head. Memories of what had transpired prior to him falling asleep came flooding back. Jayden's mind felt weak, his walls were broken as if a dozen proton torpedoes had been fired through them. So this is what it felt to have your mind invaded by a Sith Lord? Jayden had to say he didn't like it much. Screwing up his eyes in effort Jayden slowly threw up his mental walls again, they were shaky and weaker than usual but they would hold until he got his mental strength back. There was one place Jayden never wanted people to go and that was his head. He had trained since he was a child to block his mind and to build these walls, to protect himself in this way at least. After all the worst pain and the worst torture that could be inflicted was not physical, oh no, it was mental and psychological. Choosing to steer away from such dark thoughts Jayden looked around: Ayyshiri and Jarris ,by the sound of things, were in the back finishing up and he was in the cockpit alone. There was no sign of a certain Jedi. Following that train of though Jayden's eyes locked on the floating blue-green kyber memory crystal. It hypnotised him in a way. He didn't even notice Ayyshiri come in. Slowly, against his better judgment and following his instincts, Jayden stood up and reached out to touch the faintly glowing crystal. He could feel a warm and light presence ,that he quickly recognised as Alana's, emanating from it. He ignored Ayyshiri's startled warning not to touch it and just followed his feelings- that strange inner voice that he had always had with him. Jayden had the suspicion that the kyber crystal would open for him - why? He wasn't sure. Jarris who had also returned to the cockpit at this point looked at Jayden in alarm. But even though he was following his feelings Jayden tensed up when his fingertips brushed the cool surface of the crystal. However, contrary to all their expectations, the defence mechanism didn't activate. The crystal vibrated and suddenly a holographic map of the Galaxy was displayed. A few systems on the map were blinking red. Jayden and Ayyshiri along with her co-pilot stared at the map in awe. Jayden's theory had worked : his bond with Alana and the crystals presence on his ship allowed him to access it. His eyes followed the path along the systems, the same exact path Alana had traced very early that same day. He instantly understood what all this meant. It all clicked: Alana being spaced out, walking off alone and not arriving back yet as well as her vagueness about her plans and mission. She was planning on leaving to Alderaan and going to all those separatist planets - alone! A Jedi of all people! Was she an idiot or something?! She knew next to nothing of disguising, not to mention lying convincingly enough and planting false evidence and so on. She would end up dead if not worse - captured! Jayden was neutral and had no stake in this war but even he, deep down, didn't want the tyrannical and restrictive rule of the separatists (it would really hinder his lifestyle) - and at this point even one person made all the difference. Jayden burst out frustratedly:  
-That idiot! She's going to get herself killed! Going in alone in suicide!  
Suddenly somewhere in the back of his mind the words Alana had spoken on the first night they met, atop the senate building, rang out - "Don't you know that what you're doing is suicide?!". She had stopped them, even if it was unintentionally, from committing that mistake- she had deterred them from that act. And Jayden understood that. A fact was a fact and now it was his turn to open her eyes before she made a very dumb mistake. He finally had his answer. Perhaps the two of them could help each other out. He had made up his mind - he was going to get that stubborn idiot to see sense and if she would accept to be part of his team, his crew. But for any of that to happen he had to catch her first. And why exactly did he have this nagging feeling that she was in trouble or she was about to get into it? Ayyshiri and Jarris were waiting patiently for Jayden to explain but when he turned around with that determined look in his eyes, the twi'lek sighed in defeat:  
-Why do I feel you've got another crazy idea in mind?  
Jayden's mouth curled up into his usual slightly cocky smile:  
-That's probably because I do.  
A moment later,however, that smile was replaced by an urgent and serious expression:  
-I have to find her.  
Ayyshiri nodded and stretched her hand out to Jarris who handed her something:  
-Somehow I figured as much. You better hurry but first take this.  
Ayyshiri held out a dark brown belt, with quite a few pouches but the thing that made it stand out were the two cylindrical carriers on either side, too small for a blaster or a grenade but just the right size for a certain somebody's Jedi weapons. This would perfectly disguise them and hide their true nature. Jayden took it from Ayyshiri and nodded. Ayyshiri instructed him:  
-Give this to Alana, walking around with her lightsabers out is a stupid idea. The carriers have biolocks on them - meaning that they'll only open for her and her force signature - so the weapons can be easily drawn with Force Pull, I think. Also I upgraded the typical standard Jedi equipment so the equipment here should at least closely resemble yours. Oh and the comlinks are on a double encrypted channel so no hijacks should be possible- I linked it to yours.  
Jayden stared at Ayyshiri in awe:  
-When in the universe did you have time to do this?  
Ayyshiri shrugged and smiled at Jarris:  
-Jarris and I have been working on the prototypes for a while now and we decided they were good enough for a field run. And why not help a girl out? Oh and we finished repairing the ship while you were asleep.  
Jayden smiled:  
-Thanks,guys.  
Ayyshiri grinned and made a shooing motion with her gloved hand:  
-Go!   
Jayden nodded and took off running down one of the main roads. As they watched him disappear Jarris asked something to which Ayyshiri responded with a confident smile:  
-Oh, we'll know when they leave, alright. Just listen for the biggest amount of commotion and blaster fire - that's them.  
Jarris laughed but nodded. They both knew that no matter what Jayden may want he always made a grand exit.

============================

Alana woke with a start, everything felt unbalanced to her- off. She glanced around in alarm before her memory caught up to her and filled in the blanks. A white plated waiter droid trotted up to her:  
-Good, you've woken up. It as against my programming to wake clients but since we are going dark soon, I must politely request you to leave. We are closing up after all- since our manager,the master, cannot see well in the dark.  
Alana looked at the droid in confusion:  
-Going dark?  
-Why, yes! We are approaching the time when this moon goes behind the planet and we are bathed in darkness. It is quite dangerous time to be out and about that's why I am programmed to advise clients to go home.  
Alana nodded her thanks and stood up. She better get a move on if that was so - she really didn't know much about the galaxy. Suddenly remembering the elderly man she turned to the droid once again:  
-Excuse me but I came here with an old man. Do you know where he went?  
-Apologies but I am afraid I don't know. Have a good day.  
Answered the droid and continued making his rounds and asking the other patrons to leave. Alana bit her lip thoughtfully: where did he go? A nearby purple-skinned twi'lek supplied in accented basic:  
-You really should get more sleep, kid.  
Alana turned to her in surprise:  
-What do you mean?  
The twi'lek finished off her drink and stood up saying:  
-You came here alone, kid. And then you fell straight asleep.  
Alana's eyes widened in shock:  
-Are you sure? But that's impossible- I came here with a man and we talked.  
The female twi'lek shrugged and after putting down a fewcredits on the table, indifferently stated:  
-Hey, I'm just telling you what I saw. But you really should get some sleep,kid, you look exhausted.  
Alana smiled at her and thanked for the information and her concern before leaving the now much less crowded cantina. As soon as she stepped outside she saw what the droid had been talking about. Alderaan had begun to obscure the sun and the spaceport of Kol Vass was bathed in a purplish-red light. The normally bleak grey buildings looked as though they had been shoddily dyed in that colour while the attached brightly glowing neon signs greatly stood out. Alana also noted,uncomfortably, that it was even colder than usual. And yet, even though she had noticed all this the young female Jedi was in a confused daze: had there really been no old man? No, that was simply out of the question his words were still echoing in the back of her mind and moreover she remembered the unnerving Sith Code. Alana was 100 percent certain that she hadn't been hallucinating so why couldn't anyone else see him? She scanned the area for his Force signature but it was as though he had never existed. What was going on?! Lately it had just been one weird thing after another and Alana didn't like it one bit. Sighing, Alana looked up from her feet and with a start realised she had wandered off to who knows where. Alana muttered under her breath exasperatedly:  
-Great, just great...  
She looked around for any clues as to where she was but since this was also her first time in Kol Vass spaceport nothing was of any help. The streets were lined with floating lamps which shed some light on the rapidly darkening landscape. Suddenly as Alana walked down the street she heard a commotion and shouting coming from the nearby plaza. A voice shouting. A mans voice? Unexpectedly an odd droid came rolling out of nowhere and quickly hid behind Alana, with such speed that Alana didn't even get a good look at the little guy. A large beefy yellow-skilled man came running after the droid wielding a large wrench:  
-Get back here, you little rust bucket!  
The droid whistled nervously behind her. Alana glanced over her shoulder at the droid dubiously before looking back at the enraged man. Sighing inwardly, Alana crossed her arms and looked at the man inquiringly:  
\- Can I help you?  
The man glanced down at Alana and deflated a bit but still continued glaring at the droid behind her. Sure, the kid looked like he could easily snap her like a twig but there was something about her that made him hesitate. Something that wasn't exactly typical. The man mirrored Alana and crossed his large arms but not forgetting to flick the large iron wrench back and forth. He boomed:  
-Yeah. Is that rust bucket your droid,missy?  
Alana kicked herself for getting involved in her head but outwardly calmly said:  
-And what if he is?  
-Well, missy, that droid of yours stole a processor from me that's worth 150 credits! And I --  
Alana cooly cut across the man:  
-If I pay for it will you consider this matter closed?  
The man looked surprised but nodded, scratching his head:  
-Uh, yeah. I suppose.  
Alana flashed him a smile and held out the required number of credits:  
-Here you go.  
The man beamed and waved goodbye happily calling back:  
-Well, thanks, missy. Glad to see some of the current youth have manners. You take care of yourself.  
Alana smiled and waved back. As soon as the yellow-skinned man had disappeared behind the corner Alana took on a stern expression and turned around to glare at the droid. She crossed her arms and masked her surprise at the sight of him. The droid wasn't like one she had ever seen before: it looked like a mix of a T, an R and some other unit. The bottom of his silver head was like one of a T unit with a large blue "eye" while the top half of it was like one of a R unit with dark blue markings and such. He had four "legs" the front two of which were of a silver T unit while the back were black and small of who-knows-what unit. From the top of his head two grey antennas protruded,one longer than the other. His body also looked like an odd mix: it largely resembled one of an R unit but the way it was slightly more rectangular and slanted hinted at that of a T unit, Alana noticed that the silver plating was scratched and scorched in some places indicating that the odd droid had seen action. The part that connected the droids head to his body was wider and more cone like than most, it was made of a sturdy looking dark dark grey metal. All in all the droid looked like a crazy hybrid of some sort and yet there was something very cute about him. Alana crouched down and glared at the droid but her eyes showed no anger:  
-Do you know what you've done.  
The droid whistled a sheepish apology and tilted his head in what Alana could only describe as an apologetic manner. She sighed and asked:  
-And who might you be?  
The droid beeped out a reply to which Alana rolled her eyes:  
-I can see that you're a droid. But don't you have a name?  
The droid whistled a short reply and Alana looked at him curiously:  
-TK-26. Where's your Master?  
The droid warbled out a defiant reply and Alana giggled, which she rarely did:  
-An independent droid? You certainly act like one. I've never come across a TK model before: what's your designation?  
The droid slowly answered and Alana raised an eyebrow at that:  
-So you're astromech with other functions as well? That's crazy.  
TK turned his head away before whistling something about humans. Alana decided to change the subject:  
-So why'd you steal that processor?  
TK gave her a firm reply and Alana translated:  
-You needed it for one of your main functions? Alright,alright- I won't pry.  
Alana looked at TK and he slowly surveyed her. She seemed nice enough and since he did sort of owe her. After all he wasn't sure he could repair himself if he was scrapped into a thousand tiny pieces. She also reminded the little droid of someone he knew long, long ago - she didn't look too much like that person exactly and that person must have been long dead by now but there was something similar between them: their appearance had slight similarities but what made the two alike most was their personality. TK stopped thinking about that, his processors were starting to get overheated. Alana looked at the odd droid: the scratches and scorches on his grey plating were even more pronounced under the faint lamp light that floated overhead. He had character - a trait Alana admired in droids since so many were too often memory wiped to retain them. Even though she understood it's effectiveness Alana disliked memory wipes - in her minds droids were almost like humans, friends. Maybe that's why, despite being annoyed by J2's irresponsible personality , Alana was always adamantly against giving the idiotic astromech a memory wipe. TK-26, or TK as she had decided to address him, intrigued the Jedi - she had never met a droid that acted much less looked exactly like him. Whoever had created him must have been a pretty interesting person. Standing up because her legs were starting to fall asleep, Alana asked the droid:  
-So,TK, where are you headed now that you're not about to be scrapped?  
The astromech was silent for a minute before responding with a low whistle. Alana looked confused:  
-What do you "I don't know"? You were out here for some reason.  
TK whistled something defiantly and began rolling away from Alana before suddenly turning around and beeping out a query. Alana's eyes widened in surprise:  
-Ok, let me get this straight: You want to come with me?  
TK whistled an affirmative and Alana looked at him sceptically:  
-Why?  
The droid beeped out something about it being fun and he had nothing else to do. Alana felt a smile tug at her lips: this droid... He was an odd one. Alana asked him mock gravely, her midnight blue eyes shinning with amusement:  
-Are you sure? I mean I am a Jedi with a dangerous mission.  
If TK had been been human or even near human he would have snorted, instead he just stated slightly sarcastically that staying on this rock was so safe with horde of angry shopkeepers after him. Alana laughed and inquired, her eyes sparkling with laughter:  
-Did you manage to make all of them mad?  
TK rolled around himself demostranstratively and lowered himself a little as if taking a bow. He whistled something about it being a sad gift. Alana joked:  
-Anything else you're super good at? Apart from making people mad?  
The droid suddenly got something that looked like a slightly malicious air. Unexpectedly two compartments opened and two extremely powerful blasters appeared in his two mechanical appendages. TK whistled happily and the two blasters spun around in his "hands". Alana stared - this was one weird droid. Ah well, her life was weird enough already what could one more odd person do? Alana nodded:  
-Sure, you can come. I'd be happy with the company.   
TK whistled something sarcastically about totally being a source of entertainment and Alana rolled her eyes - this droid was seeming to be more and more like her. She told him to put the blasters away and TK complied sounding a little disappointed. Alana remember something with a start:  
-Hey, we're you the one stalking me today?  
TK tooted his head and grumbled about her Jedi senses and it being only an observation. Alana shrugged:  
-I was just wondering. It seemed odd.  
Suddenly a heavily accented  rodian voice rang out behind them:  
-He was not the only one looking for you, little female.  
Alana and TK whipped around to see a group of 3 Rodians stepping out into the light with blasters pointed at them. Alana's hands instinctually reached for her lightsabers but she thought better of it and with a warning shake of her head at TK (who looked excited at the prospect of a fight - well, as far as Alana could tell) simply crossed her arms. She kept her expression neutral, her eyes free of displaying any emotion. The only indication of any feelings was the way one of her hands clenched her arm. One of the head Rodians lackeys supplied:  
-Smart little female, you do good to not fight us.  
Alana regarded them, seemingly emotionless:  
-What do you want from me?  
The head Rodian pointed at her with the blaster angrily:  
-We see you come in Shadow's ship! We need to know where Shadow is!  
Alana's face showed a flicker of confusion before resuming her impassive countenance:  
-Who is this Shadow you refer to?  
TK rolled up to her and explained that the Shadow was a mysterious bounty hunter from house Salakatori who wore green and grey Mandolorian armour with a strange symbol at his chest, he was very proficient in both long range and close combat fighting. He was one of the best at what he did. Even though Alana showed no change in her facial expressions inwardly she sighed - there was one specific person who matched the description as far as she knew. An image of the night atop the Senate building flashed through her mind. Damn it,Jayden. Alana calmly stated:  
-I'm sorry but I don't know anyone like that.  
The Rodians started whispering among themselves. That is a lie, the voice of Alana's conscience said. I don't care - replied Alana. How odd- you hate lying,it countered. I will lie to protect someone and you know that - shot back Alana. Why do care? it asked making her falter. I don't know, maybe it's because of this stupid bond that came out of nowhere or maybe it's because he intrigues me, I just do - she softly responded to her own conscience. The Rodians turned back and glared at her:  
-We think you lie, little female!  
Alana huffed, dolts like these could be dangerous but they were wearing on her already strained patience:  
-Think what you want but if you excuse me - I've got to go.  
-No! Little female and droid coming with us! We have you - Shadow come.  
Alana scoffed:  
-What makes you think I even know the Shadow?  
-We seen you getting off Shadow's ship and Shadow has a secure ship - if you on Shadows ship - you Shadow's ally.  
Alana quirked an eyebrow:  
-If you think we'll come with you as hostages - you are wrong.  
The head Rodian laughed:  
-No, you are wrong. We wired the block back there with explosives- you no come with us block go BOOM! People die- many children die.  
Alana paled, these thugs had hit her right were it hurt the most. TK whistled worriedly, stating that the chance of survival of the real hostages were below 2 %. Suddenly a calm voice rang out in the complete surrounding darkness:  
\- I believe you were looking for me?  
Out of the darkness stepped out a familiar face, holding his twin blasters at the ready - his face serious. Alana had only seen this expression on his face once - the time he had told her that he had to take on Kiznyd himself. She had a feeling that this was the expression he always wore when in work mode and a small part of her, the part that was weak felt scared. She was frozen.But that fear was instantly quietened when she felt a sense of calm and reassurance that was not her own wash over her. Jayden? How in the universe had their Force bond matured so fast?! Force bonds were normally weak at first but they grew stronger overtime and yet she could already sense his emotions and he hers. However that calm sense of peace and safety that Jayden was letting her feel pushed all those unwanted thoughts away. The Rodians glared at Jayden and shouted:  
-You are dead now, Shadow!  
Jayden lifted an eyebrow his eyes cold. It was as though they were piercing through you - impaling you with thousands of shards that were as cold as ice:  
-Funny, your little group has tried to kill me at least 11 times already and yet I'm still standing.  
Jayden sauntered forward almost leisurely but Alana could feel the anger rolling off him in tidal waves- anger she wasn't sure at what it was directed. His cold and angry demeanour didn't change as he stood in front of Alana but the young jedi's ever observant eyes had noticed that slight, almost unnoticeable shift in his body language- it was protectiveness. Whether it was on purpose or subconscious Jayden or well, Shadow had moved into a position to protect her and his body language was echoing just that. Jayden narrowed his eyes at the Rodians - he was angry and you didn't not want to have him angry. The Rodians moved fast but Jayden was faster. It all happened so quickly that Alana didn't even properly register what had happened. One moment they were in their original positions and the next Jayden had one Rodian at blaster point just as that very same Rodian was holding Alana. His voice choked through the cold darkness:  
-Step away from her or I may just blow your brains out.   
The Rodian scrambled to do as he was told and Jayden sighed. He turned to the other two:  
-I assume you have come here to kill me because of your boss?  
-Damn right, Shadow! And we'd be doing the world a favour at the same time - ridding the Galaxy of a menace such as you!  
Jayden laughed, but it was a dark laugh completely different from the one Alana had heard aboard his ship:  
-Ahah... I suppose you would be. But then again you'd have to live for that now wouldn't you? Or at least be concious.  
-You bastard!  
Roared the head Rodian and tried to press the detonate block button to Alana's horror but before he could Jayden shot him. Every one of the onlookers was frozen in fear which made Jayden's job all the more easier. He quickly flipped one of his blasters from "lethal" to "stun" and knocked out the two remaining ones. Jayden muttered dispassionately:  
-Well, now that that's taken care of...  
Jayden shot the detonator in the dead honco's hand, rendering it useless. He was about to turn to Alana when he felt a blaster aimed at him and without looking behind himself he shot with the lethal blaster, there was a muffled thump and his would be killer fell to the ground - dead. He turned around to see in the darkness at least 15 security droids with Rodians imprinted logo on them and bio-blasters. As soon as they caught sight of them he issued the order to fire. Jayden, without really thinking what he was doing, grabbed Alana by the hand and raced off. Sure he could handle normal droids, but droid equipped with bio-blaster - Yeah, no way. The droids quickly followed. As they ran Alana quickly snapped out of her reverie:  
-Whoa wait up, where are you dragging me off to?  
-The Crimson storm, duh. We have to get off this rock.  
-But I... I mean this is... It's not--  
-How you planned it to be? Sorry to break this to you, princess, but there is no way you're committing suicide on my watch. And since a group of murderous Rodians just saw your face and due to the fact that a-you need a ship, b- you suck at deception, c- I am not dying because of this Force Bond of ours, I'd say you're stuck with me.  
Alana stared at him:  
-You sure you want to be stuck with me? We might just drive each other up the wall , you know?  
Jayden mumbled, slightly out of breath:  
-Better you than that Sith Lord...  
Alana let go of Jayden's hand in shock and stopped. TK who had been using his hidden thruster to fly behind them also landed beside them while Jayden faced her with unreadable expression. Alana knew there was no time to hesitate so she asked the direct question:  
-What happened while I was wandering alone?  
Jayden knew this was not the time to delay and stated matter-of-factly:  
-The Sith Lord managed to pierce my defences, he got into my head.  
Alana quietly breathed out a soft "why?" even though she knew and even dreaded the answer. Jayden simply confirmed her fear:  
-He was searching for you.  
Alana felt like something inside her was slowly cracking and filled with remorse she buried her face in her hands:  
-I am so sorry, so so sorry.  
Jayden smiled a small smile. Alana apologising? Now that was a sight to see. He carefully pried her hands from her face:  
-There is no avoiding that. Now do you see why you're stuck with me? Just like those guys back there attacked you because you're linked to me the Sith Lord attacked me because I'm linked to you. Don't you see? You leaving will only worsen things. Alana, so you understand?  
Jayden looked deep into her dark blue eyes and was pleased to see understanding fill them. It took him a moment to tear his eyes away from hers- kriffing Force bond. Alana nodded and made up her mind:  
-Fine. It does make more sense. But, - Alana added, a ghost of a smile playing upon her lips-,don't say I didn't warn you.  
Jayden's cocky smile found its way back onto his face:  
-Whatever you say, Master Jedi. Come on we've got to go. Oh and one thing before we go, -Jayden pointedly looked at TK-, who is that?  
TK rolled towards Jayden an electric shocker out. Jayden took a step back and Alana sighed:  
-TK, behave. This is my friend - Jayden. Jayden- this is a droid that kinda owes me and kinda decided to follow me, TK-26.  
TK whistled out a disbelieving sentence - there was no way she was friends with the Shadow. Jayden looked over the droid appraisingly:  
-I've never seen a TK unit before. I wouldn't be wrong to assume you're one of a kind aren't you?  
The silver-dark blue astromech beeped proudly and then just to top it off added a sarcastic remark. Jayden groaned:  
-Yep, you're gonna be a joy to have around. Assuming you still want to follow my teammate, that is?  
Jayden narrowed his eyes in a challenge - why the heck was he challenging a droid?! TK shoved the electric shower at Jayden - accepting the bounty hunters challenge. Alana watched the whole scene with exasperation and mild befuddlement:  
-I'd you two are done, I think I hear a platoon of droids after our blood coming! But, of course, by all means finish your crazy staring match.  
Jayden sighed and stood up straight and grabbed Alana's hand before they all took off. Alana weakly protested:  
-I can run by myself, you know.  
Jayden didn't answer and Alana rolled her eyes. The droids were gaining on them. Alana suddenly had an idea: she used her free hand and Jayden felt their movement speed increase immensely-Alana had just used the Force to enhance their speed. TK, thankfully, was able to keep up. In nearly no time at all they reached the Crimson Storm. Jayden and TK, deciding that this definitely wasn't the time to argue went straight to their posts, even though they hadn't even discussed them. Alana rushed in after them with the landing ramp closing behind her. Jayden was in the pilots seat shouting at TK to fire up the starting the sequence, the droid complied but not without a retort. Alana quietly asked Jayden, whose hands were flying over the control panel at insane speeds:  
-What can I do?  
-You see those pesky droids?  
Alana glanced out of the viewport and saw the same Rodian killer droids advancing but they had switched rifles to ones that could damage the ship. It also took her a moment to notice that the landing bay was lit up.   
-Uh-huh.  
-Blow them to bits. We have a blaster turret below the hull.  
Alana rushed off, calling over her shoulder:  
-On it!  
She skidded down the ladder and quickly found the turret. Never having done this before Alana felt slightly unbalanced but she shoved the hesitation out of her mind - now was really not the time! The droids aimed and launched a volley of shots and unexpectedly the ship shook. Jayden snapped into the earpiece Alana was wearing:  
-Alana get on them or they're going to blow the damn ship. We're already a quarters down on the deflected shields.  
Alana nodded and apologised:  
-Sorry, fried droids coming right up.  
Hoping these were the correct buttons, Alana pressed sown on the controls and to her relief the turret fired on the droids. She got 5 of them but the others, seemingly having been equipped with AI scattered. Alana cursed under her breath and contacted Jayden:  
-Um, Jayden, hate to interrupt but how much longer do you need?  
-About 2 more -- No, you damn droid that one, haven't you ever piloted a vessel before?! Yes, I know I modified it! Ugh, just do your best-- Sorry, Alana. We need two more minutes - Ayyshiri outdid herself this time - the engines and the hyperdrive are taking forever to start up.  
-Well, then we might be official done for.  
-Why? What's happened?  
-The droids,-Alana fired at another one but he dodged frustrating her,- have an advanced AI system and they've scattered.  
-Kriff, hold them off for as long as you can. I'll switch the deflector shields to the underside.   
-Copy that.  
Alana reached out into the Force and used it to help guide her actions. The turret swivelled and Alana fired once more - she managed to hit 2. There were still 8 left and every time they fired their rifles the ship shook. Alana gritted her teeth and focuses again. There were 5 left but they scattered completely. This was near impossible. But then again, Alana recalled, most people said she didn't know the word impossible. She really needed to expand her vocabulary according to her master. Alana fired again and hit one but the next volley of shots made the ship shake so violently that Alana was getting really worried. And to worsen things she saw droid reinforcements arriving.   
-Uh, Jayden - we've got way more company!  
-We're nearly done here - 30 more seconds. We're down to half shields though.  
-I'll try! Ugh, fine - I'll do it!  
Alana shot again - letting the Force flow through her. She managed to blow up the reinforcements but she also seemed to have inadvertently hit an explosive fuel tank and better yet there was a whole magazine of them there. Through the headset Alana shouted as she saw the first blow up knowing that this would lead to a chain reaction:  
-JAYDEN, WE'VE GOT TO GO NOW!  
In answer to her shout the ship shuddered and suddenly took off, leaving the huge rosy-coloured explosion below it. The explosion however still created air turbulence and there was a moment when the ship shuddered. Alana leaned back on the chair and said wearily into the headset:  
-Never, ever, cut it that close again.  
She heard Jayden laugh:  
-Now you know how I felt the last time.  
-Twice in a row? Force, this ship's lucky and so are we.  
Jayden teased:  
-I thought the Jedi dint believe in luck.  
Alana groaned:  
-You irritate me so much sometimes.  
-It's a talent.  
-Shut up and get us out of here before we have a dogfight with your Rodian pals.  
Jayden rolled his and Alana heard him say tiredly:  
-TK, plot a course for Duro--Oh just do it ,you tin can!  
She heard the droid faintly whistle an insult back at Jayden and laughed softly before hyperspace swallowed them.

======================

Down on Alderaan's moon half the Kol Vass spaceport was woken up by the explosion. Ayyshiri and Jarris looked up from what they were doing and exchanged a meaningful glance before falling about laughing. Jayden, had really outdone himself this time. As she saw the Crimson Storm leave the moons atmosphere with a bang (literally) Ayyshiri grinned before turning back to her own ship - the Rogue Moon. Jayden and Alana were in for one heck of a journey as far as her intuition told her. Laughing, she wondered just what exactly would come of it.


	17. Bburru station

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! Took me way shorter than I expected to come up with this one. Okay, so first thing's first - this one is another more or less slow paced chapter but I promise we'll have a faster paced and a more action packed chapter next or the one after that definitely. This chapter is just to start off this planetary arc. I think that each planet will have from 2-5 chapter dedicated to it but I can't say for certain since like some of you may know - my story has a mind of its own just like my characters do. Oh and another note : I tried to look it up to make thing as accurate as possible but with the clone wars stuff - I just ended up shifting things a bit with Duro's attack. Oh and if anyone's wondering we're about a 1.5 years into the clone wars and they last 5 years so long way to go for them. That's about it! Enjoy!

Chapter 17- On Bburru Station

Alana was tired, she was very very tired. Why? Well because apart from they Force induced nap she hadn't had a good nights sleep for nearly two days in a row and those two days had been exhausting for her on both the physical and the Force front. If she were to draw heavily upon the Force she could probably function for two more days before her brain decided to shut down her body to preserve her life. As it was Alana just wanted sleep, badly. Stumbling into the central room of the ship Alana decided to curl up on the semi-circle of a sofa-seat. Tired from everything she closed her eyes, the gentle hum of the ships hyperdrive ,as they at light speed through the blue vortex, soothed her - slowly lulling her closer and closer to sleep. Soon she sensed Jayden and a static aura that she guessed was TK come in. The former sat down on the floor and rested his back against the sofa, not far from where Alana's head. There was a comfortable silence during which Alana began to drift off, she was half-asleep, drifting between the land of the living and dreams when Jayden softly asked:  
-Hey, you awake?  
Alana sighed softly and replied:  
-Somewhat or I wouldn't be answering you now would I?  
Jayden laughed, noting the slight sarcastic intonation in her voice:  
-You should go to bed. Your body will hurt if you fall asleep here.  
Alana groaned and rolled over so she was facing him but her eyes were still closed and murmured quietly:  
-I will in a bit. I'm just a little too tired right now.  
TK leaned his head to the side and whistled that it had always confused him about how easily organics got tired. Jayden, didn't even bother opening his eyes as he retorted:  
-You try being an organic for one day maybe you'll get it. We've had a rough day and we need sleep.  
TK beeped out saying that this was what made organics inefficient. Alana sleepily put in:  
-That may be true but we have our advantages.  
TK didn't exactly know how to respond to this. Jayden, realising that he was also falling asleep, forcibly opened his eyes and with a yawn stretched. He turned his head. Alana's face was peaceful- her usual guard dropped, her long and surprisingly dark eyelashes were intertwined together since her eyes were closed and her rosy lips were slightly parted. Slowly and steadily her chest rose up and down, her long-ish caramel brown hair was still loose and half of it had tumbled forward to rest over her chest while a few strands that were shorter mixed with her bangs and fell onto her face. A mischievous glint appeared in Jayden's green eyes - he had an idea of how to wake her. Carefully he grabbed one of her shorter hair strands and started twirling it around his finger, Alana , who was not used to having her hair touched, instantly opened her eyes. She looked at him curiously, too tired to swat his hand away:  
-What exactly are you doing?  
He grinned:  
-Waking you up, I can sense that you're half asleep already.  
-And what does my hair have to do with it?  
Jayden shrugged and let it go:  
-It seemed fun to twirl it. And that woke you up, right?  
Alana slowly sat up yawning and nodded. She was not going to tell him that no one had done that to her hair before. Jayden stood up and stretched before looking over his shoulder at Alana:  
-You want some tea before turning in for the night? Like last time?  
She flashed him a small grateful smile and nodded. Jayden went off to make some. TK, left alone with Alana asked why they were going to Duro exactly. Alana shrugged and simply answered:  
-It's one of the places we have to visit for my mission. And it's the closest one. Although,-Alana added under her breath,- I have no idea how he learned of it.  
Alana's mind drifted back to the old man. She didn't exactly know what to make of him. She decided to list the facts in her head:  
1) He was real  
2) He was apparently a Grey Jedi  
3) He saw the Force in a different way  
4)He was strong enough to pierce her mental shields  
5) Nobody could see him apart from her  
Yeah, that didn't help at all. Alana groaned and leaned her head onto her hands- this was getting her nothing but a headache. Speaking of headaches Alana absentmindedly fiddled with her purple lightsaber. Getting a curious idea Alana used the Force to slowly open it up and picked up the purple kyber crystal. It was slightly jagged and small but the surface of it was smooth and it was exhibiting a faint purple glow. She reached out into the Force to get in contact with it, not noticing how TK was watching her warily (well as wary as a droid could be). As soon as her Force Presence came in contact with it's Alana's vision turned white.   
She saw that little girl again. She was skipping happily along a forest clearing but Alana could detected a slight anxiety coming from her thought it was greatly overshadowed by excitement. As Alana followed the girl, which seemed like the only logical thing to do, she realised she had no idea on which planet they were on. It was filled with the Force, humming with life and unlike on other planets the Force here was in balance. Just who was this child? Master Windu had said that the lightsaber was definitely her's but there was no way in the universe she had built one before. And sure the little girl looked a bit like her but she was too different. Soon a cave came into view and Alana felt the little girls excitement spike up as she charged off. Alana sighed and ran after her. She followed her inside the cave and heard the girl faintly singing to herself:  
-Underground people, Underground people, underground people here I come!  
Alana couldn't help but smile - this girl was so little, so innocent. In fact she looked even younger than the way she had seen her the first time. Suddenly Alana felt a powerful rush in the Force. This cave was full of odd force signatures. As soon as Alana and the child turned the corner they both gasped. The inside of the cave was full of glittering pastel nearly colourless kyber crystal formations. These crystal formations were rare and that made Alana all the more curious as to where and what in the galaxy this planet was. Alana could only name a handful of planets that had kyber crystal formations and this didn't match any of them. The little girl, as if in a trance, slowly started moving forward her footsteps alone echoing in the cave. Alana followed her, looking around warily - these caves often had guardian beasts in them. And that she hadn't noticed one so far was a very very bad sign. Suddenly the little girl stopped. She looked up and slowly reached out her little hand towards one of the crystals. With a start Alana realised that this was the purple crystal- it was calling to that little girl. But before she even could warn the girl a giant guardian beast, unlike any other appeared. It looked like something of a fairy tale. It had four long legs,a blazing mane of hair a golden pelt and all in all resembled one of Alderaan's native creatures that had been used for transportation in ancient times. However the little girl didn't even look afraid - she turned around and once again Alana felt a shiver run through her because of their uncanny resemblance. The little girls deep blue eyes locked with the creatures blazing yellow ones. And suddenly the previously hostile creature instantly became calm. Alana could feel the echo of the little girls power in the force and she was shocked by it for two reasons: number one - because it was incredibly intense and secondly- because of how much it felt like her own. This girl... Just what connection did she have to her? The creature suddenly just vanished. She saw the little girls lips move but she was too far away for Alana to catch it. Alana moved to stand closer to her and watched attentively as the little girl reached for the formation again. This time there were no interruptions. As soon as her hand touched the tip of a crystal it easily came off and fell into the palm of her hand. The little girls face betrayed pure delight and excitement. She sat down on the floor in a meditative position and clasped the colourless crystal in her hands. Alana smiled at this: she was infusing her force signature into the crystal. Unexpectedly there was an extremely powerful force pulse and the little girl opened her eyes. Alana crouched beside her,invisible as she had expected, and looked at the brightly shining purple crystal in her hands. The child lifted it up and beamed, holding it between her thumb and forefinger. Happily she murmured:  
-I did it! I really got my kyber crystal! Mummy, will be very surprised when she comes back. Maybe she'll even let me begin my Jedi training!  
Confusion appeared on Alana's face and like before the vision instantly faded.  
With a start Alana opened her eyes and they locked with Jayden's green worried ones. Seeing her open her eyes and lift a hand to her head Jayden sighed in relief, released her shoulders and flopped down to sit beside her. TK instantly rolled up to take his place and performed a scan on a somewhat perplexed Alana before firmly stating that she was alive. Alana looked at the two ,confused:  
-Why exactly are the two of you acting like I died or something?  
Jayden opened his eyes and cast a halfhearted glare at her, sitting up:  
-Why? Well that's fairly simple! I come into the room to find you shivering like crazy with your eyes closed and that crystal glowing very brightly. You didn't even respond when I called your name. So yeah, I think we have a right to act like this.  
Alana lowered her head in apology:  
-Sorry, I didn't mean to creep you out.  
Jayden sighed and ran a hand through his jet black hair messing it up:  
-Sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just it's been a long day and the Force Bond coupled with this is a little much. Here, drink this and stop beating yourself up already.  
Alana accepted the cup of Jig tea with a small nod. She took a careful sip of it before asking:  
-Why do you think I'm beating myself up?  
Jayden gave her an "are you kidding me" look:  
-Force Bond ,remember? I can sense your emotions if I concentrate or if they're especially strong. Listen, the Sith thing is not your fault.   
-But--  
-No buts. Listen here,dummy, this would have happened sooner or later and now that it has I know how much harder I have to work on my walls so I have a sort of immunity. And,- Jayden paused his green eyes firmly locked on Alana's midnight blue ones,-you're my co-pilot now and there's no way anyone on my ship ditches their post. That includes you too, mechanic.  
TK defiantly warbled something about how there was no way he was going to be a mechanic. Alana thought for a moment before suggesting:  
-How about you be both our hidden assassin and mechanic droid?  
TK whistled his agreement excitedly rolling around the room with his guns out. Jayden looked at her oddly:  
-You have a strange effect on people--and droids.  
Alana felt a grin come on as she echoed the words Jayden had once said:  
-How do you know? You've just met me.  
Jayden rolled his eyes and lightly punched her in the arm with his free hand:  
-Ha-ha. Don't use my words against me, Alana Sheelan.  
Alana smiled:  
-Then what did you mean, Jayden Callen?  
Jayden just shook his head and mirrored her smile:  
-Nothing too important. Anyway, now that we're a team care to explain your mission in detail? And I'll explain mine.  
Alana nodded and after getting TK to come over she began:  
-I was sent on a mission by the High Jedi Council to visit the families of the future younglings and to tell them of their children's true potential. And if they will consent, to get their approval to train the children as Jedi in the future. The planets I have to visit are very diverse - which include the separatist planets. I assume you already know the list.  
Jayden nodded and suddenly reached beside him and held out two objects to Alana. One was her kyber memory crystal while the other was a dark brown belt. Alana quickly slipped her crystal back into a pouch on her belt so as not to lose it. Alana carefully ran her hands over the belt ,looking at it in slight awe. She had quickly figured out the mechanical and practical capabilities of it and was amazed by it. A biometric lock on the cylindrical carriers which could easily house her lightsabers and many different belt pockets which looked way too small to carry anything of much value but in fact had much more depth than expected. She had the feeling that if she were to explore the contents she would be even more entranced by them. Alana finally tore her eyes away from it and looked up at Jayden who was watching her with amusement. Those slightly childlike sides of her were rare and it always fascinated him to see them. She was way too thoughtful for her own good. Cautiously she asked:  
-Is this for me?  
Jayden snorted:  
-No, I gave it to you for no reason at all! Of course, it's for you dummy - Ayyshiri made it for you. She said she upgraded your typical Jedi equipment and also created this so you could hide your lightsabers. She also said that this was a prototype and needed a field run. Oh and there's a comlink in there that's adjusted to my frequency so we can communicate.  
Alana grinned:  
-Then I'd be happy to test it for her. Though fashion wise it doesn't really match.  
Jayden suddenly froze and facepalmed. Seemingly to himself he groaned:  
-Seila, there better not be what I think there is.  
Alana and TK looked at him in confusion. Unexpectedly Jayden stood up and walked off somewhere with quick determined steps with Alana and TK following him curiously. He stopped beside the closed boarding ramp and crouched down next to a grey blue object. Alana came closer and peered over his shoulder to discover that it was a bag. Jayden had a horrible suspicion of what was in it and if he was right - Seila had known all along. As soon as he managed to open it he took a look and groaned. Sometimes he hated being right. Seila knew exactly what was going to happen. Damn that creepy precognition ability of hers - no wonder she had seemed so smug in her message. He passed the bag to Alana and leaned against the wall tiredly. There was a moment of silence during which Alana inspected the contents of the bag before awkwardly asking him:  
-Um, I hate to pry but why exactly do you have a bag full of girls clothes?  
Jayden sighed, refusing to open his eyes and muttered one word:  
-Seila.  
-Who?  
Jayden opened his eyes and stood up straighter, crossing his arms. He explained:  
-One of my teammates,Seila, the woman has a creepy ability - she has dreams of what me or Heims,my other teammate may need when we leave for a solo mission so she does this for us. This is what she calls the emergency bag, in it she packs stuff we think we won't need but her weird precognition power tells her we will. It's actually really helpful and trust me when I say this - it's saved my life a couple of times. Though this is by far the weirdest thing she has packed yet. She must have known you'd be joining me. No wonder she sounded so smug...  
Alana felt a grin appear on her face at the sight of Jayden uncomfortably explaining. She shrugged:  
-Well, this'll definitely come in handy. I was thinking of getting a different set of clothes anyhow- this dress makes me stand out a bit.  
TK whistled his agreement, he said that she looked a bit too formal in it so a change of clothes would be preferable. Jayden shrugged and yawned:  
-If you say so : I'm no expert on female fashion. So time for sleep?  
Alana also stifled a yawn but shook her head:  
-What about your mission?  
-I'll explain tomorrow. Go get some sleep- you look like you're about to collapse. Droid, follow me - I need some help.  
TK warbled an insult back at Jayden and the two walked off in the direction of the cockpit quietly bickering. Alana, suddenly overcome by a wave of fatigue, leaned against the wall. It's coolness soothed her and even though she wanted to just crouch down and fall asleep right here she forced her exhausted body to drag itself into bed.

================================

Alana woke up the next morning feeling greatly refreshed. She had finally slept peacefully: no dreams,no nothing-just blackness. She lay in bed for a moment-just relaxing, before sitting up and swinging her legs off the bed. She stood up and was about to slip her usual black dress and boots on when she remembered the blue-grey bag resting in the corner of her room, close to the entrance. Opening it Alana spread out the clothes on the bed and once again felt a wave of uncertainty wash over her. If there was one restriction among the Jedi that Alana was immensely grateful for it was the dress code. She hadn't had to bother with selecting clothes for 6 years now and to be faced with it now made her feel extremely lost. It was funny, Alana mused, she could easily crack separatist security codes, wipe out a squad of super battle droids without even the shadow of a doubt creeping up in her mind and yet she was feeling extremely daunted by the prospect of having to choose clothes. Sighing heavily Alana decided to take the plunge.   
After debating for a while (and forcibly stopping herself from banging her head against the wall) Alana finally assembled something which she deemed both practical and (to her taste) more or less fashionable. She pulled on a simple black skirt which stopped about 10cm above her knees, a simple white long sleeved blouse over which she put on a sleeveless very dark blue vest (similar to Jayden's dark blue one but a lot more feminine) and pulled on her own nearly knee high black boots. She also remembered to fasten on the dark brown belt Ayyshiri had made for her and slipped her lightsabers into the cylindrical carriers into which they fit snugly, as well as the kyber memory crystal which she had decided to never again let out of her sight- the rest of her old equipment was unnecessary since Ayyshiri had provided the upgraded versions of them. At the bottom of the bag ,to her great relief, Alana found a hairbrush and unexpectedly a few very dark blue hair clips. Remembering what Jayden had said the previous day about her usual hairstyle being to uptight, Alana left her hair down and brushed it before slipping the hair tie onto her wrist and fastening one of the hair clips in place so as to keep some of her longer hair strands from falling onto her face. She glanced into the mirror and shrugged - she was satisfied with the result but she never wanted to got through the entire choose your new clothing style thing again. Thankfully Seila had provided enough of the necessary clothing articles for her to avoid that.   
Alana carefully folded the other clothes and put them away into the bag. Unlocking the door she stepped out into the Crimson Storms hallway. Alana went into the cockpit where she found Jayden sitting in the pilots chair and reading something on a datapad with a totally engrossed expression and TK apparently "conversing" with the ship. Taking a deep breath as she was totally not used to it, Alana greeted the two:  
-Good morning.  
TK whirled his head around and cheerfully whistled a good morning in response. Jayden also responded but he didn't tear his eyes away from the datapad- whatever he was reading must have been important. Recalling that they hadn't eaten since yesterday morning Alana asked:  
-What do you want for food?  
Jayden looked up from the datapad and grinned:  
-What are you? Our personal space chef?  
-I guess so, captain. Since you apparently suck at it.  
-Oh really?  
Jayden turned around to face Alana and when he saw her he stopped short. She looked very different from the way she had before and it suited her perfectly. Noting that he was staring Jayden looked away before looking back and muttering:  
-Mesh'la...  
Alana who had seen his mouth move but hadn't caught what he had said in Mando'a cocked her head to the side:  
-What?  
-It's nothing. Those clothes suit you really well.  
Alana felt the tips of her ears heat up slightly as they always did when she was embarrassed and she looked down. Other than by the creepy chancellor (as Alana referred to Palpatine) she had basically never been complimented by anyone. Barely audibly she muttered:  
-Thanks.,- forcing herself to look up she asked,- so,food?  
Jayden nodded:  
-Yeah, if you could just make those sandwiches again that'd be good. We can eat when we reach Duro.  
Alana smiled and went into the kitchen to make them. Jayden watched her go before turning back to the message on the datapad his contact had sent him. It seemed that he needed to go to Corellia to meet his informant and that was right in the same sector as Duro which was convenient. Alana soon came back and handed him a sandwich which he took and nodded gratefully. After a moment of silence during which the two ate Jayden announced:  
-So we'll be arriving at Duro's orbit soon and I don't suppose you have a specific location,right?  
Alana shook her head and explained:  
-No, it doesn't exactly work like that. I'm going to have to sense them myself and ask around.  
Jayden sighed:  
-This may take a while. And good luck with the last one: separatists remember?  
Alana chewed on her sandwich thoughtfully before swallowing and suggesting:  
-What if we ask the leader of the city? I remember the Duros as a very organised species.  
Jayden glanced at her oddly and corrected:  
-You mean the leader of the station?  
-No, city. What station are you talking about,Jayden?  
Jayden suddenly felt a sinking feeling in his stomach- she didn't know. For whatever reason the Jedi had hid it from her and she must have been busy when the attack had happened and the news had spread. Taking a deep breath Jayden turned his chair and looked Alana in the eyes, demanding her full and utmost attention:  
-Alana, I have no idea who hid this from you and why but Duro is no longer a habitable planet.  
Alana stared at Jayden in numb shock. Not habitable.... The Force echoed his words and Alana felt grief wash over her as she realised they were true. She spoke in a quiet,almost fragile voice:  
-Wh-What happened? I visited a year before the clone wars and it was all fine.  
Jayden's voice was emotionless as he answered:  
-The separatists did. When the planet refused to join them they bombed it which ended up in a huge ecological disaster. It's a toxic planet now, barely anyone can breathe the atmosphere.   
TK confirmed Jayden's words from the back stating that the chance of life there was below 3 percent. Jayden who wanted to give Alana some space was surprised when he felt a spike of anger in their bond but it dissipated as quickly as it had appeared. Alana had gotten a grip on it. Through gritted teeth she asked:  
-Was it Grevious?  
TK whistled a sad note of confirmation and stated that it had happened nearly two years ago and now all the Duros were living in orbiting space stations. Alana nodded silently and suddenly clasped her hands together and closed her eyes. Jayden and TK watched on in shock as a blue glow surrounded them and the Force started swirling around her at a crazy speed. Alana's eyes snapped open rapidly and for a second there was a bright blue light in their place before she released a powerful burst of Force energy and everything returned back to normal. As she slumber back in the seat Jayden asked her, wonder evident in his voice:  
-What did you do?  
Alana smiled, satisfied:  
-Gave my condolences to the planet. But if you really must know, I shared part of my Force energy with it.  
-Are you crazy? I'm no Jedi and even I can tell you that's nearly suicide- you shared your life force with a dead planet!  
Alana shook her head stubbornly:  
-No. Sharing my life force has never been too much of a problem for me- it always gets replenished besides even if what I gave it is not much there's hope for it now. Maybe it'll take hundreds of years but this planet will become alive again. I know it will.  
Jayden detected a hint of desperation and personal grief in her voice as she spoke. She sounded as if she had seen something like that before happen to a place that she loved and had been powerless to stop anything back then. Jayden knew that feeling better than anyone - feeling helpless and wanting to change. Noticing how the mood had spiralled down Alana smiled and changed the subject slightly:  
-So where are we going to go now?  
-Well, I'd suggest Bburru station- it's the capital. What do you think, tracker?  
TK beeped a reluctant agreement not forgetting to insult Jayden. Alana looked at TK and asked:  
-Tracker?  
TK reluctantly stated that the "idiotic organic" had figured out his letter designation somehow. Jayden smirked and nodded:  
-Yep, he's a tracker killer droid though very heavily modified.  
Alana stared at the two:  
-What?! TK, you're an assassin droid?  
TK beeped out an affirmative. Alana turned to Jayden:  
-Looks like you have an assassination assistant,huh?  
Jayden frowned:  
-I try to refrain from assassination jobs but work is work. He's been very skilfully modified and repaired at least the base has.  
Alana glanced at the droid:  
-The base repair seems a lot like something I'd do. I mean the way it's been mended is more my style.  
Jayden looked at her in surprise:  
-You're good with mechanics?  
Alana shook her head:  
-Only droids. I'm no good with the other stuff. Droids and basic ship repairs since my Master crashes us so often. Well used to.  
-Used to?  
-I don't let him pilot the ship anymore. He says my flying style is crazy but I tend to disagree.   
Jayden smiled at the mention of flying:  
-Who taught you to pilot?  
Alana grinned recalling Anakin's crazy piloting lessons.  
-A friend. A very annoying friend. Anyway I was going to ask you what your mission was, you didn't tell me yesterday?  
-Right. Well all I know for concrete that it's a job where I have to acquire a very specific piece of information. We're meeting my informant on Correlia after we find your youngling on Duro.  
-Wait we?  
-Yep, we're a team. I help you with your mission and you help me with mine - seems fair to me. Agreed?  
He held out a hand to Alana who took it with a bright smile:  
-Agreed.   
TK whistled to signal that they were dropping out of hyperspace now. Jayden and Alana exchanged a glance and nodded at each other - it looked like the first part had begun.

================================

Jayden set the ship down with TK's help in one of the more unofficial docking bays on Bburru station also known as the hunter and smuggled bay. It was more out of the way and remote which had both its advantages and disadvantages. As soon as he had powered down the ship Jayden glanced at Alana:  
-Lets go?  
-Sure. TK, come along.  
As they exited the ship Jayden asked:  
-You really want to take that, tin can along?  
-Yeah, I have a feeling he might come in useful.  
-Jedi powers?  
Alana grinned and retorted:  
-Woman's intuition.  
-Ah, the most accurate source of information.  
-It normally is,cap'n.  
-Okay, don't call me that again.  
Alana grinned, a mischievous light dancing in her eyes:  
-Call you what,cap'n?  
Jayden groaned and TK released a sound that sounded distinctly like a droid version of laughter. After throwing a glare at the droid Jayden turned back to Alana:  
-Ugh, that. It makes me sound old.  
-Ah, but you're older than me, captain.  
-Only by a year, co-pilot. Come on.  
Jayden suddenly took Alana by the wrist and dragged her through the throng of people in the hangar and through large steel doors into the city. As soon as she saw it Alana's mouth parted in surprise:  
-Woah...   
Jayden smiled at her reaction:  
-Told you it was like a real city.  
-Yeah, but this is amazing. To have adapted so easily... I mean their home was destroyed like a year ago.  
TK corrected Alana by saying it had been nearly two years as this had been one of the first attacks during the clone wars and he also added that the Duros were some of the most adaptable species in the world. Remembering something Alana turned to Jayden:  
-Jayden?  
-Hm?  
-How did you know that I needed to go to Duro?  
He shrugged:  
-Your kyber memory crystal opened for me.  
Alana's brows furrowed:  
-Odd, it shouldn't have done that.   
-I'd say it has something to do with our bond since it wouldn't let Jarris or Ayyshiri touch it.   
-It's still strange...,- she sighed,- Anyway, do you have any idea of where we should start looking or who we should ask?  
Jayden frowned:  
-Are your Jedi locator senses broken or something?  
Alana shook her head:  
-There's just far too many people and machines here for me to discern any strong force presences.  
-Well, do you even know who you're looking for?  
-I only have the name: Mikal Larika.  
-And he's supposed to be young?  
Alana nodded:  
-Not older than 3-4 years I'd say.  
-Hmm...  
Alana and Jayden fell silent, each trying to develop any plan to find the boy. TK suddenly whistled excitedly and the two turned to look at him:  
-What is it,TK?  
The little droid whistled his idea and Jayden looked sceptical:  
-Go talk to the representative? I don't know. I mean I'd be fine but Alana...  
Alana bit her lip thoughtfully before supplying:  
-Well, they're not separatists by choice so maybe they'll help. I say we talk to him.  
-Can't hurt to try. Besides if worst comes to worst--  
TK excitedly beeped and Jayden smiled grimly:  
-Precisely, "Blast them time".  
Alana sighed and rubbed her right temple:  
-Lets try to keep the destruction to a minimum.  
Jayden and TK voiced their consent. Alana glanced around the station until she spotted a nearby security officer. She went up to him:  
-Um, excuse me but where can I find the Representative of this station?  
The Duros man replied in basic,thankfully:  
-You got business with Zhar Lontin?  
Jayden nodded with a glance at Alana. She supposed this was the representatives name. Jayden answered for the three of them:  
-Yes, we do. Do you know where we can find him, nowadays?  
The Duros man scratched his chin:  
-I suppose you'll have to talk to his secretary -Lanne Vid. Nice lady but very protective. Why?  
Alana vaguely replied:  
-We're looking for someone.  
-Not going to kill anyone, are you?  
Jayden shook his head:  
-We aren't planning on it, sir. We just need to talk to that person.  
The Duros nodded:  
-Well, if you say so. Zhar and Lanne are your best bet- they lead this station so they'd know just about anyone here. They're in that tallest tower over there.  
The two humans and the droid followed the duros's gaze. Alana bowed her head out of habit:  
-Thank you for your help.  
-Woah, there missy, no need to bow to me. I'm just a simple guard. Have a nice day.  
As soon as he had left Jayden asked Alana, frowning:  
-What was that?  
Alana looked sheepish:  
-Old habits die hard. It's a Jedi thing. Sorry.  
-Just be more careful. We don't want to fight the whole station.  
TK agreed, stating that their odds of victory in that scenario were fairly low. Alana looked uncomfortable:  
-Sorry, I'll be careful.  
Jayden relented:  
-It's fine. Let's go find Zhar Lontin.

============================

Lanne Vid looked up from her work in surprise at the sight of two teenagers and a particularly odd droid. Her red eyes remained impassive as she surveyed them: it was not often that they had such young visitors. She raised an dark blue eyebrow:  
-Can I help you?  
The female teenager stepped forward and nodded:  
-Yes, we really need to speak with Zhar Lontin.  
-I'm afraid you can't unless you have an appointment and Zhar is very busy today. We have been having such troubles lately.  
The male teenager and the droid approached. He inquired:  
-What kind of trouble?  
Lanne sighed:  
-Our fourth researcher squad has gone missing on the planets surface now. And if they remain too long on the planet they'll die.  
The odd droid beeped a sad confirmation. Alana glanced at Jayden with a meaningful look in her eyes. They both knew that they needed to find that boy and they couldn't do that without Zhar's help and also Alana's Jedi, more compassionate side, couldn't let her walk away from those people. Jayden sighed and nodded his consent. Inclining her head grateful to him, Alana said:  
-Perhaps we can help you out with that.  
The secretary looked at the odd trio in shock before almost violently shaking her head:  
-No, no,no! Absolutely not! We can't send children down there! Please leave - Representative Zhar is very busy right now.  
Jayden sighed and leaned forward onto his hands and slowly and quietly enunciated:  
-M'am, with all due respect: we are not children. I'm one of the best bounty hunters house Salakatori has to offer and you should know our specialty better than anyone considering the dealings your honourable Representative has had with my team in particular. And she, -the bounty hunter motioned to his female companion,- is a member of the Jedi order. Now, we don't really care if you're separatists or not - we need to see Zhar Lontin. Now, will you please consider taking us to see him? We would be happy to help you out with your little disappearance problem.  
-Uh...  
Jayden pointed to his shoulder, where an orange crest rested and spoke quietly:  
-Does this symbol look familiar?  
A look of recognition dawned in the female Duros eyes and she quickly stood up with a nod before going on to alert her superior. Alana look at Jayden, impressed:  
-Quite the negotiation. I'm impressed.  
Jayden shrugged:  
-Sometimes you've got to know the right buttons to push. Anyway, I'd say we're guaranteed a meeting with Zhar.  
-You worked for him?  
-Seila,Heims and I did a job for him once. And we kept our mouths shut about it - Zar owes us.   
-I see.  
Was all that Alana said on the matter. But Jayden could sense something else was bothering her:  
-Alana, come on - what's bothering you?  
She looked up ,startled,before waving it off:  
-Oh, it's nothing.  
-You're lying.  
-Sheesh, fine, fine. What's that crest on your shoulder?  
TK also voiced his curiosity, saying that he had no record of such a crest in his databanks. Jayden hesitated for a moment before vaguely answering:  
-It's something I have left from my family.  
Alana looked at Jayden searchingly but refrained from probing any further, sensing that it was a sensitive subject. He had respected her privacy and not probed her about her amnesia so she wouldn't probe him about it. They stood in a tranquil silence for a few minutes, with each of them engrossed in their own thoughts before Lanne Vid came hurrying back in.   
-Representative Zhar will see you now.  
-Thank you.  
Alana started following Jayden when he suddenly stopped noticing a certain astromech missing. He turned to her:  
-Hey, where'd the walking scrap pile go?  
Alana looked around herself, confused:  
-I don't know,he was right here. TK?  
There was a sound of angry buzzing and the droid appeared rolling from around the corner, fuming about Duros and lack of etiquette towards droids. He whizzed past Alana and Jayden and the two exchanging confused glances followed him in.  
Upon entering the two saw a Duros man pacing back and forth. He looked concerned, tiredness apparent on his face. As soon as he spotted the trio enter he ordered his guard to leave and they obediently did. He sat down at his desk and clasped his hands together, surveying Jayden, Alana and TK. Slowly he spoke in clear unaccented basic:  
-My secretary told me you could help us.  
Alana stepped forward and nodded, confirming his words:  
-We could help you Representative but we need your help in return.  
Representative Zhar's eyes focused on the girl, remembering what Lanne had said about their being a Jedi with the infamous Shadow and an odd droid:  
-I will do my best to help you out, Master Jedi but with things the way they are we might not be able to help you.  
Jayden stepped out of the shadows closely followed by TK who was for some reason looking around attentively:  
-Zhar, you owe me and I need a favour. I don't intend to blackmail you. But I warn you if anyone...unfavourable... learns about our visit here there will be consequences.  
The Duros shot up from his desk:  
-Shadow, be reasonable! I cannot lie to my superiors!  
-I am not asking you to lie to them,Zhar. Just don't tell anyone that you saw me, a Jedi or a droid. And we have deal. Understood?  
The man gulped:  
-Yes. B-but what do you need from me?  
Alana picked up where Jayden left off:  
-We're looking for someone and we need your help to locate him. A boy named Mikal Larika. I believe you should know of him. We need to see him and his guardian or parents right away.  
The Representative groaned and slumped into his chair before barely audibly whispering:  
-Oh Stars, what have I done to deserve this?   
His voice got stronger again and he explained:  
-The person you are looking for is in fact an archeologist called Murla Terram, she's the legal guardian of Mikal but the problem is - Murla, along with Mikal, was part of one of the vanished research teams on Duro.  
Alana slammed her hands down on the table, her eyes blazing:  
-For Force's sake, why would you send an archeologist and a little child onto an abandoned hazardous planet?!  
Zhar sighed:  
-We had no choice. Murla would never leave Mikal behind and there was something strange happening on the surface and being the best historian and scientist we had-she was needed there. She tried to leave Mikal with me but he somehow knocked me out and stowed away on her ship. We lost contact with them about a week ago - their food supplies must be running out and they may be getting air poisoning from the pollution in it even with breath masks. And Mikal... He's a very strange one.  
Alana stood up straight and started rubbing circles at her temple:  
-He's a force sensitive child, of course he's strange... Representative Zhar, is there any way you could send us down there so we could find your missing research teams?  
Zhar shook his head:  
\- No, I'm afraid not. All of our shuttles have crashed onto the planet surface and it will be a while until we get new ones.  
Suddenly TK, who had remained silent until now, buzzed angrily and his holoprojector activated and on the grey wall an image of a hangar with a fully intact shuttle was displayed. Jayden turned to the palming representative:  
-You were saying?  
The representative covered his face with his blue hands and softly said:  
-I can't risk losing anymore people. Not even you, Shadow.  
Jayden glared at him:  
-So you'd condemn innocent people to die for that?! Your teams?!  
The representative mutely shook his head. Alana put a hand on Jayden's arm and sent a calming wave the ought their bond, placating him. She turned to TK and quietly said:  
-Thank you, TK. You've made the point.  
TK let out a short slightly sad "Ooowoo" and shut off the image. Alana patted the top of his dome before quietly turning to Zhar:  
-Representative, our lives are ours to handle. We appreciate your concern--  
-Cowardice.  
Muttered Jayden's voice in Alana's head, even though she was surprised she shot him a glare and he made an innocent face. She continued:  
-But we want to do this. I am here on behalf of the Jedi Council for Mikal and I won't let him die. I won't let any one of those scientists die, not if I can help it. Ja--Shadow?  
Jayden huffed and crosse his arms before stating in a low voice:  
-I'm just doing this to make you see sense, Zhar and to make sure my partner doesn't get herself killed. No other reason. Never play with people's lives!  
TK quickly whistled to say that he was coming too. The leader of Bburru station sighed heavily:  
-I can see there's no changing your minds. Thank you. Thank you so much. Very well, I will assist you in any way I can but we'll probably lose contact when you're too deep into the planet. Are you certain you want to do this? The planet is toxic.  
All three nodded their heads firmly. Zhar clasped his hands under his chin:  
-Alright, when do you want to leave? We shall provide you with all the necessary equipment.  
Jayden and Alana exchanged a glance before the former said:  
-In about two hours. That's probably the most convenient time. Right,Jedi?  
-Agreed. Is that fine, Representative Zhar?  
-Yes, yes. Meet me in hangar bay 23 in two hours - we shall have the shuttle ready there. Now go, I must make preparations.  
Jayden nodded and with TK left but not before calling over his shoulder that breath masks wouldn't be necessary. Alana,however, lingered behind. Zhar looked at her tiredly:  
-Is there anything else I can help you with,Master Jedi?  
Alana shook her head and made her way to the door but stopped midway and turned around:  
-Representative Zhar, Murla isn't related biologically to Mikal, is she?  
A small smile appeared on Zhar's lips at the perceptiveness of the young Jedi:  
-No, she isn't. Mikal was abandoned shortly after he was born. So with the customs in our culture being what they are we gave him to a citizen to raise - that was Murla. At first Mikal fascinated Murla because of what species he is but soon she came to love him like a son. Mikal is four now.  
Alana nodded and didn't pry any further:  
-Thank you. See you in two hours, representative.  
-Take care, Master Jedi. May the Republic hold out better than our home did.  
Alana showed him a small sad smile before stepping out of the room. Even after she had long left Zhar stared at the spot where she and her friends had stood. He had long looked for a way to save his people and now he regretted not taking the help of the Jedi when Grevious had attacked. And they had offered help. He had given up. And now, when he was about to make the same mistake again, that odd trio showed up. Perhaps, thought Zhar, perhaps this time the outcome would be different.


	18. The Toxic Planet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay but I made this chapter super long - I'm actually worried it'll bore you out before you read it. Over 9000 words - yeah, I went overboard. Oh well. Three things on the agenda today:  
> 1) I finally get to shove off Alana and Jayden along with TK to Duro itself. I had to improvise the landscape.  
> 2) With Alana's words on the Jedi and how people view them I'm trying to show what it's like. And these are my true feelings- perhaps that's why I made Alana so different.  
> 3) As per usual -Enjoy!

Alana followed Jayden and TK out of the central building and as soon as they were as far away from that tower as possible he spoke through gritted teeth:  
-I-hate-Zhar.  
He wasn't angry any longer, Alana could sense through the ever present bond, just frustrated. Placing a calming hand on his arm, Alana reasoned:  
-Hate's too strong of a word. Yes, he's being cowardly but that's just his nature and he does have a whole station of people to lead, remember? He's just feeling very under pressure.  
-That's no excuse to give up on people you can still save!  
-It's not,- Alana agreed,- but he's giving us a chance to save them, isn't he? Choosing to take action instead of inaction is already a big step for him. Anyway,- she switched the subject,- I learned something about the boy we're looking for- Mikal.  
As they walked along Jayden raised an eyebrow at Alana's words:  
-Oh yeah?  
-Mhm. The woman that's taking care of him,Murla, isn't his mother. He was found abandoned here after birth and so according to their customs they gave him to Murla to raise. Apparently he's not a Duros - he's some kind of historic species that is rare. I didn't pry. Anyway, he's 4 years old now.  
-Wow, poor kid...  
-Yeah, that's what I thought too. It's probably going to be hard to convince him to join the order.  
-What of he doesn't want to?  
Alana paused before shrugging:  
-I don't know really. That's up to the council. Most force sensitives join - it helps them. It's rare for someone to be Force Sensitive and not be a Jedi or a Sith.  
-I'm not.  
Jayden fairly pointed out and that stumped Alana for a second. She quickly countered:  
-You're one of the rare exceptions. Although to be fair, apart from the Jedi and the Sith we did have the Voss and their Mystics and the nightsisters. Ugh, anyway I worry about the kid.  
-Don't. There's nothing you can do about it right now.  
Alana huffed in frustration:  
-I know. I just feel responsible for him, for all of them.  
There was a pause as they walked in silence with Jayden looking around for something, Alana following him absentmindedly and TK storing everything recorded in his long term databanks. He had caught on to Alana and the idiotic pilot talking about looking for a boy and felt a little exasperated-why were organics so hard to find? Although, he supposed, since this was for Alana's mission he'd help out even if he did have to work with the imbecile. Why had he even accepted the challenge? Oh, right her. Well, whatever- TK was happy enough if he got to blast stuff and he probably would with the way things were progressing. That made him happy. Jayden was the first to break the silence and spoke in a gentle voice:  
-You really like children,huh?  
Alana's eyes lit up and she nodded happily:  
-I love them. They're the best gift the universe can bestow. I often help out with the younglings at the Temple, they always make me smile- always so eager to learn and-- oh, sorry. I'm rambling...  
-No,it's ok. I don't think I've seen you smile like that before.  
Alana laughed softly, looking Jayden in the eyes:  
-There's a lot you don't know about me, hunter.  
-Same here, princess.  
-Quit calling me that.  
-Calling you what?  
-Princess. I'm no princess so drop it.  
-Payback for the "captain" thing.  
Behind them TK chirped that if they needed insults he could easily come up with a lot of them for each. The two laughed and assured him that they'd turn to him when they needed insults. The mood had considerably lightened since Jayden had made Alana smile. Her laughter and smiles were infections. Alana looked around herself curiously, her eyes shinning. She'd never had thought that she was on a space station if she hadn't been present when they landed. Recalling something she turned to her two companions:  
-Hey, can you two answer something for me?  
-Depends on what it is.  
-It's actually two different questions for each of you.  
TK chirped a "Go ahead". Alana nodded and asked:  
-Ok,TK, first. How in the universe did you manage to show us that security feed? You didn't program the database of this station to transmit all information to you, did you? Because I believe that's stealing information.  
TK whistled defiantly stating that it wasn't stealing it was borrowing information. Jayden shook his head in amusement:  
-I had a feeling that was it. I guess we owe you a thank you,huh? Thank you.  
-Yes, thank you, TK.  
TK modestly beeped that it was no big deal. Jayden looked at Alana:  
-So it's my turn?  
-Yep. Ok, why did you say that we'd leave in two hours and that we wouldn't need breath masks? I'm pretty sure I can't breathe toxins.  
Jayden gave her a sly smile:  
-To answer your first question - I have to visit a friend here and we have to eat beforehand, that's actually where we're headed right now. As for the breath masks: Who said we weren't using breath masks?  
It took a moment for it click in Alana's mind:  
-Ayyshiri!  
Jayden nodded, grinning:  
-Precisely. She's built a few much better versions for fun and gave them to me. We're using them.  
-She's a genius.  
-Mhm.  
They suddenly turned a corner and stopped in front of an entrance to a moderately large bar with a glowing neon sign that read "Cin Tra" and blinked fuzzy images of stars around it. Out loud Alana translated:  
-Cin Tra? White Starfield, really?  
Jayden shrugged nonchalantly:  
-Yeah, my friend's not too original.  
-Your friend's Mandolorian.  
-Yep. Come on.  
Said Jayden pushing open the door. The bar was nearly empty when they entered, probably due to it being only late morning. Jayden suddenly yelled:  
-Hey, old geezer you in here?  
A head of an elderly man poked out of the doorway deeper in the bar. Upon seeing Jayden he beamed and came out of the kitchen. He held out a hand that Jayden shook ,grinning like crazy:  
-If it isn't trouble personified. What brings you here,my boy? Checking up on an old man before he kicks the can, are you?  
-Shut it, old geezer. You're not dying any time soon.  
-Oh what I wouldn't give to have my youth back!  
Jayden crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow:  
-For what? So you could chase after pretty young women again?  
The old man winked:  
-That too. Yelena was quite a looker and still is.  
Jayden grimaced and shoved the old man away:  
-Ew, gross. That's my grandma you're talking about.  
The old man chuckled:  
-What can I say? When I see a pretty lady I make sure to tell them about it.  
Jayden held up a hand:  
-Corso, no just no. Just be quiet, old timer.  
Alana watched the exchange between Jayden and the old man named Corso amusedly. So this was Jayden's friend? He sure had weird friends but it wasn't like she had room to talk. And Jayden had grandma named Yelena? Interesting. Alana stored that bit of information in the back of her mind - she really knew next to nothing about the guy: no more than he knew about her. The old man suddenly noticed Alana and Jayden hurriedly pulled her behind him:  
-No way.   
The old man pouted:  
-What? Can't I meet a pretty young beauty?  
Jayden nodded sarcastically:  
-Uh-huh, that totally what you do. No way, old geezer. You're not laying a finger on my partner and co-pilot.  
The old man sighed and muttered:  
-Party pooper.  
-Yeah, I don't care. Alana meet Corso Doren, old man meet Alana Sheelan - a Jedi.  
The old man held out a hand that Alana took with a small smile:  
-Nice to meet you, Mr.Doren.  
The old man looked close to tears:  
-Oh, bless you. Bless you. I am so glad that there is some polite youth left!  
Alana looked uncomfortable:  
-Ahm...um...  
The old man squeezed her hand tighter and shook it ecstatically:  
-I am so so happy to meet you,Master Jedi. So so happy. Call me Corso.  
Alana had the feeling that her hand was going to fall of with how hard the old man was shaking it but she retained her smile. Unexpectedly Jayden pulled her away from the old man and closer to himself, slightly possessively:  
-Alright,alright old man that's enough.   
The old man smirked as he walked towards the kitchen and called back:  
-Someone's possessive...  
Jayden rolled his eyes and retorted:  
-It's called being protective.  
Corso laughed. Jayden sighed and let Alana go. TK chirped the question that Alana was thinking: what was that all about.   
-Sorry, about that but I'm not really comfortable with old man going all perv in front of me or using you as an object. You seem a bit naive when it comes to things like that.  
Alana looked away slightly flustered and nodded, subconsciously tucking a fallen hair strand behind her ear:  
-Thank you.  
-No problem, he's an old creep but he makes great food and is a good friend.  
The old man came out with two steaming plates full of food at that exact moment and after placing them on the bar counter he faked wiping a tear out of the corner of his eye:  
-Oh, you little bastard, sometimes you make me so happy.  
Jayden huffed and rolled his eyes, sliding into a bar stool and motioning Alana to do the same. Meanwhile Corso's eyes focused on TK. He greeted the odd little droid:  
-Well, hello there - and who might you be?  
TK fiercely whistled : I am a trained tracker killer droid and you better stay away from me old creep friend of the idiotic pilot unless you want to taste my flamethrower. Alana burst out laughing while Jayden just shook his head in exasperation and Corso stared at the droid for a moment before turning to Alana and Jayden and saying very slowly:  
-You know, I don't think he likes me very much.  
That made Alana crack up even harder and Jayden snorted. TK ignored them all and chose to remain by Alana's leg - just in case the old man tried to do something to her like the dumbass captain had said. Because if he did, thought TK happily, he would taste his blasters and his flamethrower! Perfectly happy with this thought TK chirped out a question to Alana. She looked down at him and nodded:  
-Sure, go ahead,-she lowered her voice slightly,- Just make sure nobody notices you in the mainframe.  
TK whistled something that sounded like an overconfident "Oh,please" and began the process of sifting through the data he was being transmitted. Meanwhile Corso pointed at the two steaming plates in front of Jayden and Alana:  
-Eat up kids. You have to grow up big and strong or in some cases beautiful.  
Jayden ignored Corso expertly and,picking up his fork, addressed Alana:  
-Ignoring most of what the old coot said we do have to eat since who knows when we'll eat again.  
Alana nodded and followed his example:  
-Right.  
Alana picked up a forkful of the steaming dish. As soon as she placed it in her mouth she felt a spicy yet sweet feeling spread through it.Corso really was the best. Alana swallowed and beamed at the old man:  
-This is amazing! Thank you so much.  
Corso looked like he was about to burst with happiness:  
-Why,thank you, Alana. See,you adorable little prick, some people have manners! How'd you end with this loveable little jerk anyway?  
Alana laughed softly at the phrasing, she had obviously noticed how Jayden and Corso kept insulting each other but in a way that suggested that they were very close friends. After pondering on the question for a moment Alana cheerfully replied:  
-I'm not sure you'd believe me, it's a pretty weird story.  
The old man smiled and sat down on a chair behind the bar counter:  
-Try me. I have heard some pretty weird stuff before.  
-Um,ok. So we actually met back on Coruscant at night nearly what,-she looked at Jayden for confirmation-, 2 weeks ago?  
-Yep.  
-So two weeks ago on the on the roof of the Senate building where he tried to kill me--  
-To maim you, incapacitate,-Cut in Jayden.  
-Alright,maim me,-Alana conceded,- and we fought on top of the building because he and his friends were trying to kill the chancellor. Long story short - I managed to beat him (though not before he injured me) and found out that he's force sensitive.  
The old man chuckled:  
-Force Sensitive,eh? Can't say I'm too surprised. But she beat you -now that, that is priceless.  
Jayden glared at the elderly Mandolorian but shrugged:  
-She cut off the top of my helmet. She won fair and square.  
Corso cracked up even harder:  
-The great and mighty Jayden Callen has met his match. A female Jedi who beat him up - this is hilarious!  
-Yeah, yeah, laugh it up old geezer. I could still easily beat you and honestly I believe we'd have a draw if I fought Alana  again.  
It took a few minutes for Corso to get over his laughter a and when he did he nodded for Alana, who had meanwhile returned to her meal, to continue. After swallowing Alana continued:  
-We met once again on a cruise ship that got hijacked by the Red Hand syndicate, fought a bunch of pirates, escaped a moment before the ship blew up. Landed on Alderaan's moon, got a friend to repair the ship,Jayden got his mind invaded by a Sith Lord that's bent on killing me, -Jayden felt a twinge of guilt appear in her through their bond and rolled his eyes-,while I got cornered by a group of Rodians who are intent on killing him. Met TK there too, got off the moon with a bang and came here. The End.  
Alana turned back to her food while Corso shook his head at the bizarreness of the story:  
-That really is one crazy story.  
-Told you so.  
Jayden smiled at Alana:  
-We're not exactly normal, so a bizarre meeting story for two weird people?  
Alana lightly punched him in the shoulder laughing:  
-Hey! Watch who you're calling weird! You're the weirdo.  
-Nope, I'm pretty sure you're just as weird as I am. Force glowy powers, instant Force Bond that matures at abnormal speeds and a Sith Lord hunting you for who knows what reason - I'd say that classifies you as weird.  
Alana sighed and rolled her eyes, still smiling. Sometimes there was no reasoning with some people. Jayden looked around the bar before asking Corso:  
-Hey how long have we been here?  
The elderly Mandolorian shrugged :  
-About half an hour, why?  
-We're on a time limit. Say,Corso, how long do you think it's take us to get to the hunters bay?  
-Another half an hour I'd say and that's if you're walking at a brisk pace.  
-Ok, so that's that. What about the government docking bays from there?  
Corso looked perplexed but nevertheless answered:  
-About the same amount of time.  
Jayden nodded, registering this information, his face thoughtful:  
-Okay, so we have about half an hour to get everything we need from the ship and for everything else. Thanks, Corso.  
Corso fixed Jayden with a stern look:  
-What in the name of Mandolore the ultimate are you thinking of doing, kid?  
Jayden slid off the chair and turned towards the door, over his shoulder he said:  
-Tell you if we make it back alive.  
Alana also stood up and nodded:  
-Thank you for the food. May the Force be with you... Come on, TK.  
The droid whistled and followed the teenagers out of the door. For a while Corso stood still before shaking his head and picking up his guests plates and heading to the sink, grumbling to himself:  
-Blasted kids making me worry about them!

=============================

As they were reaching the Crimson Storm Alana suddenly stumbled and fell down. TK whistled in alarm and Jayden wordlessly rushed over to help her up. He could sense the pounding in her head even though he didn't feel the pain - she was muting it for him. As helped her up he muttered:  
-Idiot...  
She weakly protested:  
-Hey, I'm not an idiot! Quit calling me names.  
-Yes, you are. Listen just because you're feeling pain doesn't mean you have to mute it for my sake - I can handle a headache. You're just making this worse for yourself.  
Alana smiled faintly:  
-I can't inconvenience my captain now ,can I?  
Jayden shot her a glare as they walked up the ramp of the Crimson Storm :  
-Yes, you can. Look: for better or worse I'm stuck with you and you with me - the pain you feel is meant to be transmitted to me and not blocked off just like it is with my pain being transmitted to you.   
Alana bit her lip as she sat down into the co-pilots chair in the cockpit of the Crimson Storm. Looking for something Jayden asked:  
-What happened?  
Before Alana could answer TK also supplied that he had detected abnormal brain wave activity a moment before she fell. Sighing Alana slowly explained:  
-When we were walking I was fine and then suddenly my field of vision was replaced by an image. There was a little boy: he had crimson skin and gold eyes, and obsidian black hair. And the background was full of this yellowish fog, the ground seemed like it had been corroded by something.  
Jayden finally stood up with two breathe masks in hand. He handed Alana one which she instantly attached to her belt at the hip.   
-A Force Vision?  
He suggested. To his immense surprise TK instantly agreed with him chirping that the brain wave anomaly matched that of one when a Jedi or a Sith had a Force Vision. Alana nodded hesitantly:  
-Most probably. And TK how in the universe do you know that?  
The astromech suddenly grew silent and even seemed sad. After a moment he quietly beeped and almost plaintively: My first owner, my best friend and basically my creator. Alana and Jayden exchanged a glance but decided not to question the droid. His emotions and mannerisms seemed almost human - the droid was very unique to say the least. A silence descended upon the cockpit. Jayden was the first to break it:  
-Do either of you need anything from the ship? We won't have a chance to come back here later.  
TK buzzed a negative and Alana shook her head:  
-I don't think so.  
Jayden closed his eyes,took a deep breath and exhaled before opening his eyes. A steel look of determination shone in his eyes:  
-Let's go.  
Alana nodded and stood up with TK following. When they exited the ship and the ramp closed behind them Alana turned to TK:  
-TK, can you find us the fastest route to hangar 23?   
TK whistled that he wasn't a navicomputer but nevertheless complied. He buzzed stating that the they should follow him. Shrugging the two followed him. They walked past building after building, block after block in total silence. A few beings glanced at them but nobody stared or payed them much attention which was good in their case. As they walked Alana felt her heartbeat speed up and with a wry smile realised what the feeling fluttering about in the pit of her stomach was - nervousness. When was the last time she had been nervous? Alana couldn't remember. But what exactly was she nervous about? Alana sighed softly: a lot of things. She was nervous and scared of a lot of things: failing the Jedi Council and getting kicked out of the order (she bitterly recalled her dream), not being able to save the people on that planet, failing to find Mikal and , to her immense surprise, losing Jayden and TK for good because of her own mistake. She had nearly lost her Master like that once - she never wanted to feel that hopelessness again. Alana was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she didn't notice Jayden looking at her. Her face loyally betrayed no emotion and her body language also refused to divulge any information. Jayden supposed he could probe their bond but she'd notice that straight away and probably be not happy with him. So he had to do this the normal way,huh? Well, alright.   
-Alana?  
She snapped out of her daze and looked at him calmly, her midnight blue eyes hiding her feelings:  
-Hm?  
-Are you alright? And don't bother lying to me.  
Alana laughed shakily:  
-What makes you so sure you can read people?  
-Oh, I don't know maybe the fact that I've been doing it for over 15 years now?  
She finally showed him a genuine smile and laughed:  
-Alright. I'm nervous.  
Out of all the things her expected her to say - this wasn't one. He looked at her incredulously:  
-You're nervous?  
Alana shrugged nonchalantly:  
-Why do you find that so difficult to believe?  
-You don't strike me as the type to be nervous.  
-Hey, I'm human too you know! I feel emotions!  
Jayden grinned:  
-Isn't the first line of the Jedi code :"There is no emotion, there is peace"? How can you feel emotions if you're supposed to uphold the peace?  
Alana's lips turned up into a wry smile:  
-Not much peace to uphold now,is there? And for the record you should know that interpering the code literally can lead to misunderstandings.   
-Like what?  
Alana sighed and looked upwards:  
-Like people mistaking Jedi for all powerful, unfeeling, unbreakable warriors and defenders of peace.  
Jayden noticed how Alana's voice had been threaded with concealed pain as she spoke: this subject obviously pained her. Softly Jayden probed:  
-And?  
Alana looked at him, pleading him to understand her. To understand what she felt to consider her idea at least:  
-And we're not who everyone pictures us to be. We feel emotions, we can break - we're alive too! Maybe the Masters can shut off their emotions and feel nothing but I can't do that! I'm just me - Alana Sheelan. I'm both a Jedi and a human being- I'm not going to give up being either,- Alana drew in a shaky breath in an effort to get a grip on her emotions,- I just... I just wish someone would understand that. That I'm not a perfect being that can do everything and solve everyone's problems.  
Jayden could sense that she was sad and desperate through their bond, that he had jokingly touched a sore spot, a spot that was hidden deep beneath the smiles and laughter. It turned out that beneath that cheerful light of a human girl hid a different person, a person who was very sad and lost, lonely. Softly he reassured her:  
-No one expects you to be like that...  
She shook her head vehemently keeping her face down:  
-You'd be surprised how many people do. You know, when I killed my first person I was in shock and horrified even though I knew there was no other way but the commander of the ship merely laughed and said that why was I even fazed - Jedi don't have emotions, we're just simple war machines.  
Jayden felt a spike of anger within himself as he looked at Alana. All he felt from her was slowly cropping up sadness and overwhelming despair. Not even knowing what he himself was doing he carefully took her limp hand and, ignoring that odd spark, squeezed it reassuringly. Alana's face whipped around to face him in surprise. Smiling slightly at her shock he confidently said:  
-Don't worry you'll do fine, even if you take a misstep I'll double back to help you back up. That's what I'm here for. We're a team,remember? And besides someone would have to be insane to expect you to be perfect.  
Alana's lips finally morphed into a small smile and curled her fingers around his subconsciously. Jayden's made no indication of noticing her action and just gently held her hand for a minute - letting her use him to steady herself, to hide her weakness that had shone through even a moment until she could resume her usual act of the sarcastic and cheerful Jedi. Catching onto his friendly jab Alana faked anger:  
-Mr Callen, are you implying that I'm too abnormal?!  
Jayden's usual grin slipped back into his face:  
-I thought we had established that back at Corso's bar, Miss Sheelan. I merely reaffirmed it.  
Alana lightly punched him in the arm:  
-Hey, if I'm joining the weirdo club so are you, Cap'n.  
-Why of course, princess.  
Jayden retorted. TK, seemingly fed up with the two of them, buzzed exasperatedly that they were both weird. And that was that. Alana and Jayden rolled their eyes at the same time and laughed.

========================

In hangar bay 23 Representative Zhar we pacing back and forth in front of the shuttle wringing his blue hands. He still had severe reservations about letting Shadow and his companions down onto the planets surface - but knowing how stubborn Shadow could be he didn't look like he had any choice. One thought replaced the other and now Zhar was slightly worried how the Jedi would react when she found Mikal. It had been many millennia since Mikal's species had been seen and given the history of the Jedi with that particular species things could get messy, Zhar just hoped that the Jedi would keep her common sense and not attempt to murder the kid. And why were they looking for the boy anyway? Not to kill him he hoped. Well he wouldn't put it past Shadow to be on a mission like that but the Jedi? He had no idea as far as she was concerned. And then there was that odd droid - where had Zhar seen a model like him before? He couldn't quite put his finger on it. Lanne glanced at her boss sympathetically:  
-Zhar, you need to remain calm. Remember what the medical droid said?  
Zhar nodded, still lost in thought:  
-Yes, yes. I know.  
At that moment the door to the hangar bay was opened and the trio in question came in talking amongst themselves. The atmosphere in the room grew tense. Jayden, Alana and TK came to a stop before Zhar. For a minute the two humans and the Duros surveyed each other silently before Zhar nodded briskly:  
-Right, let's get down to business. If you're still sure,that is?  
The odd astromech whistled an affirmative. Lanne began speaking:  
-This is the only planet bound shuttle we have and naturally you'll be using it as the other ships may not survive our homeworlds atmosphere. The only problem is : the atmosphere of Duros is clouded by a thick poisonous fog.  
TK confirmed it stating that the visibly levels where below 4.3%. Lanne nodded:  
-Yes, though, - she glanced at the astromech suspiciously,- I have no idea how you got those statistics.   
Alana and Jayden exchanged an amused glance - they still hadn't figured out. TK must have done a better job than they thought. Lanne continued oblivious to their silent thoughts:  
-Therefore we have no idea how you'll make a safe landing- although perhaps the terrain display on the ship could help you.  
Jayden nodded:  
-That'll do.  
Zhar picked up from Lanne:  
-We have stocked the ship with medical supplies and provision for the survivors, contact us if you find them.   
Alana replied firmly:  
-Will do, sir.  
Zhar acknowledged her reply and turned back to Jayden:  
-Shadow, please try to discreet - I don't know how to explain why there is a Jedi and a notorious bounty hunter roaming around on a dead planet to the Separatists.  
Jayden sighed:  
-Sure. I don't want extra attention either. But, - he added with a threatening note in his voice, - don't you dare breathe a word of our arrival here to two groups: a bunch of  idiotic but vengeful Rodians and a murderous Sith Lord.  
Lanne protested:  
-You can't expect us to be able to stop a Sith Lord!  
Alana shook her head, her expression serious:  
-We aren't. It's nearly impossible to prevent him from entering your mind and getting what he wants, all we want you to do is not divulge our location willingly. Now, keep in mind he may or may not show up.  
Zhar nodded:  
-Very well. Are there any distinctive traits of appearance or personality he has?  
Jayden snorted:  
-Apart from being a cold-blooded ruthless murderer? No, I can't think of any.  
Alana cast a warning glance at him and looked at the two Duros:  
-He always wears a black cloak and his eyes are yellow - it's a Dark Side sign typically. He's human as far as I can tell. His lightsaber is completely black and the hilt is slightly bent. He's tall. No distinct walking or speech patterns. That's about all I can tell you. Oh, and he'll be asking about me. I'm afraid that's all.  
Zhar blinked his eyes in understanding:  
-Thank you, that is sufficient. And Shadow care to explain about the Rodians?  
Jayden flipped the switch on his guns from stun to lethal and vaguely answered:  
-They want to kill me, that's all.  
Alana shrugged:  
-That's about all I can tell you too.  
Zhar resumed his pacing:  
-Alright. Lanne?  
His assistant nodded and handed him a holocommunicator. Zhar gave it to Jayden who put it away with a nod. Zhar explained:  
-This is a holocommunicator that links directly to my office. If anything happens we'll contact you.  
Alana answered for the whole group:  
-Thank you.  
TK suddenly beeped in alarm and Alana and Jayden exchanged an tense glance. Alana worriedly quickly translated:  
-TK says that there's a Separatist inspection crew is heading towards your office. They're- they're with Grevious.   
Zhar paled considerably and Lanne turned almost pale blue:  
-Oh my....  
Jayden decided to take charge and turned to Alana:  
-Is Grevious a Sith?  
She shook her head, her deep blue eyes wide:  
-No. He's trained in lightsaber combat but he doesn't have the Force so he shouldn't sense the two of us.  
-Good. Zhar, Lanne - get back to the central building immediately.  
TK cut in suggesting that they should take road A2 as that was the one they were least likely to inspect. Zhar nodded his thanks along with Lanne:  
-Thank you, Shadow. We trust you know how to fly this.  
-If I can fly my ship - this'll be a piece of cake.  
-If you say so. We shall try to divert their attention.  
Alana nodded gratefully:  
-Please try.  
Zhar and Lanne took off running and Alana followed them with her eyes until the blast doors to the hangar bay locked behind them. Jayden tugged at her arm:  
-Come on, we've got to go - they're buying us time.  
Alana snapped out of it and quickly followed Jayden and TK aboard the shuttle. As soon as they were inside Jayden and TK wordlessly took their places and Jayden fired up the Ships engines. The shuttle jerked and Alana had to grab onto the copilot so seat so as not to fall over. Muttering a hasty "Sorry" under his breath Jayden pressed a few other buttons and shouted to TK to stabilise them using the rear thrusters and the droid whistled an affirmative. Alana slipped into the seat and silently grabbed the lever that would keep them balanced. She felt relief pass through Jayden as he realised he didn't have to explain to her what to do and a small confident smile curled on her lips. Jayden flipped a few more switches and called:  
-Hold on!  
The ship jerked once more and shot out of the hangar. As soon as they were out Alana felt out the Separatist ships in orbit around the station:  
-Droid missile ships seven o'clock! Also separatist warship at five o'clock.  
Jayden gritted his teeth and focuses on steering:  
-Let's hope they decide we're peaceful and play nice. TK, keep the cannons warm just in case.  
TK whistled an affirmative and worked with the interface before trilling a warning. Alana sighed:  
-Of course, it wouldn't have much firepower! It's a shuttle for Force's sake!  
-Some firepower is better than none. Keep them warm.  
-Whee-beep!  
-They've what?! Jayden, they're locked onto us.  
Jayden sighed:  
-Guess, hoping that this would work was too much. Hold on to your blasters people, this is about to get ugly!  
The droid missile ships shot three homing missiles at them.  
-TK - evasive action ! Alana - see what you can do about them with your Jedi powers.  
-Wee-boop!  
-On it.  
Alana jumped up from her seat and stood up. She ran to the middle of the ship and planted her feet firmly at shoulder width. The  was shuttle was spinning and jerking from left to right, sometimes shuddering as regular blaster shots hit its shields - never had she been so grateful for artificial gravity. From the pilots seat Jayden shouted:  
-Alana, it'd be nice if you could speed up a bit - I'm not sure how much more we can take!  
Alana called back:  
-Working on it!  
With her feet firmly planted, Alana closed her eyes and both physically and in the Force reached out. She grabbed the missiles and held onto them, stopping them in their tracks but not without expanding enormous effort. The missiles shook in the air as that astonished droids watched but continued firing. Using up all of her strength Alana turned the missiles around and let them go back to the droids that had fired them, shouting to Jayden and TK at the same time:  
-Get us out of here!  
She released the missiles just a moment before Jayden and TK made the shuttle speed away from the explosion. However their new "friends" didn't want to let them go so easily and followed them on fighters shooting at them. Hazily Alana heard Jayden order TK to fire back but she was a bit too out of it for the moment to say anything. Using up that much Force Energy in one go? Not a good idea. Alana sat on the floor on her knees for a moment before, ignore her body's protests, standing up and focusing-Alana succeeded in creating something like a shield around them. The blaster shots continued but this time they didn't hit the ship, simply bouncing off Alana's field. Jayden and TK quickly noticed the change in readings and for a second glanced back to see Alana standing in the middle of the shuttle her arms out at shoulder level at either side, her body trembling. Jayden tried to sense her pain and feeling and to his immense surprise found it blocked off for now. What the heck was she doing? Jayden suddenly noticed that with every blast the invisible shield took the worse the trembling got. Understanding quickly what was happening Jayden motioned TK to get them out of there, the droid unexpectedly complied. As they approached the planet the shuttles shaking became worse and Alana suddenly dropped to one knee from exhaustion but she kept her hands and the shield up. Their pursuers had resorted to using torpedoes now and Alana's shield was repelling them. Jayden looked at her in concern as he felt her exhaustion though their bond which had once again opened up. Sensing that he was about to stop her or help her Alana shook her head vehemently and squeezed out:  
-I'm fine. Get into the atmosphere and use the terrain maps, we'll lose them in the fog,-in a much smaller voice she added,- please hurry.  
Heeding her request, Jayden and TK accelerated and ducked into Duro's atmosphere. Sensing that the danger was over Alana let the shield go and let it drop. She was heavily drained - she had converted every hit the shuttle would have taken as a wound to herself. No way in the universe that she was going to tell Jayden that- for some reason she had the nagging notion that her overreact.Alana got over the pain that seared through her body and flopped into the co-pilots shuttle chair. She closed her eyes and concentrated on letting the Force fill her body once more. Suddenly TK sounded an alarmed series of beeps and Jayden and Alana turned to him:  
-What is it, TK?  
Jayden turned back to her slightly alarmed:  
-Visibility levels are rapidly dropping and he can't get the terrain computer online!  
Alana sat up straight instantly:  
-What?! What do you mean you can't get it online?  
TK whistled a sharp note stating that someone had removed the datcard from it and now it was blank. Alana repressed the urge to groan, she looked out of the viewport to see the thick yellow fog clouding everything. Suddenly the right wing of the shuttle scraped against something and Jayden and Alana hurriedly leaned over the main computer to asses the damage. Jayden hit the panel slightly in frustration:  
-Damn it, we nearly lost our right wing. Unless one of us comes up with something fast this'll be one really short search and rescue mission.  
Alana's mind went into overdrive searching for an effective way to fly when you could see anything and the computer was gone. A soft woman's voice as if from her memories whispered "Remember, Alana, you don't always need your eyes to see and the machines may fail you too. Use the Force - let it be your eyes. Trust in it, Alana." Taking a deep breath Alana did as the voice of her memories suggested, repressing the question of who it was for now. She closed her eyes and let the Force guide her, let it be her eyes. And suddenly she sensed it, everything around them became clear - she could see their silhouettes behind her closed eyelids. And they were heading straight for an abandoned factory spite.   
-Jayden, right! Turn right!  
-What do you mean?! How can you see anything, especially with your eyes closed?  
-Just do it unless you want us all to be blown to bits!  
Jayden did as he was told albeit hesitantly.   
-Alright Alana what's going on?  
\- Listen to my directions and we'll survive this. I can see everything using the Force.  
Jayden heaved a sigh but complied:  
-Alright, where to?  
-Fly straight and the flip sideways.   
Jayden did as he was told and they narrowly brushed past a cliff and spire. They slowly continued their descent with Jayden following Alana's blind instructions. Suddenly violent air turbulence began. TK buzzed a warning in alarm. Jayden glanced at the readouts:  
-Damn there's spilled ion charges in here! Hold on people and droids, this is going to be a rocky landing.  
Just as he said that the ship started plummeting, the ion charges having disabled the engines. TK shrieked in alarm and Jayden gritted his teeth, Alana furrowed her eyebrows and shouted:  
-Jayden, divert all power to the front shields and see if you can swerve sharply right! TK, see if you can use the last of our firepower and blast at precisely 27 degrees!  
The two hurried to follow her orders as the shuttle continued to plummet. Alana used the Force push a particularly large piece of debris out off their makeshift landing zone while TK blasted the other one. The last burst of engine power made the drift sharply right. Sensing that they were about to crash Alana cried:  
-Brace for impact!  
They hit the surface hard. The shuttle shuddered and jerked as they skidded across the rooftop of an a bonded factory. After a moment they finally stopped, teetering nearly on the edge. The whole crew breathed a sigh of relief (TK chirped)when they did. Running a hand through his messed up jet black hair Jayden turned to Alana with a tired smile:  
-Well, that was fun, wasn't it? Nothing more exciting than a near death experience.  
Alana looked at him like he was insane before bursting out laughing. It was probably slightly hysterical from the near death situation they had just gone through and the adrenaline coursing through her veins. Jayden joined her a moment later and TK, not to be left out, made these droid laughter sound. It took them all a while to calm down.  
   Finally getting over her laughter Alana choked out, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes:  
-Oh Force, we should do this more often.  
Jayden who was also grinning like crazy despite their close brush with death, joked:  
-What? Fall to our deaths more often?  
Alana laughed, shaking her head:  
-Heck no! I don't know : laugh our heads off like the weirdos we are?  
-Whop-whop! Dee-reet!  
Jayden nodded his expression turning serious:  
-The buckets of bolts is right - as fun as this is we need to get moving. But first we should contact Zhar.  
Alana looked uncertain:  
-Are you sure that's a good idea? Grievous is there.  
-Hm, you make a good point. Fine, we'll contact them if, no, when we locate the survivors. But first let me take a look at the engines.  
TK whistled saying that to do that they'd have to go outside. Jayden shrugged and stood up:  
-Well we've got to do that anyway. Come on.  
-Wait a second,-interjected Alana also getting up from her seat.- TK, does the ship have any anti-predator shield equipped?  
TK chirped an affirmative, although, he specified, they were only effective against Duro's native predators. Jayden nodded at Alana and TK:  
-Good idea, we're on Duro so they should work. Activate them.  
TK did as they asked. Outside a hum sounded and greyish-white dome appeared. Satisfied that the shield was operational Alan turned to Jayden:  
-Right, let's go.  
The trio headed for the door. TK integrated with the shuttle and needed a query of whether or not to open the door. Jayden held up a hand:  
-Just a second,- he turned to Alana,-Masks on.  
He didn't need to tell her twice. Alana unhooked the mask from her belt and slipped it on. The mask was grey and semi-transparent. It covered Alana and Jayden's faces from the chin to the bridge of the nose fitting snugly. It has inbuilt air filters and thankfully was made more comfortable and counted on the use of verbal communication. Alana gave an affirmative nod to TK, who, upon her signal, unsealed the door. It slid to the side with a hiss.   
   Alana and Jayden jumped down the remaining meter or so, onto the roof of the abandoned factory, TK followed them using his thrusters. A bit higher above them the troublesome opaque yellow mist swirled but fortunately it did not descend any lower so visibility was good. Alana looked around herself, ignoring the silver dome of the shield around her: everything bore signs of being scorched or worse - corroded. All flora was dead, only stone remained. A bit below them, on the ground, Alana noticed a few droid corroded from the acid or blown up from the attack right in the middle of their jobs:  
-Faithful to their jobs until the end...  
-Dwoooo...  
Alana patted TK's "head" sympathetically and showed him a sad smile:  
-Don't worry, I'll make sure you don't end up like that and I'm sure they're at peace now.  
TK whistled sadly. Alana's eyes continued roaming the barren landscape, as soon as her eyes landed on something that looked like a skeleton she tore them away - no, she didn't need confirmation of the tragedy that occurred here - it was obvious. The Force itself felt empty, hollow, nearly completely devoid of life and yet there was this odd cold feeling in it. So reminiscent of the dark side. Alana hurriedly shook her head - this was the worst possible place to entertain such thoughts.  
  Alana turned to see what Jayden was doing and wasn't the least bit surprised to see him working on the engines. With a small sigh she went over to him with TK. He had a grim expression on his face. Glancing over she saw that the engines were definitely offline.   
-Any damage?  
She asked, frowning at the way her voice was distorted by the mask - it was weird. He shook his head:  
-This is worse than damage - I think we're grounded here. At least until I can get the parts I need. Think I can find a modulator here?  
Alana shrugged:  
-Don't know. Our best bet is to find the survivors and come up with a plan to leave together. Besides I'm no expert on ship repairs.  
-You say you're good with droids.  
-Droids - yes, Ships and other tech - no.  
-But droids are far more complex than ships.  
Jayden pointed out. Alana countered:  
-Probably but I instinctively know how to deal with droids. Sometimes,- she paused looking for the right way to phrase this,- I find out that I can do things on instinct - like my body is accustomed to doing them, the language trick is one of those things. I'm guessing these are skills I picked up before I lost my memory.   
Jayden finally stepped away from the engines and faced her:  
-Must be scary having amnesia. Aren't you ever scared?  
Alana looked down at the ground:  
-When I first realised that I couldn't remember anything I was terrified. Imagine what it's like: you wake up and you have no idea how you ended up in a stone circle on the ground, why you have numerous cuts and bleeding injuries on your body, why its so dark and worst of all - you know next to nothing of who you are. I was lost.  
Jayden looked up at the swirling mist and said quietly:  
-Losing yourself is the worst part. Sorry, for asking you this.  
Alana shook her head:  
-It's fine. It's part of who I am. Anyway, we better get going.  
Jayden looked back at her:  
-Which way?  
TK suddenly interjected stating that he was detecting mechanical heat readings coming from quite a way east of them. He suggested starting there. Jayden made a "go ahead" motion with his hand:  
-Lead the way.  
TK whistled and using his thrusters descended into the ground. He called them down. Alana shook her head and shouted:  
-Sorry, TK we're not indestructible- we'd die. We'll be down in a minute. Stay put.  
TK used one of his mechanical "hands" to salute her. Alana turned around when she hear Jayden call her name:  
-Hey, Alana, I think I found our way down.  
He was standing beside a metal ladder, that, despite being severely danger by the acids rain, still was firmly attached to the side of the building. Alana nodded, as she stood beside him:  
-This'll do nicely.  
-I'd suggest putting gloves on as well.  
Alana looked at him in confusion:  
-What?  
Jayden sighed and pointed at the left pocket in her dark blue vest. Alana opened it and pulled out a pair of thin black gloves. She pulled them on, inwardly thanking Jayden's friend Seila for being so prepared. She cast a glance at Jayden:  
-I'll go first.  
He didn't look too happy with her decision but didn't object:  
-Be careful. It may break.  
-I'll be fine - not a baby.  
-I know, you're just a bit too reckless.  
-You have no room to talk.  
Alana slid down onto the ladder and slowly started her descent. She was halfway down when she heard a loud rumbling sound coming form a bit a way. She turned her head in search of. It but didn't see anything.   
-That's strange... Jayden, did you hear that?  
-Yeah, but it's probably nothing.  
Alana bit her lip and continued her descent down. As she jumped the final four rungs and landed gracefully on her feet, she cast a glance in that direction and murmured:  
-I don't know. I have a bad feeling about this.  
Neither Jayden nor TK had anything to say to that. Jedi intuition normally was spot on. Alana shook her head, trying to expel that bad feeling and turned to her companions:  
-Lets go. TK, lead the way. Jayden, just in case...  
She trailed off but he nodded, understanding her message. They followed TK who was using his sensors to keep track of the energy signature that he suspected was a reactor core. Jayden suddenly asked:  
-Do you think anything still lives down here?   
-I have no clue. It's unlikely but not impossible.  
Jayden glanced around uneasily:  
-Lets hope they don't.  
Alana looked at him in surprise as they:  
-Why not?  
-Because that would prove your bad feeling correct.  
-What do you mean exactly?  
Suddenly the ground in front of them shook. A loud clicking noise sounded and then a buzzing. The trio made a left turn into a rocky clearing. Alana gasped and TK let out a shrieking whistle while Jayden just stared. A huge black beetle like insect stood before the, clicking its pincers hungrily. Unexpectedly the ground shook again and they found themselves flanked by another insect like this one at the other side too. Slowly coming out of her deep shock Alana muttered:  
-Uh Oh,Fefze beetles. Mutated, most probably.  
Jayden nodded and added:  
-And probably very hungry. I thought they were supposed to be peaceful.  
-Not anymore!  
The Fefze suddenly lunged at the trio and they had to scatter. Alana force leapt onto a cliff ledge. Alana force pulled her lightsabers out of the carriers and activated them. The green and purple blades ignited. She quickly assessed the situation while the Fefze were dazed by the sudden change. They couldn't outrun them - she knew how fast these bugs could travel, she couldn't use her force powers to calm them down - the mutated genes prevented that. Their only option was to fight and hope for the best. Praying this worked Alana contacted Jayden thought their Force Bond:  
-Jayden, we need to fight them. There's no other way.  
-Agreed. I'll take one and you take the other?  
-Fine.  
-Good Luck.  
-May the Force be with us.  
She jumped a second before the first beetle rammed into the place she had taken a break in. She landed on the ground again. The Fefze turned around and hissed at Alana. The young Jedi shuddered - she hated bugs. It lunged at her once more and Alana rolled out of the way. Deciding to take the initiative this time Alana charged at it's legs and swiped with her Lightsabers - a large gash appeared on its leg but a the Fefze merely shrieked in pain and whirled on Alana. Suddenly the Fefze spat at her a glop of green liquid, Alana's instincts made her move. A second later the place where she had been standing was dissolved by the green glop. Tightening her grip on her lightsabers Alana softly cursed:  
-Kriff! It's acid.  
Her comlink switched on and TK's voice stated that the acid could be fired every two minutes and that the approximate range was 20 meters - this was problematic. The Fefze chasing her rammed into the wall and a ton of rocks started falling on the young Jedi. As she sliced them all in half while dodging the ones she couldn't slice, Alana shouted into her comlink:  
-You don't say! Where are you anyway?  
TK answered that he was on the cliff, waiting for the right opportunity to make a shot. Alana cursed under her breath as she dodged another acid spitball but hit her leg in the process. Frustrated Alana used the Force impulsively to pick the beetle and throw it against the cliff face. Stones fell onto the Fefze and it roared in protest. A moment later an electric shock hit it right in the eye and it shrieked. That shock had been TKs doing. Thought the comlink he advised Alana that it was best to go for spot between the eyes - it was their weak spot. Alana had to backflip to avoid the Fefze's sharp leg that had attempted to pierce her:  
-Thanks, TK!  
Alana rushed at the beetle and used the Force to leap onto his head. The Fefze shook it violently and Alana got thrown off. Alana winced when she felt something in her leg click but she endured the pain and got back up. She shouted to Jayden:  
-Aim for the spot between the eyes!  
A moment later there were a few blaster shots and a shriek. Alana barely dodged the next acid spitball as it landed one second after she moved. Not to be deterred Alana used the Force in the beetle, following what it was telling her. Suddenly the beetle froze in place, a purple field surrounding it. Alana recognised this Force ability as Force stasis, deciding to question how she knew it later Alana jumped onto the beetles head once more. This time she had managed to just barely sink her green lightsaber into its head when it started moving again. Alana lost her footing and found herself swinging to and fro hanging into her green saver with one hand. Mustering all of her strength Alana pulled herself up onto the head and in a desperate move sunk both of her savers into the head of the giant bug, right between the eyes. She backflipped of it a moment before it collapsed. The ground rumbled from the impact. Ignoring the growing pain in her leg Alana turned to see Jayden shooting his Fefze in the eye and barely dodging its pincer attack. She rushed at it and swiped at the pincer. It fell off with a clatter and the bug screamed. Jayden shot between the eyes again. The bug retaliated by spitting acid and swiping with its other pincer. This time Jayden sucked in a sharp breath as a nasty gash appeared in his arm and blood started pouring out. He ignored it and winced as he saw the bug knock Alana aside into the cliff face as if she were a rag doll. However Alana got up and leaped at the bug again, subconsciously favouring her left arm. It took a moment for Jayden to get it : her pain was his and his pain was hers. That was the danger of their bond. Shrugging that aside Jayden shouted to Alana:  
-Listen, I'll distract it while you and TK fire.  
She nodded and TK whistled an affirmative through the comlink. Jayden shot it in the eye again: the bug whirled on him. He started running the bug followed. Alana used the Force to lob at least ten large rocks at the Fefze. It hissed - this lunch wasn't easy prey at all. Jayden took it momentary hesitation to lob a thermal detonator down its throat. Just as TK and Alana were about to hit it. The bugs head exploded - spewing green acid everywhere. It's headless body fell to the ground - dead. For a minute all of them stood motionless before Alana limped over to where Jayden was standing and offered him a weak smile:  
-We're alive.  
Returning her smile Jayden whispered:  
-We did it. We really did it. High Five?  
In answer Alana hit his uninjured hand with her own palm. TK descended down cheerfully whistling . TK had also done his job. Destroying most of the rocks that had rained down onto his two fragile companions had been no easy task.  
-Thanks for the help,TK.  
-Yeah, thanks for coming through, you rust bucket.  
Alana turned to Jayden but just as she opened her mouth another voice shouted:  
-Wow! Wizard! You guys were awesome. Those bugs got totalled!  
Alana and Jayden whipped around to see a little boy standing between two large rocks, his eyes gleaming with excitement. The little boy was literally jumping up and down from exhilaration. Alana's mouth parted in surprise as she surveyed the boy and it finally clicked. He had red skin, yellow eyes and fuzzy jet black hair - his clothes were plain and simple, black in colour, and he wore a breathe mask. Alana sucked in as she surveyed the boy and she dimly heard TK whistle in surprise. She now understood why Zhar had been so apprehensive and secretive about Mikals true species. He had good reason to worry. Before Alana jumped up and down very possibly the last living member of an ancient race that had opposed the Jedi. In shock Jayden began:  
-Mikal is...  
Alana slowly finished for him in a stupor:  
-A Pureblood True Sith....


	19. Child of the Sith

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Before you ask : yes, I've gone overboard again but I hope this makes up for the long wait. I know I took a while. So yeah, this chapter will be looking into as you can guess Mikal. To be totally honest when I came up with Mikal as a character I wasn't even sure what species he'd be but my mind decided that for me. So anyway, Enjoy! While I go back to freaking out about my first exam being 12 days away. Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I will own Star Wars when black holes shine, as Han Solo so kindly phrased it

Chapter 19 - Child of the Sith

Mikal was hopping up and down on the balls of his feet and beaming. That had been awesome! These three were amazing! Excitedly he rambled:  
-Woah! That was awesome! I mean you were like whoosh whoosh with those laser swords and then you lifted it up and it went kersplat! And then you fired that lightning in the others eye! And when that grenade landed in his mouth and its head blew up like -Kaboom! That's amazing!   
Mikal was so caught up in the moment that he didn't see the shock in the eyes of the three he was admiring. Alana shook her head, slowly shutting off her shock - she would deal with how and why later. Jayden hesitatingly asked:  
-Um,kid, hate to interrupt you but who are you?  
The little boy stopped rambling and slapped his small forehead suddenly remembering:  
-Right. I forgot. It's nice to meet you - I'm Mikal Larik. Sorry, about my lack of manners Mum swears that my mouth gets ahead of my brains.  
Alana's gaze softened and she crouched down the be on eye-level with the boy:  
-I'm Alana Sheelan, a member of the Jedi Order. That guy behind me is Jayden Callen a well known bounty hunter and the astromech is TK-26. It's nice to meet you too, Mikal.  
Mikal's eyes lit up at the mention of "Jedi":  
-You're really the real thing? A Jedi? I've never met one before but Mum says they're really cool no matter what our government says and that I could probably become one.  
Alana feigned ignorance and asked:  
-Oh, really? Why?  
Mikal closed his eyes and after taking a deep breath in and out he lifted one hand a few of the smaller rocks around them levitated. He opened his yellow eyes excitedly:  
-Because of this.  
Alana nodded and stood up, replacing the lightsabers back into the carriers:  
-Your Mum is right. It's actually one of the reasons we're here - I came to talk to your mother about your affinity with the Force.  
Mikal scrunched up his eyebrows:  
-Affinity?  
Alana smiled realising the word was too difficult for a 4 year old child to understand:  
-Connection.  
-Oh! That makes much more sense.  
Jayden shook his head in amusement at the exchange- Alana really had a connection with kids. Stepping forward he asked:  
-What are you doing out here alone, Mikal?  
Mikal sighed dispiritedly:  
-I came out here to see if there was anything we could use to get off the planet. We're going to die soon if we don't. Mum hopes they'll send a rescue team soon but the others say they won't. I'm not giving up.  
TK turned to the kid and whistled that they were in fact the rescue team. Mikal looked up at them hopefully:  
-Really? Do you have a ship we can use?  
Jayden grimaced:  
-We did have a ship, technically we still do but we need parts to repair it. Parts, that may be hard to get especially here.  
Mikal was thoughtful for a moment before saying:  
-The adults may know which factories here have the stuff you need. And then if you fix your ship we can leave!  
Alana nodded slowly:  
-That actually might work. But we'd have to find the others.   
Mikal smiled brightly:  
-Don't worry, I know the way! Follow me!  
Jayden and Alana exchanged a glance but shrugged and decided to follow the kid. Just as Alana suddenly took a step she dropped onto one knee cradling her other ankle. Jayden, who had felt the jolt of pain shoot through her leg, instantly crouched down. Mikal also crouched down, his yellow innocent eyes wide:  
-What's wrong?  
Alana smiled for the sake of the kid even though all she wanted to do was cry out in pain. Jayden's green eyes were serious as he paraphrased Mikal's question:  
-Alana, where did you hurt your leg?  
Not even wondering how he knew Alana squeezed out:  
-Ankle. I think I twisted it.  
-You sure? Maybe it's broken?  
TK rolled up to them and chirped that he could preform a quick scan. Jayden didn't look surprised in the slightest and said:  
-Do it.  
TK whistled and his projector suddenly did a 180 and a green light shot out from it. Alana removed her hands from her ankle so as not to interfere with the scan. How an tracker killer droid had medical capabilities was beyond her. Sometimes, Alana mused, it is better to go with the flow. Of course this in a way contradicted one of  the tenets of the Order but right now wasn't the time for that. Completing the scan TK stated that it was just a simple twist as she had supposed. Jayden looked at her in concern:  
-Can you heal it?  
Alana bit her lip before saying apprehensively:  
-I've never fixed anything like this before. I can try though.  
-What happens if you fail?  
-Don't know. Probably nothing.  
-Don't risk it. It's too dangerous.  
Jayden looked at TK:  
-You obviously have medical knowledge : what the best idea?  
TK stated that his medical records suggested using kolto or stims to temporarily numb the pain but healing should go about naturally. Alana shook her head:  
-No. I have to be able to move about. You both saw the fefze and I get the feeling that there's something connected to the dark side here - I can't be the weak link. I won't! Even with my weird enhanced regenerative ability it'd take at least a week.  
Mikal shook his head sadly:  
-We can't last that long. Mum says that something bad is coming.  
Alana looked pointedly at Jayden:  
-See? Let me try.  
-I wasn't stopping you.  
-Yeah? Cause it sure felt like it.  
-Damn it, Alana! I'm just stressed out and yeah I'll admit it - I'm worried about you. Because what affects you also affects me.  
-I'm not helpless!,-desperately she whispered,- why don't you trust me?  
Jayden looked away:  
-Because trust isn't that easy to give. This is why I don't have friends. Do what you will.  
He stood up and walked away a bit. Alana instantly felt slightly guilty about the harshness of her words but just as Jayden's words had stirred something in her, her's had stirred something in him. Alana looked down at the ground. Mikal turned to the droid and quietly asked:  
-What was that all about?  
TK whistled one exasperated word: organics. Alana took a deep breath and closed her eyes, reaching into the Force - she began to cure her twisted ankle. The Force energy streamed through her body repairing damaged cells and creating new ones. As she did this she felt something cold and dangerous looming at the edges of her consciousness in the Force. She was certain: it was something connected to the Dark Side. If anything it was resilient- a dangerous trait which made it all the harder to quench. After a few minutes of healing  Alana opened her eyes and gingerly tested her ankle and foot - thankfully it didn't hurt. Standing up, she turned to Mikal and TK who were patiently waiting for her:  
-Give me a moment.   
Mikal nodded:  
-You should make up with him. People shouldn't fight, that' what mum always says.  
Alana smiled at the little boy:  
-Your mum is right. You're a good kid, Mikal - I can sense it. TK,- she addressed the silver-navy astromech,- keep an eye on things - tell me if we have any more "friends" looking in.  
The droid beeped and affirmative and saluted her with one mechanical appendage. Alana nodded and headed over to where Jayden was standing, more like leaning against the cliff wall. He was fruitlessly trying to staunch the blood flow. Silently she walked up to him and wordlessly moved his hands out of the way, setting both of her own hands on either side of the gash she slowly began healing it.he didn't stop her. The tension in the air was palpable. Not looking up,Alana was the first to break the tense silence:  
-Listen I know you're probably mad at me and I do admit I overreacted. Also that's probably an understatement,- she laughed at herself softly, - and I understand if you want to ignore me completely but just don't compromise the mission - that's all I'm asking. And,- Alana took a deep breath, - I was happy to hear that you worry about me. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry.  
There was no answer so she just kept her eyes down and focused on healing. She watched with extreme attention as the cut slowly healed up and the skin knitted itself back together. She heard Jayden sigh:  
-You're impossible.  
A small smile graced on her lips:  
-I've been told that, yes. Sorry.  
Jayden ran his uninjured hand through his already messy jet black hair:  
-I don't mean it like that. It's just you're so complex and that keeps throwing me off. I'm pretty good at figuring out people, normally it doesn't take more than an hour but with you it's like the harder I try the more confused I get. Just when I think I get what kind of person you are - you prove me wrong. It's frustrating frankly. Plus we do seem to get on each other's nerves a lot in spite of this dumb bond. It's confusing - you're confusing! I don't understand you.  
There was a moment of silence before Alana quietly murmured:  
-Try probing me through the bond.  
He huffed:  
-What for? You have a shield up just like I do.  
She sighed:  
-Just do it.  
Rolling his eyes he did it and was surprised with what clarity he could sense her emotions. There was sincerity... remorse...hope...worry...uncertainty? The wide array of emotions she felt shocked him. And the it clicked she had let down her shield for him. She...trusted him? It's was either her naïveté or bravery - she shouldn't be leaving herself open like that. Watching the glow around her hands he slowly asked:  
-You..let your shield down?  
Her smile didn't waver:  
-Yes.  
-Why?  
-Because, as cliche and as naive as this will sound, I trust you. And if I need to prove my sincerity - I hope this does. And by the way - I can't read you either.  
There was a momentary pause before Jayden asked:  
-So you trust me?  
-Yes, though you probably think I'm an idiot for doing so.  
-I do. But if you're willing to give this friendship-slash-partnership a go - so am I.  
Alana finally looked into his face. Midnight blue met lively green.  Slowly, and not believing her ears she spoke:  
-Did you just say friendship?  
A grin found its way onto Jayden's face:  
-I did.   
-But you said you don't have friends - at all.  
Jayden leaned his head to the side pretending to inspect her:  
-I think I can make an exception. Better than having you as an enemy.  
-So friends, Callen?  
-Friends, Sheelan.  
She nodded and smiled to herself. Suddenly a child's voice rang out beside them:  
-Are you gonna kiss now?  
Alana and Jayden turned around spluttering to see Mikal looking up at them curiously. TK was a bit behind the Sith boy and Jayden had a suspicion that the droid was laughing. Alana , very flustered, quickly denied it:  
-No! No,no, no. We're just friends. Where'd you get such an idea anyway?  
Mikal shrugged:  
-The holovids mum watches. And mum always kisses her boyfriend after a fight. Why don't you two kiss?  
He questioned innocently. Alana's face was blushing, in her mind she said:  
-Help me out here.  
Jayden grinned and sent back:  
-Oh no, I'm enjoying this way too much.  
-Damn you.  
\- Whatever you say, princess.  
-Ugh.  
Alana struggled to explain:  
-It's because unlike those people we're not in love. And will never be.  
-Hey, never say never. I've been told I'm quite charming.  
-In your dreams, di'kut.  
-As charismatic as ever, princess,as charismatic as ever.  
Mikal clapped his hands and pointed at the two of them:  
-Aha! He called you princess- that means you are in love! Mum uses these kind of words too and she's very in love with her boyfriend.  
Alana facepalmed and shot a glare at Jayden who was grinning like a maniac. Turning to Mikal she tried to explain once more:  
-He's just doing that to annoy me. Trust me - we can barely stand each other.  
Mikal had such a confused look on his face and Alana's face was tinged severely with pink that Jayden and TK could barely repress their laughter. The glare Alana shot them helped. Mikal crossed his arms an muttered:  
-Grown ups are so confusing. Well, anyway, you wanted to find the others, right?  
TK buzzed an affirmative note. Mikal nodded and motioned them to follow him as he ran ahead. TK sped after him, evidently he had taken a liking to the young child of the Sith, while Alana and Jayden followed after them at a steady pace. As they walked along Jayden muttered:  
-That kid is something else...  
Alana smiled but remained silent. She couldn't have phrased it better herself.

========================

After a fairly long walk an abandoned military base loomed into view. Mikal had oddly enough fallen asleep during their walk but he had given TK the coordinates which turned out to be the same as the reactors coordinates, Jayden had currently taken over carrying the kid from Alana. Mikal's eyes were closed and his face was peaceful as his head rested on Jayden's shoulder. Alana looked at the kid and sighed. She was worried, even more so than when she had learned he was on the toxic planet. She could sense how strong he was in the Force and although it was the light that dominated at this point she knew how strong of a pull the Dark Side had on him. As he grew older it would only intensify- it was in his DNA. Alana desperately hoped that he would be able to resist it - that he would shatter the stereotype the Jedi had in their heads of his species. But still how was there still a true Sith in the Galaxy? To her immense frustration Alana couldn't recall what had nearly wiped out that race. She wasn't sure if it was considered extinct or just close to it. The fact of the matter was that Mikal was one of them and how that came about to be was beyond their knowledge. Maybe Murla, his adoptive mother, knew more.   
   Feeling slightly uneasy Alana reached into the child's Force presence and probed his mind. She was instantly surrounded by light and peaceful emotions, in the corner of her mind she momentarily saw  a bright flash of colours before it faded - that had been a flash of Mikal's dream. And yet ,among all the light within him, there rested a shadow, a sleeping menace of the Dark Side - asleep for now but it would awaken one day,at the worst possible time. She felt a need to protect him, to shield this child from that darkness - perhaps it was just her maternal instincts speaking, but her Jedi side was also adamant about keeping all of these children that she had been charged with safe from the evil of the Dark side. Alana had been so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't hear Jayden calling her name until she crashed into a boulder.   
-Ow! Okay, who put that rock here?  
Jayden who was still carrying a sleeping Sith child was trying very hard to refrain from laughing:  
-Um, Alana, I hate to disappoint you but that rock's been there all this time. That's what I was trying to warn you about.  
Alana stood up,rubbing her lower back, she murmured:  
-Well, this is a new record.  
Jayden shrugged and continued following TK who was whistling impatiently. Noticing how silent Alana was Jayden hesitantly inquired:  
-Ok, what's got you so deep in thought?  
Startled at being called out on it Alana drew a blank:  
-Huh?  
-You're too lost in thought.  
-Uhm, that. It's a lot of things.  
-Like?  
Prompted Jayden, shifting his hold on the kid slightly. Alana sighed:  
-You're not going to let this go are you?  
-No, so you may as well give up.  
-You're persistent.  
-And you're stubborn. Does whatever is bothering you have anything to with Mikal?  
Alana looked up at the cloudy yellow mist before slowly replying:  
-Yes, it does. As well as a few other things. Jayden, what do you know of the Sith?  
\- You referring to the one who's chasing you?  
-No, the True Sith.  
She could feel Jayden's gaze on her but she didn't meet his eyes.   
-Not much. Nearly nothing to be perfectly honest. Why?  
-Then you don't know how much of a threat the others will view him as....The Senate and even the Jedi are prejudiced against his kind. Most of the Pureblood Sith were agents of the dark side and they served the Empire many millennia ago, when it was at war with the republic.  
Jayden drew in a sharp breath:  
-You mean the Cold War that had been on pause because of the Treaty of Coruscant and then resumed again?  
Alana nodded:  
-After it was all over the True Sith vanished. Some say they became the sorcerers of Tund but then were wiped out by a man who learned of all their secrets. Whatever the cause of their demise the galaxy thinks itself better off without them. That's why,- Alana paused and drew in a shaky breath,-I'm worried about Mikal. Very worried. Despite what the council may believe we have many people who are against even letting non-humanoid beings even join the order. I don't want him to suffer. I don't want him to live with everyone expecting him to suddenly turn to the dark side, never trusting him. The constant wary gazes aren't nice. Trust is something we all need.  
She sounded as though she spoke from experience, her eyes fixed on something distant- unseen.Jayden was silent for a few moments as they steadily approached the bunker base and just as TK rolled up to the main interface quietly asked:  
\- What about you?  
-Hm? What do you mean?  
-Well, what's your attitude towards Mikal: you said it yourself Jedi tend to be prejudiced. So?  
Alana stared at Jayden for a moment before laughing softly:  
-Oh that. Sorry:brain blanked. I thought it was fairly obvious. I don't harbour any ill-will or prejudice towards the kid. If he does end up joining the order - I'll do my best to protect him. If he doesn't- I won't force him. I've thought about what you asked me on the station and my answer is that I'll put the safety and moral wellbeing of these younglings first before my duty to the Jedi Order. I don't mean to sound treasonous but I won't force anyone to come - I won't rip apart a family.  
Jayden's face remained neutral but Alana had noticed the glint of approval in his eyes:  
-Good.  
Suddenly a voice sounded. It was soft female and it spoke in durese. TK, seemingly being the only one to understand it, replied. The voice sounded a lot more distrustful the second time. Alana sighed, wondering what in the universe TK was telling them. Jayden leaned in and whispered quietly:  
-You don't understand it? The language?  
Alana shook her head:  
-No, thank goodness.  
Jayden raised an eyebrow:  
-This could actually be a disadvantage.  
Alana rolled her eyes:  
-Right now, I'm way more relieved that I'm not a weirdo who knows every language in the known Galaxy.  
-Maybe, but you're still a weirdo. Although I guess TK should be useful for something, right?  
Alana just smiled in answer. While they were talking amongst themselves quietly the voice had grown immensely agitated- evidently TK wasn't doing a good job of convincing it they came in peace... If that was even what he was doing. For all either of the two humans knew he could be telling them how to gut a gundark or better yet one of their own. Seeing this was getting them nowhere Alana switched into Jedi mode. She stepped forward muttering "let me try...". The young Jedi spoke clearly and confidently:  
-Hello, M'am. We're here to help you. Representative Zhar and Lanne Vid sent us.  
The voice switched to shaky basic:  
-They did? Who are you?  
Alana motioned to their little group:  
-I'm Alana Sheelan -a member of the Jedi Order, the guy beside me is Jayden Callen - he's a bounty hunter, the droid is TK - please forgive whatever he said, his "people" skills need work and the boy my friend is carrying is Mikal - he's one of you.  
The voice gasped:  
-You have Mikal with you? Thank the stars! Jorek, open the door!  
Alana glanced at Jayden triumphantly and he rolled his eyes. There was a hissing noise and the pressurised door slowly opened revealing a yellow skinned twi'lek woman and bulky Duros man standing in masks in front of a flickering blue ray shield. The woman looked extremely relieved at the sight of Mikal safely asleep on Jayden's shoulder. She looked like she wanted to rush outside but the man stayed her. She hurriedly motioned them to come inside and they didn't need to be asked twice. As soon as they had entered past the blast doors, the Duros pulled a lever and said doors closed behind them with a loud clang. A mechanical crackly female voice sounded:  
-Pressurising com-m-mplete...  
The blue ray shield in front of the group flickered out and they finally entered the base. It let them through before switching back on. With a sigh of relief the twi'lek and the Duros pulled off their masks and the woman turned to them. She smiled:  
-You can take off your masks here. We've managed to get the filters and ventilation working.  
Alana nodded and took of her mask gratefully. As comfortable as the thing was she was really not going to miss having it on for a while. Jayden did the same with one hand. The twi'lek unexpectedly bowed her head:  
-Thank you so much for finding my son!  
TK whistled in alarm at her gesture and Jayden and Alana looked startled. Alana hesitantly asked:  
-This may be a stupid question but you are Murla Terram, right?  
The yellow skinned twi'lek nodded:  
-Yes, Mikal's my adopted son.  
Jayden glanced at Alana before handing the sleeping boy over to his mother:  
-He's very brave but reckless.  
The Duros man behind Murla chuckled:  
-What'd the kid do this time?  
Alana looked slightly uncomfortable:  
-He nearly got caught in the crossfire between us and two fefze beetles.  
Murla rolled her clear blue eyes:  
-I swear that kid is going to be the death of me. Jorek,-she turned to her companion-, I'm going to put Mikal to bed so can you show our friends to where everyone is ? I'll join you in a few minutes.  
Jorek nodded and called after Murla's retreating back:  
-Try not to murder the boy if he wakes up!  
Murla's laughter rang out in answer. Jorek turned to their three newcomers:  
-Well, shall we go meet the others?  
As they followed the well built Duros Jayden asked:  
-How many of you are there?  
-14, and that's half of the people that came down here.  
Alana sucked in a sharp breath:  
-Force, what happened here?  
TK whistled out a number of threats: crash landings, unstable explosions of factories and those detestable mutated beetles. Jorek nodded as they took a turn:  
-Your droid has most of it right, except one thing.  
-What?  
-The ghosts.  
All three of his companions stared at the blue skinned man. Jayden was the first to recover:  
-Excuse me but did you say ghosts?  
Jorek nodded gravely:  
-Yes, ghosts.  
TK trilled sharply that ghosts didn't exist and Jayden nodded:  
-For once we agree on something.  
Jorek shrugged and continued walking:  
-I'm telling you what we saw. Those ruins are a messed up place.  
Alana slowly posed the questions that had been twisting in her mind since Jorek had mentioned the ghosts, no, since she had felt the dark side looming over the planet from the shadows:  
-What did the ghosts look like? And when did they appear? Were there any strange signs before they did? Where did they appear? How many?  
Jorek looked taken aback by the sheer multitude of her questions and Jayden and TK looked surprised:  
-Alana, don't tell me you believe in this ghost nonsense?  
Alana bit her lip and slowly explained herself:  
-Normally I wouldn't but this time I do. I've felt the dark side looming over this place since we crashed and these ghosts...  
Jayden shook his head warily:  
-You're saying there's more to this planet than it seems? Great, just great. It's like we don't have enough problems already and now the Sith are added into the mix. Ugh, I'll just leave the Force stuff to you...  
Alana nodded before turning to face Jorek. The burly Duros man rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably:  
-Uh, Murla would do a better job at explaining this than me. She'll rejoin us soon. Wait till then, okay?  
Alana shrugged:  
-It's not like we're going anywhere without everyone anyway.  
-What do you mean?  
Jayden sighed:  
-We're the last resort Zhar and Lanne were forced to send. We can get everyone off this rock we'll just need some help with the ship.  
A voice sounded behind them:  
-You're going to need more than just some help to get past the ion spill barrier in the atmosphere.  
They turned around to see Murla standing behind them with a thoughtful countenance. Jayden shook his head:  
-Well, truth be told, yes, I will need some parts but with all the factories here it shouldn't be that hard and then with some help I could rig the engines for a burst that would get us past that barrier.  
Alana crossed her arms and leaned against the wall:  
-Unfortunately that will only take care of the first problem.  
Her companions turned to face her quizzically. Alana elaborated:  
-The second problem is that presence.  
Jayden mirrored her body position and raised an eyebrow sceptically:  
-The supposed ghosts? What problem could they cause?  
Alana turned to Murla:  
-That depends. Where did they appear and what happened beforehand?  
Murla crossed her arms deep in thought before slowly musing:  
-The ghosts, you say? I wouldn't exactly call them that. They're more like apparitions, shadows of beings and the thing is I believe there's only one real one. We stumbled across the ruins of something that resembled an ancient temple underneath the central tower and only because Mikal felt like exploring. He said he had felt something calling him.  
Alana's body grew rigid and her eyes widened:  
-Uh Oh.  
She had a pretty good idea of what the temple was and for Mikal to feel it's pull - that was not good. In fact it was very very bad news. Murla continued:  
-When we came across it I felt a chill rush through me and Mikal was shaking like crazy. That place, it felt odd. Dangerous in more ways than one. However the others,- Murla sighed her blue eyes filling with remorse,- didn't listen and instead charged into the ruins. I hesitated, after all I had Mikal with me so we just waited. None of them came back. Just when I decided to take a look inside myself I saw one of our expedition groups members stumbling out. She was so close to exiting the temple but then there was this flash of red light and she disappeared. I heard her scream. Naturally I decided to get out of there before something happened to Mikal. But just as I turned I thought I saw a shadowy red shape in the entrance of the ruins. I didn't stick around to find out what it was. I'm sorry I can't help more.  
Alana shook her head with a small smile:  
-No, this gave me more than enough information. And Jayden,- she turned to him,- there is going to be a minor problem. I'll handle it... Somehow.  
Jayden looked at her with mild concern in his eyes:  
-Are you sure?  
Alana shrugged:  
-I doubt there's anyone else here who can. Murla, Jorek, we can get us all out of here but can we count on you to help?  
Murla exchanged a glance with Jorek and nodded:  
-Of course. Let me gather everyone in one place so we can formulate a plan.

==============================

A few hours later Alana sat in the corner of the base's central room, meditating. They had met up with the rest of the survivors and agreed on three plans. The first one consisted of Jayden spearheading a repair group to fix the ships engines while the second group lead by Jorek collected all the necessary new equipment that the shuttle would need, as for the third group it would remain here with Murla in charge coordinating the entire operation. TK was aerial support. Nobody had asked Alana on what she planned to do and she was thankful for that - she wasn't sure herself. The idea of helping Jayden and the others rebuild the shuttle seemed so enticing and easy and the fact that they could always use an extra pair of hands made it all the more tempting but Alana knew that nobody besides her fully understood the danger that ruined Sith Temple posed. It all made sense now or at least a lot more things did. For instance Alana now had a faint suspicion as to why Grievous had come here - the timing was too convenient for it to be a pure coincidence. Also they had another piece of great news: the communication link with Zhar had failed - the spilled ion charges had shorted it out. As it had done with a lot of technology. Inside Alana was immensely thankful that her lightsabers were powered differently. She'd hate to be unarmed, especially now when the night was rolling in. Nights on Duro were never a good time.  
  As she sat in the corner mediating while at the same time lost in her thoughts she hadn't noticed how small stones had floated up and began circling her like planets a sun. She didn't even notice Jayden approach until he cleared his throat to draw her attention. Alana's midnight blue eyes opened and she lost concentration which resulted in the stones dance stopping. She sighed in relief slightly when she saw it was just her captain, he had startled her:  
-Jayden? What is it?  
His eyes didn't stray from her's as he answered:  
-I'm leaving in a few minutes, I wanted to check on you before I left.  
Alana relaxed:  
-I'm fine.   
Wordlessly Jayden dropped down onto the floor beside her. They sat in silence for a few moments before he asked:  
-You're planning on going to those ruins, aren't you?  
Alana didn't ask how he knew she just nodded:  
-Yes. I doubt anyone apart from me even realises the true threat that temple poses.  
-It's something to do with the Sith, isn't it?  
Alana wrapped her arms around her legs tighter, drawing them closer to her chest before softly whispering:  
-Yes...  
Jayden studied her expression out of the corner of his eye:  
-You're scared, aren't you? Afraid?  
In answer Alana closed her eyes and began whispering:  
-There is no emotion, there is peace,  
There is no ignorance, there is knowledge,  
There is no passion, there is serenity,  
There is no chaos, there is harmony,  
There is no death, there is the Force...  
Jayden's concerned expression only deepened:  
-Alana?  
She sighed and rested her head on her knees facing him:  
-That was the Jedi Code. The Masters say it's supposed to help us but I've never felt anything from it. It's so cold and rigid.  
-It's definitely strict. But you committed your life to being a Jedi, right? And that means serving the code.  
Alana's eyes closed and she murmured tiredly:  
-Not in my opinion. Don't get me wrong- I want to become a Jedi, I believe in most of their ideals and I want to serve the light but the council and I don't always agree on everything. That's why I prefer to do things my way. That's why I feel emotions. That's why they would all call me weak. I wonder... What exactly am I?  
Jayden was quick to respond:  
-You're a living free being and that's all that matters... Are you going to be alright?  
Alana sat up normally and nodded:  
-Yeah, I'll be fine. You should be careful.  
His green eyes seemed to pierce through Alana's fake brave mask but he didn't say anything. It was Alana's business after all. He smiled his usual confident grin:  
-Hey, I'm me.  
Alana snorted:  
-That's why I worry. Oh!  
Her eyes suddenly lit up as though she had remembered something incredibly important before they dimmed again, seriousness overwhelming them. Hesitantly Alana said:  
-There's probably something I should teach you. Something that could protect you.  
-I'll be fine. I don't need protection.  
-Yeah, I beg to differ. This is something you should know. It's not protection against physical attacks, it's against mental and force attacks. Remember how I said you need to learn to shield your presence?  
Jayden nodded, recalling her words. Alana continued:  
-Well, I don't have time right now to teach you that but there is a basic you should at least know. Two things to be totally honest.  
She lifted up two fingers and folded them as she listed:  
-One- awareness of presences, two- block.  
-What?  
Alana sighed, she wasn't doing a good job already:  
\- Look,you're Force-sensitive but the you can't use the Force at will. These two tricks, if you will, will help you. The first one will help you have a better awareness of presences for instance you could locate me if need be and sense any danger coming at you in the darkness. The second one is something I accidentally found I could do when I was much younger - it's sort of a block. You summon up all the light within yourself and convert it into a near physical block for any darkness attacking you. I'm sorry- I'm bad at explaining these things.  
Jayden shook his head with a small smile:  
-No, it's fine. I understood it all. Let's give it a go.  
Alana's lips were graced by a relieved smile and her dark blue eyes shone with a playful light:  
-Very well, my young padawan.  
-Pffft. Get on to it, Alana.  
Alana nodded and sat down cross legged and Jayden mirrored her position. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, noting that Jayden was watching her carefully. Exhaling she spoke:  
-Close your eyes. Reach out with your senses.   
-Okay...?  
-Just do it. Tell me, without looking what can you say about your surroundings?  
There was a pause and Alana heard Jayden sigh in exasperation. She knew this was weirding him out but she didn't know how else to teach him this. Slowly he spoke:  
-This place is hollow. Like nearly empty but all around us there are small lights. They're all moving. Some are brighter than others and warmer while others seem bitter and colder. And then there's something at the edges, hiding. It's dark and cold, foreboding but the strongest light is right in front of me. That light is different.  
Alana tensed as she felt Jayden's force presence probing hers but she ignored her instincts to throw up a wall and merely remained still. He continued speaking:  
-This light is warm and bright and yet there's something sad about it hiding deep. It's light overshadows everything else so it's nearly impossible to notice but it's there.   
Against her own will Alana whispered painfully:  
-Stop... Please stop...  
Although she didn't want him to hear it Jayden had. He opened his eyes and although he could still sense the lights in the back of his mind they were nearly gone. Instead he saw Alana's face with her eyes scrunched up and her lips trembling. His eyes widened when he realised what he had done. He had probed her too far. Her eyes opened and he felt shocked by the vulnerability they displayed, by the pain even if only for a millisecond.   
-I'm sorry. I didn't know...  
Alana shook her head with a small smile:  
-Don't worry about it. I should have warned you that the bond enhances things like these.  
There was a moment of silence before Jayden cautiously asked:  
-So those lights... They were presences?  
-Yes. I'm glad you managed to sense them so quickly.  
-And that last one. It was yours wasn't it?  
-Yes. Though I didn't expect you to recognise it.  
Jayden smiled wryly:  
-I felt it once before. You know, when you drove that Sith Lord out of my head. The first thing I noticed back then was how bright it was. The same thing happened when we were on Alderaan's moon and I borrowed strength from our bond to drive the Sith from my mind. That bright light is like a defence for you isn't it?  
Alana looked up at the ceiling before shrugging noncommittally:  
-I suppose. It's like the masks you and I wear because we're really afraid. Anyway, -Alana turned back to face Jayden,- that's how you find presences. You can probably still see them in the back of your mind, right?  
-Yeah, but it's sort of weird.  
-Don't worry it'll wear off if you don't concentrate. Well not wear off but fade out.  
-It's fine. This'll come in handy in the dark. Wouldn't want a big, bad, acid-spewing ,mutated Fefze beetle creeping up on us.  
-Were all those adjectives really necessary?  
-What? I'm just trying to correctly characterise the enemy.  
-The enemy? You consider an overgrown, mutated, acid-spewing bug to be your enemy?,- Alana paused for a moment before thoughtfully adding- Okay, that does sound bad when I say it out loud.  
Jayden grinned and shot her a triumphant look:  
-Told you so. Okay, let's stop wasting time - can you show me the next one?  
Alana nodded and opened her mouth to speak but before she could she was cut off by a shrill beep. The two humans turned to see TK rolling up to them at a crazy speed:  
-Whee-beep! Bee-beep-boop!  
Jayden sighed and stood up:  
-Looks like we're out of time. I've got to go.  
Alana also stood up and looked at her two friends carefully. For a second Jayden thought he had seen the shadow of concern on her face before it was replaced by a familiar teasing smile. She turned to Jayden and TK and crossed her arms:  
-You two be careful,ok? No jumping down a fefze's throat just so you can blow it up from the inside, you hear? I know how reckless both of you are.  
TK buzzed: "I'm always careful but the idiot pilot? No promises." Jayden felt a strong urge to flip the droids circuit breaker but restrained himself when he saw Alana watching the two of them  amusedly. Green eyes met dark blue with a challenging gaze:  
-This is coming from the girl who jumped out of a window from one of the top levels of Coruscant.  
-Like the guy who went to assassinate the kriffing chancellor has any room to talk.  
-Fair point - let's call this a tie. I really have to go. Now once again: will you be ok?  
-I'll be fine. Go. If you really don't believe me you can always check on me via the bond.  
Jayden nodded, evidently satisfied with her response. With a vague farewell gesture which Alana mirrored he walked off with TK hot on his heels. In her mind the Mandolorian's voice warned:  
-Don't go rushing into a Sith Temple like an idiot.  
The corners of Alana's mouth tugged up as she sent back sarcastically:  
-Don't worry, I'll rush in like a smart person.  
Quite a bit away Jayden snorted. That girl was incorrigible.

============================

Alana hadn't realised that she had drifted off to sleep on the cold stone floor of the base until she felt somebody prodding her awake. Vaguely she registered two voiced: one of a small child, the other of a woman. With a soft moan Alana opened her eyes and blinked twice to get her vision to focus. Mikal's red-skinned and curious face came into view. Somewhere in the back of her mind Alana also registered that he was wearing sleepwear.  Upon seeing her open her eyes and sit up Mikal turned his head over his shoulder and yelled:  
-Mum, she's awake! I found her!  
Murla's slightly tired voice replied:  
-We never lost her, dear, and don't you mean you woke her up?  
Mikal had the grace to look sheepish for a moment before calling back:  
-Yeah,well, but humans shouldn't sleep on such a cold floor.  
-No, nobody should.  
Agreed the yellow-skinned twi'lek walking up to them and extending a hand to pull the young Jedi up. As soon as she was standing on her feet Alana apologised:  
-Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep on everyone.  
They had been in the middle of a meeting when Alana had dozed off. Sleep had decided to take over for a bit. Murla smiled and shook her head, her lekku swaying behind her:  
-Don't worry about it: we were all surprised that you had managed to go that long without sleep. Even Jedi need their rest and your body looks quite banged up.  
Alana shrugged:  
-I'll heal. My body regenerates faster than it should.  
Murla crossed her arms over her chest, mother-mode kicking in at the sight of the clearly exhausted obstinate teenager.  
-Still. You should get some sleep, we have bunks here. The boys only left an hour ago so you have the time.  
Alana stubbornly shook her head in refusal:  
-Thanks for the offer but no. I'll be fine.  
Murla sighed, realising that she was fighting a losing battle:  
-If you're sure. But you should at least grab a cup of Caf if you plan on staying up.  
Alana nodded:  
-Yes, please.  
The twi'lek sighed in relief just as Mikal piped up:  
-Mum, can I have some blue milk? Please? Pretty please?  
His mother smiled but looked at him mock sternly:  
-You may, but only on the condition that you go right back to bed afterwards, young man.  
-Deal! Let me just to put on my shoes first.  
The twi'lek nodded, smiling fondly and called after the running boy:  
-We'll be in the canteen.  
-Ok, Mum!  
As the two women watched him run off, Murla murmured:  
-That boy...  
Alana glanced at the twi'lek out of the corner of her eye to see immense deep love shining in her companions bright blue eyes. Quietly she asked:  
-You love Mikal a lot, don't you? Like a mother.  
Murla turned to her and smiled:  
-Well of course I do - he's my son. We may not have the same blood but we're closer than some biological families are.  
-I'm glad. It's good that Mikal has so many people who love him. Love help keep a person in the light and wards away the darkness.  
-Jedi philosophy?  
-Nope, personal musings. The Jedi would probably be a bit mad at me for what I said about love but they don't know can't hurt them.  
Alana said yawning and Murla shook her head, amused:  
-Are you sure you don't want to sleep?  
-Positive.  
-Okay, then let's go get you some Caf.  
Alana followed Murla into the small canteen. Once there the twi'lek stepped behind the bar counter and busied herself with making their drinks while Alana quietly slid onto a bar stool. As she was fixing their drinks Murla suddenly asked:  
-Hey, what's  the time?  
Alana checked her chrono that was attached to her comlink, Ayyshiri's creation. She twisted the dial and her Galactic Standard Time shifted to Duro's time in a matter of seconds - it had a good geolocation function. Alana looked at Murla's back and asked:  
-Which time? Standard or Duro?  
-Standard, most of us live by it.  
-It's one in the morning. So on Duro that is...  
Turning around Murla placed two steaming beverages on the counter before Alana and a warm drink of blue milk before finishing for her:  
-About the same. But the planet has a 33 hour day instead of the customary 24.   
-Ah, thanks,-Alana took a sip and her eyes widened,-This is really good.  
Murla chuckled:  
-What'd you think? That I was going to poison you?  
-No, nothing like that. I just thought that with the state things are you wouldn't have such good quality drinks.  
Murla pulled up a bar stool and sat down across from Alana:  
-I'll let you in on a little known secret: we, historians, love good drinks. It's what keeps us going. No, seriously, you should look at our packing checklist - half of it consists of beans and spices for drinks.  
-No kidding?  
-Nope, I'm being totally serious. It's like a requirement for a historian.  
Alana laughed and the yellow-skinned twi'lek smiled: that girl needed to smile more, since she had met her she had been serious and thoughtful the whole time. The only times she had visibly relaxed were when she was asleep or with either Mikal,that odd astromech or Jayden. Which obviously made Murla wonder at her connection with them. With Mikal she had obviously easily connected, something which was surprising since he usually took a while to open up to people. As for her two companions Murla was hesitant to jump to any conclusions. Mikal obviously seemed to like the droid and was curious about the bounty hunter - as a parent Murla was slightly confused. She was pulled out of her thoughts when she saw the puzzled look Alana had on her face, she was practically brimming with questions. Taking a sip of her steaming beverage she said with a smile:  
-You do know I'm not going to shoot you with a toxic dart for asking questions, right?  
Alana raised an eyebrow:  
-A toxic dart?  
Murla shrugged:  
-A girl's gotta have style. Ask away.  
Deciding to take her up on her offer Alana posed the first question of the many in her mind:  
-Zhar told me you're their best historian. How come?  
Murla put done her drink and tapped the countertop thoughtfully:  
-i don't know really.  It just happened. Truth be told I was actually born here, on one of the orbital cities. So I guess you can say Duro is my homeworld and naturally its history was something I learned. But the thing is Duro's history is elusive and shadowy with many mysteries. And I LOVE solving mysteries so I dedicated myself to becoming a historian and solving them. I really love this job. And I guess somewhere along the way I became well-known. Believe me that's the last thing I wanted with having to look after Mikal and all. Too much attention isn't good for a child.  
Alana nodded in agreement. After taking another sip, she asked:  
-So how did you even end up raising Mikal?  
Murla's eyes misted over slightly, recalling the memory:  
-Well, it began with Mikal being found atop the central tower on Bburru station as a baby - he was only a few months old. The janitor was the one who found him along with a maintenance droid. They were extremely surprised when next to the main communications system they found a crying red-skinned baby with a metallic cylinder in his little hands.  
At the last sentence Alana sat up straighter and wonderingly murmured:  
-A lightsaber....  
-Precisely, I still have it. Anyway, they took him to Zhar, who, even though he did an extensive search, couldn't find his parents or relatives. Now, I don't know if you're aware but if the parents and relatives of a child die Duros have a custom of giving the child to one trusted member of the society to raise, but at this point Zhar encountered a problem: Mikal's race. You've obviously identified it by now and I'm glad you treat him well regardless.  
Alana looked at her in confusion:  
-Why wouldn't any sane person? He's a kid, he's not responsible for what his ancestors did!,- and then it clicked in Alana's mind and her hands tightened their grip on her cup,- oh no... Don't tell me... But he was a baby...  
Murla nodded sadly:  
-Yes. Duros hate the Sith race. Some of the kindest and most caring people Zhar knew violently refused to take in the baby and told Zhar that if he truly cared about the people under his protection he'd get rid of the baby. Permanently.  
Alana's eyes were wide with horror and absolute revulsion, in a hushed voice she uttered:  
-What kind of sick people are they?! He was just a baby! That's totally uncalled for and twisted!  
Murla nodded, looking into the depths of her dark brown Caf. After a moment she continued:  
-Zhar later admitted to me that half of him wanted to do what they said but thankfully common sense and his morals prevailed and as a last desperate attempt he reached out to the "alien" population of Bburru station. Back then I was only starting to gain my momentum as an archeologist and historian, and I had also only recently moved to the station but when Zhar turned to me for help and I saw that poor baby - I couldn't refuse. I just couldn't. Sure, the historian side of me as to how and where this Sith baby came from but I guess the mother inside of me wanted to take care of him - so I agreed.  
The twi'leks peaceful and fond smile returned, she was basically glowing. Alana felt a pang of regret at what she was supposed to do. To ruin such happiness? It hurt. Murla continued:  
-About a year ago I learned of the fact that he was Force-sensitive. And that's why you're here, isn't it? For Mikal?  
Alana mutely nodded but kept her eyes fixed on her hands around the cup, she knew she couldn't handle the twi'lek's frigid glare. She could feel it on her. She knew she probably deserved it but still...  
   Murla sighed in defeat and dispiritedly whispered:  
-So? When are you ripping my son away from me?  
Alana's head jerked up, pain reflected in her eyes:  
-I wouldn't do that!  
The twi'lek's blue eyes narrowed disbelievingly:   
-Oh really? Isn't that what you Jedi do with Force-sensitive children?! Don't lie to me!  
-I'm not! Maybe the Masters would do that but I wouldn't!  
-I don't believe you. I won't let you take Mikal and brainwash him by force!  
-I won't hurt him. I wouldn't take him without your consent even if I could.   
-You lie!  
Unexpectedly even for herself Alana felt her body shake and a warm drop of liquid slide down her cheek. She was crying? Maybe it was the day's stress or maybe it was somethings else but tears were falling from her eyes. She quickly wiped them away and looking down at the floor, quietly whispered:  
-I'm not lying but I can't force you to believe me. I came here to tell you that Mikal has the potential and capabilities to become a Jedi and help protect this galaxy. And even if I was ordered by the Jedi to take your son - I wouldn't do that without his agreement and your consent. I won't rip a family apart regardless of my duty to the Order.  
Murla couldn't see the young Jedi's face but her voice sounded sincere and her confidence wavered. Slowly she asked:  
-And what if the grandmaster of your order called you right now and ordered you to do that?  
Alana sighed:  
-First of all he wouldn't be able to since the ion spill barrier is preventing anyone from contacting us and us from contacting anyone. But hypothetically? I would tell him the truth and flat-out refuse.   
Murla looked at the girls downcast face and felt her own expression soften. All doubt of the girls sincerity evaporated from her mind - she wasn't lying. She knew the power that Mikal possessed and she knew the immense danger that came with it. As a his mother she had a feeling that if he wasn't trained his power could collapse on itself and he could get irrevocably harmed so perhaps it would be better if the Jedi took him in. In an equally soft voice she asked Alana:  
-Promise me you will protect him? Like I would?  
Alana nodded readily:  
-Of course I will, I promise.  
Murla sighed:  
-Very well then. In that case - I give my consent, - ignoring Alana's astonished look, she continued,- but only if Mikal agrees. Where is he by the way?  
Alana looked around, also realising that the small boy was taking far too long to come:  
-I don't know... Give me a moment.  
Alana closed her eyes and reached into the Force. She saw her around the base until she latched onto the correct small flickering light. Her own light presence gently probed it and she felt peace, warmth and sleepiness wash over her. Mikal had fallen asleep. She opened her eyes, a small smile lit up her face:  
-He's asleep.  
Murla shook her head and chuckled:  
-Oh dear. I knew he was too tired. You know, he woke up because he said he had a strange nightmare of a big robotic-like creature that coughed and wheezed, flanked by a battalion of those ugly Separatists droids entering the temple. He's been having them a lot, like he said he'd seen you and your friends in a dream too but this time he insisted he had to tell you. That's why he woke you, - Murla suddenly noticed Alana's shocked countenance,- Alana?  
Alana's hands slowly reached up to cover her mouth and she shakily whispered:  
-No... This wasn't a dream.  
The twi'lek looked confused:  
-Then what was it?  
-A force vision.  
Alana quickly slipped of the bar stool and reached for the breathe mask on her belt. She paused and looked at Murla:  
-I hate to trouble you but could you please tell me how to get to the Sith temple?  
Murla looked dazed for a moment but then rapidly shook he head:  
-No! You mustn't go there. You will die, despite being a Jedi. Please, listen to me. I suspect that that temple is the tomb of an old Sith Lord called Darth Desolous. Despite the reports that claim he died on Yaga Minor I know by the markings that I saw in the old Sith tongue - that is his tomb, he rests here. He will kill you, you mustn't go!  
Alana's hands clenched at her sides and after taking a deep breath she smiled and said:  
-I have to go. Otherwise we won't get off this planet and even worse General Greivous will obtain what's inside and then this war may never end.  
Murla looked at the young Jedi standing before her. She had courage, determination and resolve shinning in her midnight blue eyes and yet Murla knew that she could easily break in half if confronted by strong enemy. And yet something told her that she would only truly break if her spirit was to be overpowered and even though she had no acres to the Force Murla could tell that accomplishing that would be very hard. From what she had seen and heard so far Alana was stubborn, brave, honest, reckless and loyal to her beliefs and friends. She sighed:  
-There is no way that I can dissuade you, is there?  
-No.  
-I don't like doing this but alright.   
Looking Alana square in the eyes Murla briefly described how to reach the ruined central tower under which the Sith Temple was located. Crossing her arms to hide her hesitation she inquired:  
-Got that?  
-Yes, thank you. I promise I'll come back, I still have to ask Mikal whether he want to be a Jedi remember? You have my word that I'll do my best to keep your son safe and get us all off this planet.  
Murla nodded:  
-I believe you. Good luck.  
Alana slipped on her breath mask and just before running off smiled slightly and said:  
-May the Force be with us all.

=======================

Jayden trod carefully through the nearly falling apart old factory that they had entered to retrieve one of the required parts. As he shone the torch over the large gap in front of him he really wished he had taken his armour - the jet pack would've come in handy. The part he needed was on the opposite side and the bridge to it was corroded away by acid. Suddenly outside the wall he heard a loud clang. Hid instincts told him that that didn't mean anything good. Trying out the trick Alana taught him Jayden searched for the lights. He saw seven of them spread through the factory - his team and then he noticed two darker ones outside. He  focused on them and cursed when he felt out what they were : Fefze beetles. Smaller but just as deadly as the ones he had fought with Alana and TK. He switched on his comlink and hoped this worked:  
-Hey droid, you hear me?  
An affirmative insult was heard. Jayden sighed in relief, the comlink said on the surface worked even if the others didn't. He quickly explained the situation to him.  
-Got that? Warn everyone to be ready.  
TK whistled a negative and suggested another idea. Jayden frowned as he mulled it over:  
-Blow them up? With what?  
-Bee-whop!  
-You found heat seeking missiles?  
TK trilled an affirmative. Jayden had to hand it to the droid - that was a good plan. Nodding, Jayden agreed:  
-Fine, lets go with that but the factory may collapse so get everyone out and to a safe distance, I'll get the parts myself.  
TK beeped an alarmed protest and Jayden rolled his eyes:  
-Please, I'll be fine. And why in the universe are you worried about me in the first place?  
TK warbled something about how he wasn't but he was sure Alana would be upset if he got himself killed. Jayden sighed:  
-I'll risk it. Go.  
TK gave a last resigned beep and ended the transmission. Jayden smiled grimly and looked at the gap again. Sure, it was easy to talk but in reality? Not so much. He estimated the gap - three, four meters? If he had a running start he could probably make it and that was assuming that the bridge-like structure he was walking on right now held up. And that was definitely uncertain due to how much it creaked and shook as he walked. Suddenly his comlink beeped and a green light flashed in the darkness. Jayden frowned at it but clicked on the accept button. Alana's voice sounded, she was breathing heavily, out of breath as if she had been running for quite a while:  
-Jayden, do you read me?  
-Yeah, I hear you. What's up?  
-The sky, Jayden, the sky. We have a problem.  
-Make that a few.  
Her breathing began returning to normal as she asked:  
-Why? What's going on with you?  
-Well, dismissing the fact that it highly possible we're all going to die from a multiple Fefze beetle attack, I'm contemplating whether I could jump three or four meters from a highly rickety bridge without falling to my death. You know, the usual.  
Alana laughed slightly before turning serious again:  
-You're serious about the jump?  
-Yeah, I need the parts and there's a huge corroded gap between me and them. Anyhow, what new with you? I thought you were at the base with Mikal and the others.  
Alana sighed:  
-I was, before understanding that we have a huge problem: Grievous is coming here. To the surface.  
Jayden froze. This was very, very bad. Like super bad. Drawing in a shaky breath he asked:  
-How do you know this?  
-I've suspected since Murla mentioned the Sith temple that that maybe his reason and now Mikal's had a Force vision. I'm in front of the ruined central tower right now.  
Jayden sighed:  
-You're going into the temple, aren't you?  
-Yes.  
He closed his eyes for a moment and exhaled:  
-I'm not even going to try and stop you. What can TK and I do?  
He heard her sigh and could almost picture her looking heavenward:  
-Keep an eye and ear out for any crashing ships. Even the Separatist army leader can't know of the ion spill barrier beforehand.  
-Will do,- Jayden hesitated before adding in a quieter voice-, Be careful in there.  
He could hear the smile in her voice:  
-Don't worry I will. Become a ghosts wall decoration isn't on the to do list.  
-I'd like to proofread that list when you get back.  
She laughed: a clear, pure, happy sound.   
-Maybe I'll let you have a look at it when I get back.  
-You better, princess.  
-May the Force be with you, Cap'n.  
-Good luck.  
The transmission cut off and Jayden sighed softly. She had her problems to deal with and he had his. Somehow jumping a giant gap seemed a lot more tame now. It was better than combating a few dozens of the see-through dead at least. He turned back to the gap and smiled at the challenge it offered. There was no way a dumb gap was going to get the best of him!

===================

Alana slowly descended down the stone stairs beneath the tower and froze when she saw the scene that spread out before her. It was as if the ground had been hollowed out and a large empty space was out before her in the middle of it stood a towering pyramid shaped Sith temple. The ground was cracked and for a moment Alana had the illogical fear that a chasm would suddenly open up. She shook her head to get rid of it and began making her way towards the entrance of the temple.   
    As she walked she involuntarily shivered. She could feel it. The Dark Side. It twisted and swirled all around this place. She could feel it's tendrils reaching out towards her, slowly coiling around her. She refused to become it pawn and her light burned the tendril, making it jerk away. Alana winced, her body and her Force abilities were taking quite a beating today. Still the dark side was relentless it probed at her and prodded, searching for a weakness it could latch onto which Alana refused to show.  
  She stopped just a moment before entering the temple and took a deep breath, inhaling the cool air. She felt cold, very cold. Subconsciously she rubbed her arms with her hands in a fruitless attempt to warm them. Logically she understood that it wasn't that cold (even though nights on Duro did get fairly chilly) and that it was just the dark side's presence affecting her so but that didn't stop her body from reacting instinctually.  
  Just as Alana was about to take a step forward heard head throbbed and her vision swam. Suddenly she saw a battlefield with many men with red lightsabers and just as many with green, blue and yellow ones. Jedi fighting Sith. She heard screams echoing and she felt the pain and terror in the Force. She saw the grass under her feet be smeared with blood. She felt the need to scream build up in her chest... And then it all vanished, leaving Alana doubled over gasping for air. Her lungs hurt and so did her head. What had just happened?   
  Out of the corner of her eye Alana though she saw a blue light slip past her and enter the temple. Finally catching her breath Alana straightened up and rubbed the spot between her thumb and index finger to lessen the pain in her head. What had that been? A vision? That battlefield evidently hadn't been on Duro but where and why did she see this? Could that have been a dormant memory?   
  Alana shook her head to her rid herself of these questions. As much as she wanted to ponder the answers now wasn't the time. Gathering up all of her courage and resolve Alana pushed past the logical and force-sensitive part of her mind that was screaming at her to stop and entered the Sith temple. The darkness welcomed her into its embrace.


	20. The Dark Temple

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I'm back! With my fourth milestone- chapter 20! Aiie! I'm so happy. Thank you everyone who's voted and commented and even just read - I know this probably sounds repetitive but I really do mean I doubt I'd have gotten here without you. Thank you. On a different note I have my first exam which is social studies in 5 days so wish me luck. Okay, so in this chapter you may see a few faces from real Star Wars (screw Disney and their cannon... Sorry...) and I really tried my best to portray them well. Oh and one last notice: Darth Desolous is a real SW character not an OC that I made up and there will be mention of a Darth Femeron- he's an OC Sith Lord from my SW:Breaking Point fanfic. Enjoy!

Chapter 20 - The Dark Temple

As soon as Alana stepped into the dark temple the ground beneath her feet quaked and she had to grab onto a wall so as not to fall down. Behind her rose a stone, wall-like structure and securely sealed the entrance, plunging her into darkness. Somewhere beneath her shock Alana registered just how cliche this was. Remaining oddly calm Alana took off her mask and assessed her options, looking for the best course of action. Her main concern was that it was far too dark to see anything. Temples like these often had traps to stop scavengers and raiders from looting them and without any light, even with her eyes adjusting to the darkness Alana couldn't make out anything, although maybe her lightsabers could help with that...  
Alana pulled out her green lightsaber and ignited it. She started to move it around when it suddenly flickered out and no matter how many times Alana tried switching it on again it didn't work. This was the first time anything like this had ever happened and Alana was ready to admit that she was beginning to get seriously creeped out by everything. Still,after replacing her green lightsaber Alana pulled out her violet one and ignited it. It shone brightly, bathing Alana's face in a purplish light. Alana waited for something to happen to it tentatively but after a minute passed and nothing did, she relaxed slightly.  
Using her lightsaber as a light source Alana glanced around. She was standing in a stone passageway and the exit was blocked so the only way to go was forward. Suddenly something on the walls caught her eye. Bringing the lightsaber closer to it, Alana surveyed the markings on the walls. It took her a moment to realise that these markings were writing in the ancient Sith tongue. Which she somehow understood, but that wasn't anything new. Alana slowly traced the writing on the wall as she read out quietly, her voice echoing:  
-Tremble...before...the might...of the Sith. For here...is the domain...of Darth Desolous. If you...posses any...life? No, light. If you posses any light...within you...you shall perish, for that...is the power...of the Dark Side.  
Alana stepped away and bit her lip. Murla had been right, this was the tomb of Darth Desolous. Alana struggled to recall something about him. For a moment there was nothing before suddenly a flood of information filled her mind. He had been a Pau'an by race, a powerful Jedi Master before he turned and became a bloodthirsty Sith many thousands of years ago. It had taken the whole Jedi Council to defeat him over Yaga Minor and it seemed even now he didn't rest. He had a very powerful fighting style though Alana couldn't recall what made it special. And what worried Alana the most was that Desolous had the gift of exposing his opponents weaknesses and using them highly efficiently against them.  
Still, she had no choice- she'd see this through to the end ,whatever the final outcome was. If she didn't somehow stop Desolous from playing around with the planet they would all die. Whatever had awoken the ancient ghost must have been strong. Definitely stronger than a few archeologists. She grasped her purple lightsaber tighter.  
Alana took a deep breath and started walking, actively ignoring the blood stains on the walls and the bones on the floor that her feet accidentally hit. Soon enough she was standing in front of the first opening,a wide seemingly empty room, with lightsaber in hand. She walked into it when suddenly out of nowhere a hand grabbed her free arm and pulled her into a small adjacent room filled with small strange crates . Alana's first natural instinct was to scream but a gloved hand clamped over her mouth and male voice quietly said:  
-Shh, don't scream. You'll bring the whole structure down on us and I'd rather he didn't find us so quickly.  
Breathing rapidly Alana shut her mouth and nodded slightly. Seemingly satisfied that she wouldn't scream the person let her go. Alana turned around and in the dim light that her lightsaber gave off she struggled to make out who it was - no such luck. The figure looked around and sighed:  
-You didn't figure out the lights, huh?  
He flicked his wrist and Alana heard a stone object sliding up before suddenly small red dim lights embedded in the walls lit up. The light was dim but sufficient enough for Alana to finally make out everything. She instantly turned her attention to the person who had grabbed her, shifting into a fighting stance, both hands securely gripping her violet lightsaber. She couldn't see his face because of the black hood he had on but he raised both hands in a peaceful gesture:  
-Relax,Alana, I just want to talk.  
-Who are you? And how do you know my name?  
His Force presence was incredibly strong and what surprised Alana was that it was aligned with both the light and the darkness, somewhere in the back of her mind it felt somewhat familiar. That cloudy feeling rose up in her mind again and she focused in on it, trying to recall where she had met that person before. She frowned: it was impossible, whatever kept her amnesia in place was also blocking this. The man sighed:  
-So you did lose your memories. I thought as much.   
In one fluid motion he pulled off his hood and Alana saw his face. He had brown-green eyes and dark brown hair that reached to the base of his head. On his face were numerous circular red scars that looked extremely painful. Even though she couldn't remember ever meeting him somehow he seemed like she should know him. He wore black robes, the belt on which was joined together by a metallic circle. On it hung two lightsabers and a mask. An old Mandolorian mask, like one from the Mandolorian wars. Black with red and looking like it had seen better days. He was looking at her with a slightly amused expression on his face. Suddenly it clicked, she remembered who he was but it was impossible. It wasn't supposed to be possible. A slight headache pounding in her head, she breathed:  
-Revan...

============================

TK whistled worriedly as he saw Alana's signal go dark. He turned his head to the place her signal had last come from, he didn't like this. If she was in trouble he had no way of knowing. For a moment he contemplated leaving the others and going after her but decided against it, using it only as a last resort. Unexpectedly he detected slight seismic activity coming from underneath the ruined central tower where she had last been. What was going on? The bulky Duros oaf beside him asked:  
-Well? Did you find Jayden?  
TK whistled a "Not yet" and resumed his life scans. The oaf sighed exasperatedly:  
-Can anyone understands what he's saying?!  
The organics around him shook his head and TK let out a string of frustrated beeps. He suddenly became very appreciative of the idiot captain and Alana and their ability for understanding binary. If only his vocabulator wasn't fried and he hadn't used it already today... He'd have to ask Alana if they had any spare parts. TK performed the scan again anxiously and was starting to become a little worried when he didn't detect any life signs coming from the now collapsed factory into which the heat sealing missiles had crashed. They had effectively managed to dispose of the oncoming swarm of mutates beetles with missiles but at the cost of collapsing the factory with the idiot captain still in it. And now TK was actively searching for his life signs. There were none.  
All of TK's logical circuits, his programming all told him to a abandon the search and move onto his secondary objective but unlike most droids he refused to listen to them. On the contrary he took off, using his thrusters to fly over to the wreckage. He switched on a light and started manually searching. Extending his mechanical hands he started slowly moving one rock and then another while the useless organics watched astonished. He refused to give up. He enabled his sensors once again and ran another scan. Same results. Zero life readings. Rejecting those results TK continued his stumbling journey across the wreckage and scanned once more- zero life. TK buzzed in frustration - where was he?! If the idiot captain was going to die it would be in a more dramatic way! Or at least by TK's doing!  
Suddenly there was a soft cough and TK instantly turned around, picking up the sound on his sensors. He traced the sound back to the source to find Jayden half-buried under a large piece of the factory's durasteel wall. His arm and his head were poking out but the rest of his body was still trapped under it. The acidic durasteel piece had prevented TK from getting any positive readings. Relief filled the little astromech droid as he rolled over to the barely conscious teenager. Disregarding the fact that they probably wouldn't understand him, TK whistle a "get over here" to the Duros over the comlink and waved his mechanical arms around wildly. Jayden stirred again and groaned.  
The Duros seemingly understood the droid and came over to help. TK whistled and shone his light onto Jayden. Jorek turned to his men:  
-Okay,men, heave-ho!  
They surrounded the piece of the wall and in one strenuous move pushed it off. Jayden groaned again and his eyelids scrunched up. TK pushed past the Duros and performed a health scan. To his relief there were only a few very bad bruises and a deep gash on his leg but otherwise he was fine. Jorek turned to the droid:  
-So can we carry him to a safer spot?  
TK lowered his head and then raised it- performing the action most organics would call nodding. Thankfully they got it. Jorek hoisted the unconscious boy over his shoulder when TK suddenly noticed something Jayden was holding in a death grip. A small backpack. TK grabbed it from Jayden so the bulky Duros could carry him safely. As they walked away from the wreckage Jorek glanced at the backpack and back at the teenager unconscious on his shoulder:  
-Those must be the final parts we needed. Brave kid.  
Another man nodded:  
-He basically got himself killed getting them. These three are definitely on our side. I no longer doubt them.  
The other Duros also murmured something in assent. TK remained oddly silent. He kept his photoreceptors trained on the captain. He had decided to remove "idiot" for now. The action Jayden had performed was stupid, even downright suicidal but it deserved respect. He knew they would all die if he didn't get the ship up and running and he couldn't without those parts. He knew that he could very well die and yet he didn't run with the others. For a moment TK saw a young woman jumping over a ledge and pushing him out of the way, taking a the full hit of a Sith's Lightning attack head on herself because they needed him for a mission. TK turned away. Stupid organics... Didn't they know how fragile their bodies were? Jayden stirred again but didn't wake up. They reached the base of the factory where they had landed the shuttle Jorek set Jayden down on the ground carefully and took the backpack from TK, saying:  
-The kid told me how to do the first stages of the repairs. When he wakes up tell him we said thanks and if he feels alright he should come up and give us a hand.  
TK whistled an affirmative note. He didn't know how long he waited simply watching Jayden before the boy's eyes opened. Jayden groaned:  
-Ow, my head... What happened?  
-Whee-deet.  
Jayden turned to him and lifted a hand to his head:  
-TK? Yeah, I'm alive. Very sore though.  
-Whop-beep.  
-What do you mean explosion?  
-Beep-frotz.  
-You mean I got caught in your crazy missile attack? No wonder it feels like I got run over by a heard of stampeding Banthas. Good thing I shut the bond off beforehand...  
Before he could say anything further TK got out one of his injectable kolto packs and stabbed it into Jayden's leg. He winced before asking:  
-What was that?  
-Bzzt-whop.  
-Kolto? Thanks. And uhm, would you mind not mentioning this to Alana when she gets back? She'll kill me. Literally.

======================

-Revan...  
Alana breathed, her eyes wide with shock. Her mind struggled to comprehend how this was possible. It wasn't supposed to be. The idea of him being a Force ghost crept up in her mind but she instantly rejected it. He had managed to grab her arm and he looked perfectly solid to her so that couldn't be the case. Besides, to the best of her knowledge Revan had become one with the Force so this was impossible for him. As she spoke his name an indiscernible emotion flashed through his eyes:  
-So you recognise me. Though I doubt you remember how we first met...  
-No, I don't. How are you even here? How are you--  
-Alive? I'm not. Haven't been for a very long time now.  
-But you're not a Force ghost...  
Reasoned Alana. Revan half-shrugged:  
-No, not exactly. Truth be told,you're the only one apart from the dead that can see me. There was a chance that you wouldn't but I'm relieved that you can.  
Alana sighed and deactivated her lightsaber, lowering her arms. She was utterly confused. Rubbing her temples, she quietly asked:  
-I'm not hallucinating, am I? This is the second time this is happening.  
-If you're referring to the time you could see that old man and no else could then you're correct. This is the same situation. And, no, you aren't hallucinating- we're both just as real as you are.  
It took a moment for it to click in Alana's mind:  
-You mean the man I spoke to was dead?  
Revan nodded:  
-Yes, in fact he's been dead far longer than me. You used to know him, just as you knew me.  
Alana massaged her temples tiredly and apologetically said:  
-I'm sorry but I cannot remember the first ten years of my life. But how could I have known either of you? In fact how can I even see you?  
Revan's expression was serious:  
-It is not my place to tell you. Just know that everything that seems odd is occurring around you for a reason. You'll learn in time. For now you must leave this temple.  
-No, I can't. You don't understand, I have no choice.  
Alana stubbornly refused, crossing her arms. Revan's gaze didn't stray from her face:  
-You always have a choice. Do you even know what this temple is?  
Alana nodded:  
-The tomb of Darth Desolous. An ancient Sith Lord.  
-Then you must know you aren't ready to face him, much less his ghost. He will break you - you must leave. I came here to warn you of this.  
Alana shook her head:  
-I'm sorry, Revan, but I can't go. Thank you for warning me but I can't run. Are you aware of what is happening to our galaxy right now?  
Revan nodded:  
-Yes, I'm aware of the war that has once again engulfed this galaxy.  
-Then you know that I can't let general grievous get what his master wants from here. This war will never end! I can't just let millions more people die when I have a chance to prevent that!  
-I understand your determination but Desolous will kill you. You don't understand- ghosts are dangerous but they are even worse for you.  
Alana's fingers tightened around the lightsaber in her hand:  
-How so?  
-The dead are not dead to you. You perceive them as though they are alive, they can touch you,- he reached out an arm and tapped Alana on her shoulder as demonstration-, they can kill you. And you can't stop them. It took the whole Jedi Council to kill Desolous, in the state you are now you hold next to no chance. Why, I cannot tell you.  
Alana looked down for a moment before raising her head again, determined:  
-I'm sorry but I can't. I refuse to give up.  
Revan sighed and merely nodded in understanding:  
-You were stubborn even back when I met you. Very well, do what you must but know that I can offer no assistance. I am, after all, dead.  
Alana nodded:  
-Thank you for warning me and explaining so much to me. I'm sorry I don't remember meeting you though I don't see how it is even possible. And don't worry, I'll manage. I wasn't expecting anyone at all anyway. Goodbye.  
Revan nodded one last time before turning around and simply vanishing. Alana ignited her violet lightsaber once more. It seemed now more than ever that the past was intent on catching up with her. This lightsaber, the ghosts, even for some reason TK - they all wanted to remind her of something. What though? What secret did her memories conceal? What past did they hold? Later, Alana thought, I'll get to this later.  
She stepped into the vast empty room. Alana felt something like a very cold breeze brush up against her though there were no cracks for it to squeeze through. This was the effect of the Dark Side. A voice sounded, not decayed and crackly like Alana had expected but ominous and taunting nonetheless. It hissed:  
-Ohh, what have we here? Such a light being, so much of that detestable light and yet there's quite a bit of that powerful darkness dormant within you too. Ah, a Jedi! I shall enjoy crushing you. It has been so long since I've heard a Jedi scream before I broke them completely. And make no mistake- I will break you...  
Alana didn't cower, instead she looked up towards the ceiling trying to place the source of the voice since it was coming from all around her. The floor had lit up with a red light, colouring her face with its hue. Her voice loyally didn't betray any of her emotions:  
-I'm not afraid of you.  
The voice laughed and Alana felt a shiver run up her spine. It spoke again with dark amusement:  
-Oh, you will be, little Jedi, you will be. Do you know on whose domain you are trespassing?  
Alana held her blade up in front of her in the defensive Form 3 position of Soresu, just in case. She cooly answered:  
-I do not fear you, Darth Desolous. Your time has long come and gone, you're but a restless ghost now.  
-You see this is what I hate about Jedi. Always so confident. And the emotionless ones are worse. But you... In you I can sense so many different emotions and yet you suppress them. Crushing you will be the highlight of the past few decades. You underestimate me, little Jedi, I am far stronger in death than I ever was in life.  
Alana detected notes of arrogance and pride in his voice, carefully masked by the overall foreboding feeling it gave off. Suddenly out of nowhere a fork of red lightning shot at Alana's back. She barely had enough time to whip around and block the lighting before it hit her. Her purple blade absorbed the lightning and a second later Alana did a backflip, evading another red lightning bolt coming at her from behind. Feeling an imminent danger coming from her left side Alana moved away a split-second before a jet of lava shot up from beneath the stone floor. The voice once again sounded a bit amused:  
-Well, well, you really are quick in your feet, aren't you? Tell you what, if you can reach me and I stand before my tomb, we will talk.  
Alana's hand tightened around her lightsaber as she skeptically asked:  
-Where's the catch, Sith?  
The voice gave a dry laugh:  
-Oh, simple. I will attempt to do everything in my power to break you before you reach my tomb. Light versus darkness. Let's see who will prevail, shall we?  
The voice fell silent and Alana felt the presence retreat slightly. She sighed, hoping that it would take Desolous quite a while to realise that he could harm her physically, without using his powers. If what Revan had said was true (and she had no reason to doubt his words) she was an idiot for even walking in here in the first place ,being as tired as she was. But as she had told him she had to get whatever dark side artefact was in here before Grievous did and she had to stop Desolous from messing around with the planet. She simply had no other choice. That was why she moved forward instead of cutting a possible exit with her lightsaber. What's done was done.  
Wary of Desolous plans for her Alana tightened the shields around her mind. The last thing she needed was someone playing the drums in her mind. Steeling herself, Alana entered the corridor from the empty room and wasn't surprised to hear a stone door slide up into place behind her. The small red lights in the walls shone dimly illuminating the path for Alana. She shivered again, she felt all of those dark presences surrounding her, reaching out - trying to snuff out the light she carried. She blocked them out and pushed the grabby tendrils back, burning them. She stopped in front of a stone door. As though it had felt her approach with a rumble it slid down, welcoming her in. Apprehensively Alana walked in and stopped dead in confusion.  
She was standing in the High Jedi Council's room. Out of the windows she could see Coruscant and that instantly made her doubt the reality of this image. Before her sat the entire Jedi Council, though not all were physically present. She turned her head slightly to see her Master standing a bit behind her. Locking eyes with him, he gave her a small watery smile and Alana felt dread bloom in the pit of her stomach. What was going on? The Masters faces betrayed no emotion but Alana could see betrayal, rage, disbelief and resignation lurking in her eyes. But worst of all was the disappointment she saw in Master Yoda's, Kenobi's and her own master's eyes. What had happened? Master Windu spoke first:  
-You have failed us, padawan Sheelan.  
Alana started: What?! But without giving her a chance to speak Master Yoda picked up:  
-Fallen to the Dark Side you have. Allied with the Sith you are.   
Alana protested:  
-No, Masters, what are you saying?! I haven't done any of that!  
Her Master placed a hand on her shoulder and looked at her strictly:  
-Alana, don't lie. You'll only make this worse on yourself.  
Alana could feel her Masters hand on her shoulder and all thoughts that this was an illusion fled her head. Reality crashed down on her. She turned to face all of them pleadingly:  
-But I really didn't do any of that!  
Master Kenobi shook his head:  
-You have betrayed the Republic and the Order. For that you will stand trial.  
Alana took a shaky step back. No! This couldn't be happening... Master Windu sighed and looked at the other assembled Masters:  
-I told you we should have never taken her in. Do you see now,Lionis?  
Alana turned to her Master in horror to see him nodding his head:  
-Yes. I never should have trained her. She has failed us all.  
Alana felt as though each word was a stab to the heart. The corners of her eyes pricked. Suddenly Master Shaak Tii looked up and said clearly:  
-Enter.  
Alana turned to see the door behind her open and Master Lunas step in with her face downcast. Kai rushed to her side and ,holding her by the shoulders gently,asked:  
-How is she?  
Master Lunas spoke softly but loud enough for the whole room to hear:  
-The healers and medics are doing everything they can but they don't know if she'll pull through.  
-It'll be okay.  
Master Yoda tried to reassure her:  
-Pull through padawan Emira will.  
Alana's heart missed a beat- something had happened to Emira?! Master Windu broke the news:  
-Seems you didn't do a good enough job of cutting up your friend, young Sith.  
Alana paled and froze: No, she couldn't have hurt Emira! She couldn't have! Master Plo Kloon sighed:  
-Perhaps we should stop here. Guards, we're done.  
A pair of temple guards entered the room and pulled a frozen Alana out. As they left the room Alana heard Master Lunas ask Kai, hate evident in her voice:  
-What are we doing with her?  
-Relax. She's no longer my student and will stand trial for her crimes against the Republic and the Jedi. She is a Jedi no longer.  
As soon as the door closed behind them and the temple guards had locked her in a room (she didn't even bother trying to recognise it) she fell down to her knees. Her body was wracked with sobs. How could she have done everything they implied? It was impossible... If Alana's logical mind had been functioning she would have probably realised that everything that had just transpired before her was completely illogical and moreover impossible but she was too deep in her feelings of grief and betrayal to notice. She felt like a small part of her was breaking. Suddenly her thoughts and tears were interrupted by a faint beeping. Alana looked for the source of the noise before noticing the faint green flashing light on her arm. Her comlink. Jayden and TK.  
Her mind cleared and she found herself back in the Sith Temple sitting on the cold floor. Shakily she got up, not completely trusting her legs and she heard the voice speak again:  
-Did you like what you saw, little Jedi? I saw how shook up and distraught you were. Pity, that you managed to snap out of it but I still have a fair bit left. You saw that. The Jedi Council is not as righteous as you believe, they will betray you just as I was betrayed.   
Alana forced her voice to remain steady as she answered:  
-I don't fear you, Desolous.  
He laughed:  
-No, you don't but you do fear a lot of things. But we still have a ways to go so let's keep on with our game. I'm waiting.  
The voice fell silent and like before the presence retreated. Alana took a deep breath, centering herself. She had gotten too caught up in her emotions to not realise that what she saw wasn't real. Desolous had utilised her weakness against her. She had to keep a clear head or as he had promised- Desolous would break her. She glanced at the comlink on her arm that had shut off and mentally thanked whoever had called her and snapped her out of her nightmare.   
She took a step forward and was relieved to find that her legs were still up for the job. Her whole body felt sore. The escape from the separatist on the shuttle where she had converted their hits as wounds to herself, the crash, the fight against the fefze, fending off the darkness - it all had taken a huge toll on her body. She didn't know how much longer she could keep going but ,shoving that thought to the back of her mind, she walked out of the room.  
As soon as the door in front of her slid open Alana felt a small gasp escape her lips as she looked at what lay behind it. Instead of a corridor there was a wide gaping hole with no visible end. It was a dead end. Alana's eyes scanned the walls, the ceiling - nothing. There was only one way to go - down. Alana took a deep breath and muttered:  
-Here goes nothing...  
And jumped down the hole. She repressed the urge to scream as she felt herself free-falling with adrenaline coursing through her veins. The air rushed past her ears, whistling, and Alana had to constantly push her hair out of her eyes so she could see. Suddenly the stone floor loomed into view and much faster than Alana liked. Following her instincts, Alana used the Force to slow down her fall but still had to take the brunt of the fall into a roll, hurting her shoulder in the process. Getting up, she winced as a jolt of pain rushed through it and for a moment she wished she had TK here with her. She tried moving it and winced. Well as far as she could tell it wasn't broken, probably just seriously bruised or maybe fractured. It was a miracle she was still alive actually.  
Blocking off the pain for a while, Alana ignited her lightsaber again and looked around herself. She seemed to be in a room that was an antechamber for a much larger one. Apprehensively wondering what torture Desolous had prepared for her next, Alana strode up to the door. Like the previous one it slid down with a loud rumble. Lightsaber at the ready and her mind clear and focused, Alana entered the room. It too looked empty. The door slid back into place behind her and as if on cue the voice sounded again:  
-I can see how exhausted you are little Jedi. All you want to do is take a break, rest awhile, don't you?  
Through gritted teeth Alana stubbornly squeezed out:  
-I can keep going, Sith.  
-Good,-the voice replied-, I wouldn't want to end our little game early. I haven't had this much fun in decades. Now, I believe your petty enemies that I saw in your mind use battle droids? Ha! They're but a weak imitation of the actual ones. Let's see how you fare against the real thing!  
Suddenly six sections on the wall slid open (3 on each side) and out marched a dozen ancient-looking battle droids. Despite their age Alana quickly noticed that their weapons, armour and apparently programming was by far superior to that of the Separatist's ones. The head droid pointed at her and instantly the droids scattered and blaster fire ensued. Alana cursed Desolous silently and proceeded to dodge the blaster fire.  
She surveyed the droids as she twisted and deflected the blaster fire, looking for chinks in their defence. Weaknesses. She couldn't see any. Unexpectedly half of the droids switched to vibroblades and rushed at her. Throwing her lightsaber at three of the nearest ones Alana backflipped away. Just as she caught her lightsaber again she found herself pressed against the wall and surrounded by them. Without hesitating Alana used Force push against them, throwing them across the room and buying herself a bit of time. However she hadn't anticipate the droid's recovery rate and was seriously hurt by a vibroblade soon after. Deciding to try the offensive approach, Alana dashed at the droids and cut two across the chassis but instead of falling apart like they should have only their machinery became exposed. Enduring serval burning blaster bolts Alana finally got it. To take them apart it would take her at least two strikes with her lightsaber which was time she didn't have. Perhaps if her second lightsaber was operational she could handle them but now...   
She winced as a blaster bolt hit her spine while she dodged and plunged her lightsaber into the machinery of one of the droids. Alana was a practitioner of Form 6, Niman, which meant her duelling skills were a little below the other forms but her Force powers... Alana mentally berated herself as she remembered about the fact that she could use the Force against them. Drawing on the Force Alana acted out of pure instinct. The result shocked her. And array of blue lightning shot from both of her hands and targeted the droids, short-circuiting them. Inwardly Alana was shocked at her own actions (due to Force lightning being an inherently Dark Side power to her knowledge) but her conscious and starategic mind took over, ordering her to take this advantage and use it. Alana launched another storm of Force lightning at the last six droids and just in time to see another set march out of the six entrances. Even though she felt her Force energy severely depleting, Alana continued hacking and shocking the droids but there seemed to be no end to them. Deftly hiding behind one of them as another shot at her Alana glanced at the six entrances - she had to seal them. And where in the galaxy did Desolous get so many droids? Hardening her resolve Alana ran past the droids and ducked into one of the entrances. It was a tunnel of sorts. As she made her way through it (not without meeting severe resistance) Alana felt a pulse of displeasure in the Force. Desolous didn't appreciate her breaking the rules. Well bully for him.   
Alana finally saw the dim red light at the end of the tunnel and, hacking the final droid in half, she rushed into the room. It was small and definitely not part of a factory. It was empty (what was it with Desolous and empty rooms?) save for a strange large cylindrical device hanging from the ceiling and some controls. Suddenly the odd machine crackled and lightning shot out of it blinding Alana temporarily and somehow manufacturing two more battle droids. What the heck?! The droids instantly located Alana and engaged in hostilities. Without hesitating she fried them with Force lightning.   
Taking advantage of the momentary peace Alana came up to the strange controls. There were symbols scrolling across the screen that Alana couldn't recognise. Fairly frustrated Alana threw her lightsaber at the cylindrical machine and it chopped a piece off. But to her immense surprise it slowly pulled that piece back in place again by itself. Self-repairing machinery?!  
Unexpectedly Alana's vision swam and the scene before her was replaced by another: she was in another circular room and there were numerous cylindrical droid manufacturing machines there. She seemed much shorter and she was watching a very familiar man out of the corner of her eye with purple and red lightsabers chop them in half before moving to work with one of the controls while she held the advancing droids off. She heard him mutter in frustration:  
-Damn Malak, activating the Star Forge against me!  
That was all Alana saw before she staggered back and her vision returned to normal again. What was that? She recognised the voice as Revan's and she recognised the name Malak too but the Star Forge? What in the galaxy was that? And why on earth did she remember being on it? Was this even a memory of hers or something else? Now more than ever she wished she had access to the Jedi Archives. Maybe Emira could once Alana got out of here and finally managed to contact her. With a pang of regret Alana remembered her best friend - they'd lost contact. It seemed that Emira had also gotten mixed up in something just as Alana had.   
Alana turned back to the machine. She heard a faint buzz and her intuition suggested that this was perhaps the starting sequence for a new droid creation. She hurriedly scanned the controls : a bunch of buttons and some weird symbols on the screen. Alana hesitated- the last thing she wanted to do was to blow this place to kingdom come. The Force thrummed within her and slightly unwillingly she let it guide her. Her hands flew over the buttons and slowly the symbols shifted into something she could understand. The text read: Droid Forge controls. Below it were options:  
1)Set creation parameters  
2)Overload control station  
3) Shut down all forges on this level  
Alana pressed the last one and stood back. The machine crackled before blowing up. Alana had the faint suspicion that it would rebuild itself in a few month time probably but for now it was fine. She heard two more explosions echo to her side ,where the other forge chambers were located most probably. She had shut the machine off but just for good measure Alana also selected the second option and jumped back as the control station short circuited. A small jolt of electricity shot at Alana but she didn't even wince, with the agony her whole body was in right now this didn't even register. Drawing heavily on the Force to sustain her Alana made her way back into the room full of droids.   
Noticing that all the entrances on one side were sealed due to her blowing up the Forges, Alana cut through the the droids so she could reach the other side. She really missed her green lightsaber. It was odd how she had grown so attached to having both of them already. Alana's purple lightsaber swiped off the head of one of the droids and unexpectedly for her the whole body blew up and knocked Alana back. All that was left was a circular scorch mark on the floor and a droid head. Pushing past her pain, Alana got up and entered the other tunnel at the end of which she found an exactly identical forge machine. After repeating the previous procedure (with no weird memory triggers this time) Alana stumbled back into the now void of droids room.   
She sat down on the cold floor and closed her eyes. Desolous's voice sounded once more:  
-You broke the rules.  
Alana's lips turned up into a small tired smile:  
-I never said I would play fair, Sith. And besides isn't that what you're all about: betrayal?  
There was a pause before loud,booming laughter sounded. Darth Desolous was genuinely amused by the young Jedi sitting on the floor in the room that served as the antechamber to his tomb. He was slightly surprised and disappointed that the droids hadn't finished her off and that she had managed to somehow avoid triggering the other defences of the temple. If she had been a Sith acolyte back in his time he might have considered taking her on as an apprentice. Even though she had taken a shortcut she still won and Desolous felt obliged to let her in. Very well, he would.  
-Very well, little Jedi. You win this round. Enter.  
The door in front of Alana slid open and she opened her eyes. Her whole body ached but she urged it to follow her commands and stand up. Unwillingly it complied. She exited the droid antechamber and entered the dark room. As soon as the door slid closed behind her it lit up with that dim red lights. Alana decided that she really didn't like the decor in this place.  
The walls were smeared with blood and etched with writing in the Sith tongue. Skeletons were strewn across the room ,each horribly disfigured in one way or another. Alana tore her gaze away from them, poor people. In one corner lay a small pile of cylindrical silver objects - upon closer inspection Alana saw that they were lightsabers. She felt sick. In the center of the room, upon a slightly elevated area,lay a Sith sarcophagus. The bottom of which was also smeared with blood. A voice behind the young Jedi hissed:  
\- Like the decorations? The visitors were kind enough to become part of it. And the Jedi were double the fun.  
Keeping her head held high,even though she knew at what a huge disadvantage she was, Alana calmly replied:  
-Can't say I do. It's too drab for my tastes. Too.. Sithy.   
-Yes, well. Welcome to my home, little Jedi. Congratulations on making it this far.  
-Thanks but no thanks.  
Out of one of the shadowed corners a Pau'an with yellow eyes and clothed in red and black robes emerged. He carried a lightsaber and shield which Alana guessed was made of cortosis-weave - a material impervious to lightsabers. This was what was special about his fighting style, the kriffing shield. Add that to the fact that he had his own unpredictable fighting style and his perfect mastery of force rage, lightning, telekinesis and you had one serious enemy. And now he was also dead - how in the galaxy was she supposed to stop him? He didn't look dead to her and she had her proof that Revan's words were true. Alana just hoped this wouldn't come to a fight although inside she knew that it was a futile hope.   
Just as Alana had sized up Desolous he surveyed her. She looked almost fragile - like one could snap her like a twig but after watching her with the droids Desolous knew better than to underestimate her. For some reason she seemed somewhat familiar to him, she reminded him of someone but who? She stood in a defensive position with her purple blade before her, illuminating her face. That weapon too looked familiar. And yet he could feel another faint force signature at her side.   
-Two blades?  
He questioned. The young Jedi didn't miss a beat:  
-Yes, but for some reason you temple has rendered it useless.   
-Ah, so not only are you adept at Niman but you are also a practioner of Jar'Kai. How curious. You know what, let me try to fix that problem - it wouldn't be fun if you weren't fighting at your best.  
Alana felt a strong ripple in the Force and the balance somehow shift. She summoned her green lightsaber to her hand and ignited it. This time it shone brightly and Alana finally regained her balance. It only felt right now to have both her hands occupied by a lightsaber. She finally felt a little more in control. Funny how a single object could do that but like the Masters said: A Jedi's lightsaber is their life. The Sith Lord spoke:  
-Much better. Now, little Jedi, why did you come here if not seeking your death?  
He seemed like he was not opposed to speaking for the time being and Alana wasn't going to hasten their fight:  
-I came here to stop you from messing around with the planet!   
-Ah, the usual noble Jedi cause. Predictable. Tell me : do the people suffer?  
Alana stoically answered:  
-There are nearly no people left to suffer. People like you destroyed them all. You are destroying what's left.  
-I suppose that will be sufficient. But dear Jedi how do you presume to stop me? I am much more powerful now that I am dead!  
-No one is invincible. Not me and definitely not you.  
-Ah hah, how naïve. I grow tired of this game Jedi, let us end this. It was nice talking to you but now you have to die.  
He lifted a hand and Alana felt herself chocking. She instinctually tried to pry off the invisible fingers around her throat but all her attempts were futile. She felt her airway being slowly closed off by the Force choke. Summoning all of her strength into a single burst Alana launched herself at the Sith and managed to cut him at the leg. She stumbled off the elevated area and onto the floor. The Sith whirled on her, shocked:  
-How?! You shouldn't be able to! I am dead! I have no physical body. Unless...  
Alana inwardly cursed her recklessness- she hadn't thought this through as usual. Darth Desolous's eyes widened slightly as some strange realisation dawned on him:  
-How?! You should be dead! There is now way you are still alive.  
Alana got up slowly and faced him, hiding her confusion, she demanded:  
-What are you going on about now?!  
The Sith Lord didn't reply and instead unleashed at torrent of red force lightning onto her causing her to scream in pain as he shouted:  
-Die! Die!  
He paused for a moment and Alana gasped for breath, each cell in her body searing with pain. She was barely standing. Desolous rushed at her with his lightsaber raised and not even understanding how herself, Alana blocked. The Sith snarled:  
-So you still have the strength to fight? Very well, you shall die at my blade!  
Alana barely had time to raise her lightsabers as Desolous dealt her the first strike at her rib cage. Alana's side screamed in pain but she kept her moth shut and countered Desolous's next blow. He lifted to strike at her shoulder and she twisted so the blade missed and her's was now at his arm. Desolous spun and pushed her away with the Force which Alana struggled to block by making and "X" with her arms. She launched herself at him, adrenaline coursing through her veins temporarily numbing the agony her body was in, her green lightsaber was blocked by his crimson one and Alana had to force leap to avoid slamming face first into his shield. That jump enabled Desolous to strike her at the leg. She landed in a roll and hit her head. Clutching her leg,Alana crouched and glared at the Sith. Without warning he unleashed another storm of lightning into her. At first she just writhed in pain screaming before slowly her right hand twitched and directed her own blue lighting into the Sith. The shock he received from her knocked him back into the other wall, giving Alana a moment to get up. She took a much needed gulp of air but the pause only lasted a second and the next she had to parry Desolous's attack as he jumped at her ,shouting:  
-A thousand Jedi died cursing Darth Desolous. Now you too will scream my name!  
His arrogance and pride fuelled his Dark Side powers as did his rage. As she endured Alana too felt it tugging at her, begging her to use it - to unleash her own power. She struggled to refuse it. It would be so easy to give in, to surrender to it. It told her that she would crush Desolous like a bug if she would only unleash it. It was tempting, so horribly tempting . She wouldn't have to feel that agony any longer,it told her, it would help. No! - Alana thought desperately and shoved her dark side away. She wouldn't give into it. No. Way. In. Malachor.  
Alana parried his attacks with her own and despite how tired she was they were evenly matched. This time she was holding her own without that Force glow weirdness. Alana flipped over Desolous's shield coming at her and finally her green lightsaber struck his torso. She landed behind him and had to duck as his red blade swung at her head. They were now facing off with Desolous facing the entrance and with Alana's back to it. Desolous launched another attack at her already injured legs and Alana jumped to avoid it, at the same time kicking him in the stomach. Desolous was slowly getting very angry. He needed her to lose focus, to slip up otherwise her defence and agility combined equalled to that of a Soresu master. But how? No matter how much pain she was in the damn brat wouldn't lose focus. Ah. There.  
Desolous fell back a bit so as to have more fighting room and used the Force to ignite the fallen Jedi lightsabers and send them whirling at Alana. As she sliced them in half Alana suddenly heard a voice that made her heart stop for a moment:  
-Alana, behind you!  
Jayden and TK. Alana blocked two floating lightsabers with one of hers and just barely managed to stop another bout of Desolous's red lightning with her other. Noticing the slightly fearful look her eyes had gained for a millisecond when she heard Jayden's voice Desolous smirked. Making three more lightsabers attack her, he shouted:  
-Maybe you can stand against me but I doubt they can!  
It took a moment for Alana to register what he had said. And when she did it was a second too late. Just as she crushed the last lightsaber Desolous hurled his red lightsaber at Jayden and unleashed a storm of force lightning at TK with such speed that neither of them had the time to dodge. Alana watched in horror as Desolous's lightsaber sunk itself into the Mandolorians chest before flying back out and how the red lightning wreaked havoc with TK's systems before he exploded.  
Forgetting the fight, Alana rushed to them. She knelt beside Jayden and after quickly deactivating her lightsabers placed them down, grasping his hand instead. His breathing was becoming more laboured by the second and Alana felt tears well up in her eyes. She clutched his hand tightly, this was one of her worst fears coming true:  
-No, no,no...  
She sobbed. Jayden slowly opened his eyes to look at her. She didn't care that she was crying or how beaten up she was right now. She couldn't let him die because he came after her, because he was worried - the idiot. Because she couldn't respond to his call via her comlink. No! His usual smile seemed strained as he squeezed out:  
-You're supposed to be fighting, dummy. He could kill you right now!  
Alana fiercely shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks:  
-No! Why did you come after me,idiot! You can't die! You were supposed to be fixing the ship and staying away from him!  
He gave her a weak smile:  
-I felt...,-he coughed up blood,- you were in trouble. In so much pain. You... needed help... So.. We.. Came... We're... Friends... After all...  
His breathing was becoming worse by the second. Alana clutched his hand tighter, as if she could keep him from dying. For the first time in a long while she cried not because of something like feeling but because of someone who mattered to her. She cried because one of her friends was dead and the other was nearly there too. Desolous watched with satisfaction, knowing that he had achieved his goal. Alana leaned her forehead on his and through her tears whispered:  
-Idiot...Di'kut...  
He gave her one last smile and chocked out:  
-At least I get a warriors death...princess...  
His voice fell silent. When Alana looked up she saw that the life in his eyes was gone and grief filled her. Seeing her drowning in despair Desolous smiled. She didn't move when he came up to her and began chocking her. Only a moment later did her hand feebly raise her green lightsaber before Desolous easily knocked it away. He had broken her... Triumphant,Desolous grinned. Oh, he loved breaking Jedi.  
As he raised his blade to deliver the final blow he smirked. Once she was gone he would be complete. Done. And he could do what he had missed doing for quite a while. He brought the blade down and Alana squeezed her eyes shut. But the death blow never came. A furious voice sounded and the sound of lightsabers clashing was heard:  
-Enough! You have gone too far, amateur!  
Alana opened her eyes to see Revan before her, blocking Desolous's blade. She could feel his anger rolling off in waves. But why was he here? He said he wouldn't interfere... Desolous looked just as shocked as she was. Revan swung his lightsabers and easily disarmed the Sith Lord. Glaring, he said:  
-You dare desecrate the dead?!  
Desolous grasped at his throat as Revan's force choke took effect. And suddenly both Jayden and TK disappeared as though they were never there. Alana slowly lifted her head in understanding... She had once again allowed Desolous to overpower her mind. She wanted to get up and to fight him but she was done, she was broken even if what she had seen wasn't real. She just couldn't force herself to get up. From the entrance and old woman muttered:  
-Fool...  
Meanwhile Revan, who was now in full armour, with his mask on, was choking Desolous:  
-You desecrated the tomb of one of the greatest Sith to live and used his knowledge incorrectly against millions. I have been looking for you for a long time. And even now you try to turn a living being into one of your dead puppets!  
Barely audibly Desolous chocked out:  
-It would be better if she were a puppet... She is not supposed to be alive! It is against the will of the Force!  
Revan scoffed:  
-What do you even know of the Force?You are blinded by the darkness. I have seen both sides and I understand it. She lives for a reason.  
He let Desolous go and the Pau'an dropped to the floor, onto his knees. From the entrance Kreia spoke:  
-Kill him, Revan.  
Revan shook his head:  
-I cannot. We are all dead for a reason.  
The old woman sighed:  
-Pity. He should pay for desecrating the tomb of Femeron. As for the rest I do not care.  
Revan remained silent. He knew Kreia too well.   
Suddenly a whirlwind of Force energy formed. All three of the supposedly dead looked at its source to see Alana, glowing with a powerful blue light, get up. Her eyes were replaced by that light and she exuded such a powerful amount of Force energy that the whole structure began to shake. Her voice resonated clearly and firmly through the room:  
-But I do.  
It seemed like it was her voice and yet at the same time it wasn't. Feeling that something was about to happen at the spot where he was standing Revan moved aside. Alana raised both of her hands and suddenly Desolous's body grew rigid. That strange voice came from her mouth again:  
-Desolous, you have gone too far. Murdering millions in the past and now trying to make another undead puppet even now. The dead must rest but you deny them even that. For that you must be stopped.   
Kreia watched the girl, or whatever was her, with extreme interest. This was...intriguing. Alana lifted her arms and slowly began to move them together and for once last time she spoke with that voice:  
-You shall be sealed away. For all of eternity.  
Desolous shrieked in pain before suddenly vanishing in a flash of purple light. The two onlookers stood silent. Suddenly the bright blue light around Alana ceased and she crumpled to the ground, unconscious. But the darkness of Desolous was purged from both Duro and this temple. Forever.


	21. Grievous and Survival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm still alive! Surprise! Exams haven't murdered me yet. I even managed to type up this Minster of a chapter for you. I think I may have dragged out the fight scene too long and I'm sorry if it's terrible, I'm honestly horrible at writing action but I wanted to give Grievous what was due. Um, this isn't proofread since I really don't have the time right now so please excuse any typos and autocorrect. My IPad (which is where I actually write all of this) has the weirdest autocorrect in history. Oh and I'm sorry if Grievous seems OOC, I really tried but he wouldn't cooperate. Anyhow, Enjoy!

Chapter 21 - Grievous and Survival

Everything was black. No matter where she looked it was all black. That distressed her slightly. Something like a warm breeze passed by her and suddenly all her distress was gone, she felt safe. Funny how that had happened. Alana understood that she wasn't thinking coherently,but for some reason that didn't bother her. This place... It felt familiar. It made her feel safe, like no one could hurt her. She wanted to stay here, but a voice tugged at her thoughts. "Awaken.." - it whispered over and over. Reluctantly, she complied.  
      Alana slowly opened her eyes. Her head felt like it had been rammed against the wall repeatedly and then crushed by a gundark. And that wasn't mentioning in how much pain her whole body was in. A moment later the events with Desolous came rushing back to her mind and she rapidly sat up, earning herself a strong sensation of vertigo. Alana squeezed her eyes shut and let it pass. As soon as it did she opened them and looked around again: she was alone in the room that had been Desolous's tomb. Neither Revan nor Kreia were here and so was Desolous for that matter. Revan and Kreia Alana could understand, but Desolous? How in the universe did he disappear? Alana groaned: the last thing she remembered was getting really mad at Desolous for what he had done and then forcing herself to calm down before feeling something rush through her and then...   
       Alana froze. She couldn't remember what happened next. She didn't remember passing out or Revan and Kreia vanishing. Not again. Alana shifted into a cross-legged sitting position and folded her arms. What the heck was happening to her? Sighing she muttered to no one in particular:  
-Great, so not only do I have Retrograde amnesia where I don't remember the first 10 years of my life, but now short-term memory loss, too?! Just marvellous.  
Alana closed her eyes once more and focused on drawing on the Force. It somehow felt much more balanced here now and strangely Alana was completely sure that Desolous was gone. He was gone, not even leaving a residual trace in the Force. He was gone for good. How? Alana wasn't sure and the Force wouldn't give her any answers apart from washing over her and enveloping her in the usual warm feeling.   
  Suddenly she felt a ripple in the Force. Like something calling. Something nearby. Alana opened her eyes and stood up, carefully replacing her lightsabers into their carriers. Looking around herself, she took a step forward and was unexpectedly blinded by a brilliant flash of blue light. A moment later it faded and Alana opened her eyes again to see the floor glowing no longer with red but with deep deep blue. The lights had changed from red to blue now too. Odd. The ripple tugged at her again.  
     Following her feelings, Alana made her way over to the opposite wall. She ran her hand over it in confusion at how it was connected, when it rumbled and slid to the side and a much smaller room was revealed. In it was a pedestal on which a yellowed scroll lay along with a red, pyramid shaped holocron. A Sith holocron.   
   Hesitantly, Alana stepped into the room. These two objects had been calling out to her and yet they were dark side objects. Why would they choose her? A Jedi. She stopped just in front of the pedestal and hesitantly picked up the scroll first. The light in the room suddenly brightened. With her heart going a million parsecs a minute Alana unfurled the scroll, expecting to see description of how to conduct a horrible dark side ritual inside but what she saw shocked her. The scroll wasn't an instruction on dark side rituals, it was a letter. A message from thousands of years ago. It read:

To whomever finds this.  
Congratulations. If you are reading this then it means that you have survived the passage through this treacherous temple and probably conquered whatever darkness lay within for this temple has served as tomb for many. It is a no man's land of sorts. Listen to me, I know I must be long dead by the time you read this but I want to help you - I am neither Jedi nor am I Sith and yet I am both at the same time. When I stumbled upon this temple, it showed me a vision several million years into the future. What I saw horrified me: Droids used as weapons, fighting against men with the same face and no names save for numbers while the greedy politicians watch from the sidelines. The galaxy was engulfed in chaos, consumed by war - millions suffered. There were many Jedi but they somehow seemed blind to the two Sith right under their noses. I thought there were no questions, that this was a war in the future plain and simple but I was wrong.   
  Suddenly all of that faded away and in front of shifting smoky clouds I saw two people. People that didn't belong there. A girl with dark blue eyes and a man-a Sith Lord it seems. It was like they were pieces from a different puzzle cast into this one. By who? I do not know. I do not know who they are and yet I learned their names somehow at that moment. Both were shining with a light but not one that belonged to the light or the darkness... It was different. Then the scene shifted and I saw that this girl, pursued by the man, would crash here and stumble upon this temple because of a dark presence that had created a barrier. Her companions thought it to be technological when only half of it was.  
   Alana-that was the name I learned. Alana, I know you will read this. I believe you will defeat whatever darkness lurks in this tomb and then you will find this scroll along with the holocron I left behind. Yes, it is a dark holocron but it your only hope.   
     In this tomb lies an ancient artefact of great power. It is located in the sarcophagus. Do not worry there is no dead body there, it has long vanished. Take it and hide it, Alana. I would much rather you have it rather than the blind Jedi you serve or the elusive Sith. The artefact, I believe, will in time open to you. It may look odd but it holds great power, power that could be used for good or evil - the choice is yours. Use it as you see fit. I warn you though - do not entrust it to the Jedi (and definitely not the Sith). I beg you - don't. Keep it with you and don't let them touch it.  
   Now, back to your barrier: half of it is as your friends suppose - an ion spill barrier but the second half? It is a dark barrier that this monstrous temple has formed over the planet. Together with the ion spill it prevents any life from escaping the planet, drawing on the death and suffering of it's victims. The holocron beside this scroll holds knowledge of an old power - the power that can shatter it. Yes, it is a dark side Holocron but with it in your possession it can shatter the barrier. Sith Holocrons are keys, that open many doors. That Holocron will help you and if you wish to know what knowledge it contains open it.  
   And here I conclude my message. Most people I told don't believe in my vision but a young Jedi by the name of Rand Eda'ij did. He passes on his gratitude. I have no idea what he means. I leave this message here in hope that it will one day serve a purpose.  
Goodbye and May the Force be with you, friend.  
\-----

The name below was faded from time. Alana stared in shock at the parchment in her hands. Millions of questions swirled in her mind. None of which had an answer.   
Alana glanced at the Holocron and then back at the scroll. She knew that this was all against what the Jedi believed. But what should she do? Use it and become tainted or let them all die. The decision quickly formed in her mind and Alana berated herself out loud:  
-Idiot. Stop being so selfish. They matter more than you do. Besides, what's a little darkness it's not like you're not already tainted. Even the Masters said it - you hold darkness.   
She would do it. She'd use the holocron. She picked up both and attached them to her belt with a strap to hold them in place. Casting one last cautious glance at the now vacant pedestal Alana left the small room and the piece of the wall that had slid to the side rolled back into place.   
      Alana wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel, how she was supposed to react, but right now her mind was filled with steely determination to them all off this rock. She trod lightly through the Sith tomb, almost afraid to wake any now nonexistent ghosts. Alana hesitated right before sarcophagus. The letter said that there wasn't anyone inside and that she wouldn't be desecrating the dead, but part of her wandered how much of that was true? Alana shook here head to rid herself of any hesitation and using the Force slid the lid off the sarcophagus to the side. It fell down with a crash and Alana winced at the loud noise. Turning her head back to the sarcophagus she noticed that it was indeed empty as the letter had stated,save for a small obsidian box. Alana carefully picked it up and ,sitting down on the floor next to it, used the Force to try and feel out the locking mechanism before once again using the Force and opening it with a simple twist of her wrist. The lid of the box slowly slid open and Alana saw the last thing she was expecting.  
    Truth be told, Alana didn't know what to expect. She had never seen any Sith or Jedi artefacts save for Holocrons in the archives. In the box on a dark purple cushion-like object lay the artefact. It was small and seemingly consisted of two parts. At the top was a clip so it could be attached to any given object while below it was a teardrop shaped metal encasement for a tiny jewel that was blood red. In short it looked like a small clip-on earring.  
    Hesitantly Alana picked it up and instantly felt a connection form between her and it. She nearly dropped it from shock. It wasn't unknown for Force artefacts to choose their masters and forge bonds with them, but it was considered to be a very rare occurrence. To her surprise the jewel also suddenly changed colour and continued to do so before suddenly stopping at a greyish-white hue. The artefact itself it...didn't feel like it belonged to the like or the dark, but rather it was a bit of both. Alana didn't really understand what a tiny thing like it could do, but she knew better than to judge things by their size and outward appearance. Alana closed the lid of the box and looked at the small artefact in the palm of her hand.   
   It wanted her to take it. It hated the darkness. It wanted to see the galaxy again. Alana frowned, that was the sensations she got from it but at the same time it didn't have a will. At least Alana hoped so. Just in case she threw up an extra mental shield against the thing, no way in Malachor was this thing controlling her. Alana clipped it to her right pocket and stood up. She replaced the box and pulled the lid back over the sarcophagus. The jewel gave a flash and a sensation Alana could only describe as happy. Okay, that was weird.  
   Alana decided to start making her way out of here when she remembered how she'd jumped and paused. She couldn't fly, so she needed another route. She walked into the droid antechamber and to her surprise found a previously nonexistent staircase just up ahead. Whoever had constructed the temple must have been either a genius or a whacko. The architectural structure of this building was insane. Plus the way these things appeared was so random. It was either one of two things: this place was either incredibly well-connected to the Force or there was something beyond her comprehension at work.   
   Shrugging slightly, Alana began her ascent up the staircase. Blue lights imbedded in the wall shone brightly, lighting Alana's way. Despite the pain, Alana didn't wince and made her way up the winding staircase step by step. Her eyes suddenly stopped on something on the wall. A stone was lodged out of place. Curiosity overriding common sense, she pushed it back into place. It responded as a button would.   
    Unexpectedly the staircase began to spin around itself and somewhere below her mild panic Alana registered that she was moving upwards. When it finally stopped moving Alana's head was spinning. She sat down on one of the stone steps clumsily and waited for the world to stop spinning. When it finally did, she stood up. She muttered:  
-Note to self: do NOT press random buttons on the walls of an ancient temple no matter how tempting it is.  
Turning around to continue her ascent Alana noticed that the staircase was gone and now an entrance to room took it's place. Alana hesitated: why did she have a weird feeling about this? Was it another trap? She hoped not. Just in case, Alana Force pulled her violet lightsaber to her hand, but didn't ignite it. She entered the room.  
   Upon her entrance the blue lights in wall lit up, illuminating the previously dark room. Alana looked around herself and felt her mouth part softly in surprise. The walls had paintings on them. The first wall depicted two temples: one in a somewhat-familiar planet surrounded by large trees and in perfect balance with nature, while the other stood on a rocky planet, surrounded by mountains and was at war with it. The symbol on the first temple seemed odd - so reminiscent of the symbol of the Jedi Order and yet not the same, while the symbol of the second temple seemed reminiscent of the Sith symbol she had seen in the history holos. The two planets seemed familiar, but Alana couldn't recall where she had seen them. Struggling to remember, Alana lowered her gaze to the lightsaber in her hand, before her eyes suddenly widened with realisation and she looked up at the first temple again. She had been right: she'd seen that planet before- it was the planet where the little girl had found her crystal that was now in Alana's violet lightsaber. Okay, this was officially back to being super weird. Where in the galaxy was that planet?  
    Alana turned her attention to the next wall - the wall opposite from the previous one. It depicted what Alana supposed was a family tree. But the paint on the walls was so old that it became faded and cracked. Alana walked up to it and gently ran her fingers over it's surface. She inhaled sharply and jerked her finger away from the wall as she felt something cut it. Probably a sharp flaking off piece of paint. As she looked down at her injured finger she suddenly noticed out of the corner eye that the walls had all lit up.  
   The  odd Jedi Temple was glowing with a blue light while the strange Sith temple flared red angrily. The wall in which the doorway was located had also lit up and on it's bleak grey surface a golden diamond shape with four small ones attached to it's corners shone - it looked like a crest of some sort.  The family tree had also begun to glow with a bright golden light and Alana could finally make out the names.  
    None of the names rung a bell but then again Alana didn't know at what families tree she was looking at. Her gaze suddenly stopped on the last two names. They were, unlike all the other before them, connected by a dotted line not a solid one: Neerean and Eren. Alana felt her heart thump painfully in her chest. She felt as if these names were important but why? Alana rubbed her temples in frustration and whispered:  
-Damn it, this temple is screwing with my head!  
She continued down the dotted line from Neerean and Eren. The result was not what she had expected. She couldn't see the last name. It just wasn't there. It was obvious that it had been there but now it was gone...erased from existence. And there was no way to do that manually. Who was trying to keep a secret? And what secret was it?  
   The family tree ended on that erased name, evidently that was when whoever had painted it had been alive. Alana ran her eyes over it again and quietly breathed:  
-Who are all of you?  
There was no answer. Sighing, Alana turned away and looked at the last wall. In front of it stood an ancient looking monitor. The stone clipped to Alana's pocket warmed up and Alana could swear she heard it whisper the word knowledge. Alana eyed it warily - talking gems didn't exist. Deciding to take it up on its suggestion Alana walked up to the console and plugged her datapad in. Suddenly the adjacent holoprojector on it crackled to life and a blue hologram of a hooded woman appeared:  
-Who are you, seeker of Darth Karred's knowledge?  
Alana stared at it, startled. She hurriedly recomposed herself:  
-Me? I'm Alana Sheelan and I'm looking for a way out, not the knowledge of a dark lord.  
The hologram froze and Alana looked at it in confusion, was it glitchy or something? The hooded woman spoke again:  
-Did you say you bear the family name of Sheelan?  
-Yes, I do. Are you glitchy?  
The hooded woman's voice changed to startled and dropped all the mysticism:  
-What?!  
Alana curiously regarded the hologram and stated:  
-Well, you froze so I was wondering if you had a glitch. I can try and fix it for you.  
The hooded woman instantly waved her hands around in protest:  
-No! No! No! I'm fine. I was just surprised.  
Alana shrugged:  
-If you say so. Now what where you going to say?  
-Ah, yes. Just a second. Ahem...  
Alana nodded and waited for the hooded woman to recompose herself. Once she did she regained her mysterious voice and continued:  
-If that is the case you must leave soon, before the ghost finds you.  
-Um, if you're talking about Darth Desolous- he's gone. Banished for good.  
The hologram shook her head firmly:  
-There are many ghosts in this place but not in the literal sense of the word. If they knew that the descendant of--  
She stopped, realising she had almost uttered too much:   
-Remove your datapad, the knowledge has been transferred to you. Go!   
Alana was about to ask "where?!" When the wall with two temples suddenly slid apart and Alana could see faint light shining through it. She cast one last grateful glance at the now nonexistent hologram and, grabbing her datapad, ran up the stairs. It was a short staircase.   
    For a moment Alana froze and ,obeying her intuition, put on her mask . She then continued her run, summoning her green lightsaber to her hand just in case. She dashed out to find herself just behind the ruined central tower on the surface, bathed in the early morning sun's rays and just in time to see a small Separatist shuttle dip into view. Clutching her lightsabers, Alana followed its path with her eyes and muttered:  
-Uh oh.

=============

General Grevious coughed as he stood beside the incompetent droid pilot. Count Dooku had sent him down to this accursed dead planet to fetch something. Grievous fumed: he wasn't a fetch droid! Couldn't Dooku sent a battalion of this incompetent garbage to fetch it?! But then again the garbage was incompetent and would probably accomplish nothing. And Dooku had said that this was an order from his own Master and that the object he was going to get was extremely important, not to mention it wan in a highly fortified location.  
    Grievous couldn't help but wonder slightly what this location could be. About a year and a half ago he had bombed the surface of this planet into dust and triggered an explosion on the planet's surface that had rendered it uninhabitable and toxic. Grievous felt a surge of satisfaction rush through him as he thought back to those events - those Republic fools had gotten what they had deserved and even better they now served the Separatists. So what location could still remain intact after that?  
    They were now flying through a thick yellow mist, relying only the land data computers. In all honesty, this was entire operation annoyed Grievous immensely. He rounded on the pilot and snarled:  
-How much longer?  
The droid obediently responded:  
-We're nearly there, sir, but we are having some strange issues with the scanners.  
Grievous felt his anger spike. Incompetent fools! He wheezed:  
-What problems?!  
-Uh, sir, we don't know. We're working on them, sir.  
Suddenly the mist disappeared and a ravaged, toxic, dead landscape appeared before the Kaleesh's eyes. There it was, his work in all it's glory. A dead Republic planet. Grievous look threw the viewport with extreme satisfaction, he even forgot about the expendable garbage for a moment - this is what war looked like, this is what the Republic deserved, this was what those damned Jedi deserved after they abandoned his homeworld and believed those bastardly Huks. They would pay, he would make them pay dearly. Even in this horrible body, he would make sure that they all suffered...  
    He was abruptly jerked out of his vengeful thoughts when he heard the droids screaming and felt the shuttle fall. The fools were screeching:  
-Help! We're falling! The engines have been disabled! We're going to die!  
For one horrible moment Grievous  was frozen as his mind flashed back to the shuttle crash in which he had almost died before his nature kicked some sense back into him and he rushed for the controls shouting:  
-Fools!  
He shoved the droids out of the way and jerked on the controls, trying to get the engines working again. No such luck. The shuttle was steadily and undeniably crashing. With a frustrated growl, Grievous rushed to the back of the shuttle and stood next to the exit - this was the place he calculated was most likely to escape any damage. He braced for the crash.

================

Jayden looked up from his work as he heard a loud crash resound from the North. A cloud of dust billowed in that direction. He could have sworn he saw a shuttle crashing. And if it was a shuttle plus with Alana's suspicions.... General Grievous. Jayden fused the last of the components in place and called over his shoulder:  
-TK?  
The droid rolled up and whistled in annoyance:  
-Whee-deet?  
-Yes, I need something. That crash over there, you heard it, right?  
-Bee-boop.  
-Good. Where is it approximately and what are the chances of say a Kaleesh cyborg and a bunch of the Separatist droids surviving that?  
TK paused for a second before stating that according to his calculations the crash had happened fairly close to the military base and that while the droids chances were so-so the Cyborgs chances were fairly high. Jayden frowned: this wasn't good. He nodded at the droid:  
-Thanks. Can you get in touch with the others back at the base and tell them to evacuate immediately while I'll tell the guys to speed up the repairs? We need to get out of here as soon as possible.  
The silver-navy astromech whistled a query which made Jayden freeze for a moment before sighing:  
-I'm sure Alana's fine, she's a Jedi, remember? Just because she hasn't contacted us in over 6 hours doesn't mean she's...she's...she's,well, not alright.  
-Dee-reet?  
-Yes, I'll tell you if she contacts me. Now, go, you rust bucket.  
TK responded with an insult before rolling away to do what he was asked. Jayden sighed and focused back on the repairs. TK had been right to worry about Alana, she had been gone far too long for Jayden's liking, too. And the fact that she hadn't responded neither to her comlink nor through their weird Force Bond when he had reached out to her, bothered him slightly. However he wasn't too worried - she was a capable Jedi she could more than handle herself. She didn't need him there. For now he had to do his job and that was to get this shuttle up and running. Jayden shouted:  
-Hey, Jorek?  
The Duros mask-filtered voice replied:  
-What is it, kid?  
Jayden cast another glance back over his shoulder to the crash site and called:  
-We may have unwelcome company and not the insect kind. We need to speed up the repairs. I'm nearly done on my end, what about you guys?  
-Halfway done, I'll tell the boys to hurry up but we're not technicians here - we're historians and archeologists. What company is it?  
Jayden sighed: this was going to take longer than he thought. With remorse, he hoped Alana, wherever she was, could buy them some time. Finishing fusing the wiring back together, he replied:  
-The Separatist kind.   
-What about the others? Murla? The kid? Where's your Jedi?!  
-TK has sent them a message to evacuate. Alana... Alana will be back soon. We need to hurry up and do our job!  
-Right!  
Jorek turned to his men and shouted something in their native tongue which the Mandolorian didn't understand. Jayden turned back to his work, determined to finish the repairs as fast as was humanly possible. TK rolled up to him and silently interfaced with the outside outlet socket of the shuttle, speeding up their work efficiency greatly. After a moment Jayden asked:  
-Did you tell them to evacuate?  
-Beep.  
-Thanks. We need to get this online. As soon as Alana and the others get here we're leaving this planet.  
-Dee-woo?  
-Soon, I hope. I'm sure she's fine.  
Suddenly Jayden felt a ripple of immense anger permeate through the Force. Someone was very very angry. And if he had to guess the subtle second crash his ears had barely caught had something to do with it. He drew in a breath through his breathe mask and quietly muttered:  
-Please be alright and hurry...

===========================

Alana felt the anger explode in the Force and instantly knew that Grievous had survived the crash. Her grip on her weapons tightened, this wasn't good. She knew better than to hope that a crash like that would kill Grievous. She didn't know if he was aware that she was here or not but she hoped not. If he knew there was a Jedi (even a padawan) on the planet, that would really complicate matters. And even worse, according to her estimates the shuttle had crashed somewhere close to the military base in which Mikal, Murla and bunch of other archeologists were still hiding out. She needed to get them out of there.  
    Drawing in a deep breath and summoning some strength through the very hollow Force here Alana began to run. The Force enhanced her speed but she was still very worried that she wouldn't get there in time. Her worriers were confirmed when she heard Murla's voice shout over their general comlink frequency:  
-Help! We're being attacked! We got the evacuation message but we're already surrounded by droids and they have this strange cyborg with them! We've managed to escape them this long but--  
The comlink crackled and static replaced her voice. A sense of urgency filling the young Jedi, she quickly switched to the stronger and more private frequency which Ayyshiri had established for Jayden and her and to which TK had linked up. Still running she called:  
-Jayden, TK, can you hear me? Do you read? Respond.  
A moment later Jayden's relieved voice sounded:  
-Alana, are you alright? We haven't heard from you in over 6 hours!  
A sensation of guilt filling her Alana quickly apologised:  
-Sorry, the temple blocked all transmissions.  
At the mention of the temple Jayden's voice grew a bit more concerned:  
-Alana what happened in there?  
-I'll tell you later. Is everyone ok on your end?  
-Yes, so far , but Murla and Mikal--  
Alana somersaulted over a bunch of crashed landspeeders and finished for Jayden:  
-Are going to be fine. I'm heading over there.  
TK whistled over the comlink:  
-Bee-reet!  
Alana smiled grimly and replied firmly:  
-Yes, I know that Grevious is there. And before you ask I'm well aware of the fact that he has four arms and four lightsabers as well as battalion of droids.  
She could almost see the Mandolorian frown as he spoke over the comlink:  
-Then you are well aware that you have next to no chance of beating him?  
Alana sighed:  
-Yes. And even if he didn't have all those droids with him I doubt I would even stand a chance against him. He's not the leader of Separatist droid army for no reason...  
-Then why--  
-Because I'm a Jedi. And because the people in trouble are innocent.  
-I know. I was going to say why not wait for backup? TK and I could come and help you.  
-There's no time! Fix the ship, I'll get the others and be there soon.   
-Alana....,-Jayden paused, knowing that it was useless to argue with her when she was like this,- Be careful.  
A small smile appeared on her lips:  
-I will.

===============

Grievous easily hacked through all the bases defences with just two of the lightsabers from his collection. No wonder he never even thought to conquer this planet - it was weak and wouldn't have proved much of a challenge. Bombing it and triggering and ecological catastrophe had been much more fun, besides the Jedi had probably gelt more pain from that. He stormed into the main command room, four droid flanking him. They were just for show. Inside four Duros cowered, along with one yellow-skinned twi'lek glaring at him defiantly. He had always hated her kind.  
     Motioning the fools behind him to fan out across the room and stowing away his lightsabers, he marched up to the twi'lek and grabbed her by the throat. He rasped:  
-Who is the head historian here?  
A flicker of confusion flickered through her clear blue eyes but she still glared at him as she choked out:  
-I am.  
He let her down but instead got out one of his lightsabers and backing her up against the wall ignited it:  
-Where is the old central tower?  
She glared at him defiantly:  
-I would never tell you.  
He brought the lightsaber closer to her throat and grabbed her neck with his free mechanical claw again:  
-Tell me or you die.  
Her confidence didn't waver:  
-Kill me then.  
Grievous's anger increased and the Kaleesh cyborg tightened his grip on the infuriating twi'lek's throat so she began choking. Two of the cowardly blue-skin's rushed at him but both instantly fell to the ground dead as the droids shot them. Well, at least they could shoot. Once more Grievous growled:  
-Tell me.  
Her breathing even more ragged the asinine woman squeezed out one word:  
-Never.  
In frustration the Kaleesh raised his lightsaber just as a child's voice shouted:  
-Stop! Don't you dare hurt my mother!  
Tears filled the twi'leks eyes and Grievous barely heard her utter a name:  
-Mikal,no...  
He turned around, his hand still gripping the twi'lek by the throat to see a small red-skinned boy glaring at him and gripping a silver cylinder that strongly resembled a lightsaber hilt. Grievous wheezed:  
-Who is this?  
The child glared at him:  
-Let my mother go, you droid-monster!  
The word "droid-monster" struck something wishing Grievous and in a insane fit of anger he threw the twi'lek across the room and ignited a second lightsaber as he turned to the brat:  
-I am Grievous, warlord of the Kaleesh and Supreme Commander of the armies of the Confederacy. And I am not a droid!  
The remaining two Duros's rushed to defend the child but they both met the same fate as their brethren. A nearby droid trained his blaster on  the brat and addressed General Grievous:  
-Permission to open fire, sir?  
The Kaleesh snarled:  
-Granted.  
Four simultaneous blaster bolts headed for the boy. The world seemed to slow down as Mikal saw the blaster bolts head for him. Acting on pure instinct his small fingers pressed some button on the silver lightsaber that he had found in his mother's bag and he watched in awe as a red blade ignited. He felt something rush through him and he obeyed it, deflecting the blaster bolts easily as a result.   
    Grievous felt as though he had been blindsided - the silver cylinder had indeed been a lightsaber. A not a Jedi's lightsaber but a Sith's one - red and burning with fury. An uncertain droid commander beside the General asked:  
-Sir, is that boy a Jedi, sir?  
Grievous growled in frustration and cut down the droid commander. He shouted to the other droids:  
-Halt your attack. And you, brat, if you really wish to die come here and face me.  
Mikal, being the foolish four-year old kid he was, rushed at the droid-monster that had hurt his Mum, his anger spurring him on. In the end he barely managed to block one of Grievous's lightsabers. The other hurtled for him at and incredible speed and in desperation Mikal shut his eyes and pushed forwards with his hands, shouting:  
-No!  
He heard a clang and opened his eyes to see Grievous hit the wall. He had unknowingly used Force push on the Kaleesh cyborg. The General felt his fury rise as he peeled himself away from the wall. The brat was a future Jedi! Very well, he would meet his end sooner than most. Grievous knew it was overkill but in the spur of the moment his two arms separated into four and he armed himself with all four of the lightsabers that he carried around. It was only symbolic to kill a Jedi brat this way. Mikal squeezed his eyes shut in fear and grabbed the red lightsaber tighter, expecting the final painful blow to come. But instead of it he felt a gust of wind, heard a clash of lightsabers and a familiar voice ask:  
-Picking on children now, are we, General Grievous?  
Mikal opened his eyes and gasped. In front of him stood Alana blocking Grievous's lightsabers diagonally with two of her own.

=====================

Alana's heart was still hammering away in her chest at an incredible speed due to her run and her worry, but her mind was focused only on the present. She had cut down the battle droids on her way in here and had come in not a moment too soon. Her dark blue eyes glared into Grievous's yellow ones, not betraying any strong emotion apart from tamed fury. The General, though he had been caught slightly off-guard by the appearance of a second Jedi brat, quickly resumed his previous demeanour:  
-Ah, so I came in here looking for a historian but I find not only that but two Jedi brats as well! Hahaha....  
The Kaleesh laughed before breaking into a coughing fit. Alana didn't take her eyes off him, but motioned for Mikal to get to Murla while she was keeping the general occupied. Silently, he nodded and did so. Alana focused on the task at hand once again. She was no fool, she knew she couldn't beat Grievous. Despite her proficiency with the Force she lacked physical strength for lightsaber combat so she normally relied on the Force and her natural agility to win. That wouldn't work with Grievous. Standing at over two meters tall, the Kaleesh cyborg had immense physical strength and great speed. Alana knew the best she could do was stall for time and hope not to die. Glaring at him (and effectively keeping his attention on herself), Alana stated:  
-I'm not a child...  
The General looked at her mockingly:  
-And do you presume you can beat me? In that weak little body of yours? Better Jedi have tried but failed.  
Alana slowly began circling the cyborg while keeping both of her lightsabers at the ready and he watched her moving only slightly to face her. In her mind Alana reached out to Jayden and spoke into his mind:  
-Jayden, I have a situation here...  
-What is it?  
-I'm sorta holding off Grievous...alone...  
-WHAT?!  
-Yeah and we have a second problem. Someone needs to get Murla and Mikal out of here, I can't protect them and stall for time. Can you send someone?  
-Yeah...Yes, OK, I'll send TK. He may be able to help them. What about the others?  
-Dead. I was too late.  
-It's not your fault. Alana...  
-I'll be fine. At least I hope so. Have you gotten the shuttle operational yet?  
-Nearly.   
-It better be ready by the time TK gets back with Murla and Mikal. Then leave.  
-What about you?!  
-Don't worry, I'll catch up. Hurry, Jayden, I can't hold Grievous off for long.  
Alana quietly countered Grievous mocking questions:  
-I'm not an idiot. I am well aware of the fact that I can't beat you, but I can stop you from picking on children.  
The Kaleesh sized her up before wheezing:  
-If you wish to die, Jedi filth, so be it...  
Their staring game broken, Grievous rushed at her and Alana dodged. She had calculated that if she left the attacking to Grievous and just went on the defensive she had a much higher chance of surviving.   
    Alana leaped back making Grievous follow her. He slashed at her,she blocked before backflipping away. Grievous growled: he was not going to play chase with her! The General decided to corner her. His top arms started spinning while his bottom two continued with slashing strikes, forcing the Jedi to counter each blow and not giving her any time to run away. Blow after blow, block after block. Grievous had quickly gauged the Padawans fighting style and he knew it's weaknesses. Too much reliance on the Force and she was but a child, with a low level of physical strength. She couldn't counter him for too long. As Alana countered another to slashes she unexpectedly twisted and threw a well-timed kick at the cyborgs few remaining organs. Grievous had to arch out which gave the padawan and opportunity to strike. Alana force leaped and mid-jump chopped off the top mechanical claw of the General, leaving him with only three mechanical appendages.   
    But her victory was short-lived as the Kaleesh literally backed her into a corner and now their clashing lightsabers were inches away from both of their faces. The General wasn't the leader of the Separatist droid army for nothing, he was a tactical genius and a highly skilled fighter. Alana glanced around herself discreetly and realised she really was both literally and figuratively backed into a corner. She groaned as the General applied more strength to his hold on his weapons which forced her to push back stronger. She was so focused on holding off the two lightsabers that she barely noticed the third lightsaber coming at her but by then it was nearly too late. Alana just barely managed to lean her head beneath the swipe but the side of her neck got a shallow cut. The pain was blinding. Alana knew there would be no blood as lightsaber wounds cauterised their cuts but that didn't stop the light in her eyes from momentarily dimming. She pressed her lips together firmly to prevent a cry or a groan of pain from escaping them. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. Alana felt the feeling of slight triumph emanate from Grievous and used his slight lack in attention to her advantage. She couldn't go forward, backwards, left, right or down but she still had one option left - up. Gathering all her energy into her feet and using the Force Alana made one final Force leap and barely caught onto one of the  metal beams from which the lights hung with her legs and watched the general hanging upside down. She saw him growl in frustration and quickly pulled herself up to stand on the metal beam, one of the many that were attached just below the ceiling. She stuck out her arms to balance herself.  
    Using the brief moment of respite to catch her breath Alana deactivated one of her lightsabers for a moment and gingerly placed a hand to the cut on her neck. She hissed as she felt a stinging pain explode all throughout her neck. This was going to leave a scar. Still, if that was all she had gotten so far she was getting off easy. Her thoughts flew to Anakin and the way he had lost his arm to Count Dooku in their first battle. Yes, a scar on the neck was batter than losing an arm, way better. She just hoped that she didn't slip up again or the cyborg might just have her head. Literally. Even though Alana had briefly gotten out of Grievous's reach she knew it wasn't for long. Her fears were confirmed the next moment as she heard a clang and saw that the droid general had followed her up here. Alana straightened and reignited her lightsaber once more. She threw one of her lightsabers at him and he had to let go of the beam with one hand and swing to the side, which gave her a small amount of time. This was definitely the hardest of her battles by far. Out of the corner her eye Alana spotted a small odd silver-navy astromech roll into the building and she saw Mikal wave him over. TK had arrived and now she could more or less stop worrying about Murla and Mikal, that was relief. She heard a clang and turned to see Grievous standing upright on the thin beam and a moment later his lightsabers ignited again, signalling the renewal of their battle. Alana didn't back down from the challenge: she had to buy everyone the time they all desperately needed. She had promised to do it to herself and she would.  
    TK rolled up to the the little boy and whistled a query. Silently, Mikal pointed to the beams on which the lights hung near the ceiling. TK looked up and saw the infamous droid general and Alana engaged in a heated battle on top of them. The Kaleesh cyborg clearly had the advantage but the young Jedi wasn't backing down. She held her ground. Their lightsabers clashed, parted, weaved and then clashed again as their owners fought against one another, it was as if they were engaged in some elaborate dance. TK whistled worriedly and Mikal quietly whispered:  
-She's very brave...  
TK chirped an affirmative, once again feeling his respect for the teenage girl grow. And once more he was shocked by the similarities between her and his first master. She had also been as courageous and perhaps slightly reckless, even her fighting style had looked similar. But she was dead and yet he still searched for her, for her fate even to this day. TK focused back on the task assigned to him: get the boy and his surrogate mother out of here. Glancing back to Alana and Grievous's battle his resolve hardened: both she and the idiot pilot were relying on him to get these two out of here and so he would.  
     Alana jumped from one beam to the next with Grievous close behind. She wouldn't allow him to corner her again. As he struck at her back she sensed it and timing her evasion perfectly, deactivated her lightsabers,placed her hands on his shoulder pads and backflipped over him gracefully. Upon landing she ignited her lightsabers again and the General barely managed to defend himself. The tables had turned in her favour. Alana was much smaller and a bit faster than the Kaleesh so being up here was to her advantage, besides she had the Force when Grievous didn't so that somehow made up for her weak physical strength. Alana cursed under her breath as backing away from the General's jabs and slashed her back hit one of the upright bars. She turned her head rapidly and her neck stung intensely. Grievous snarled with triumph:  
-Trapped again, Jedi scum. Nowhere to run ,now. You're dead.  
Alana's lips turned up into a small smile and in her eyes danced a merry light. She retorted:  
-Not quite.  
From her fingertips a small storm of blue lightning exploded and heade right for the General causing him to screech in pain and giving Alana a moment to get away. She jumped over to one of the bars and glanced down to see TK followed by a severely dazed Murla and a worried Mikal leaving the base with their breathe mask on. Catching onto the idea Alana slipped her's back on, just as the Kaleesh recovered. Her shouted:  
-How?! You Jedi filth!  
Alana glared at him and firmly and calmly stated, that quiet fury still burning in her eyes:  
-The Force is with me.  
The General snarled:  
-The Force cannot do the fighting for you. It will not save you!  
-No,-Alana agreed,- it won't, but it can help.   
The Kaleesh cyborg roared and leaped at the padawan, nearly knocking them both off the beams at the end and inadvertently giving Alana an idea. Her eyes scanned the area. Grievous quickly found his balance on the new beam and, taking advantage of the Jedi's momentary distraction, lunged at her. She diverted two of the blades at the last second but the third one, which had been aimed at her leg, managed to cut her across it before she jumped. Stinging pain exploded across Alana's leg and she tensed, repressing a cry of pain. The General didn't pause for a moment and made a move to stab her again but this time Alana was ready for it and surprisingly, shot the General a mocking smile, before falling off the beam.   
  Grievous watched her fall to the ground and moment before she did she rolled in the air and landed firmly onto two crouched legs. Understanding what she wa sup to her roared:  
-JEDI FILTH!  
Alana gave him a smug smile and called mockingly:  
-What was that about nowhere to run? If you want to end me, catch me!  
And with that she ran out of the building, drawing on the Force to keep going. She hadn't shown it but her vision had begun to dim. Her self-preservation instincts had begun to override the commands from her brain. It knew that Alana was pushing her body past its limits and it has decided to shut her down to save her life. But right now that was the last thing Alana needed.

===============

Jayden whipped around as he heard TK accompanied by a slightly dazed Murla and a tired and scared Mikal approach. His eyes raked over this faces. Murla's skull seemed to be slightly cracked as blood was dripping down her forehead, TK beside them looked normal but by the way he kept looking back Jayden deduced that he was very worried, Mikal looked both scared and determined. There was no sign of Alana and Jayden could barely sense her Force presence. His eyes fixed on TK, asking the question he for some reason couldn't bring himself to speak: was she alive? The droid whistled a single affirmative. Jayden sighed, was it in relief? He wasn't sure. Alana had shut off their bond so he couldn't deduce what state she was in. Jorek, who had followed Jayden out of the shuttle, gasped when he saw Murla:  
-Murla, what happened to you?!  
She gave him a small forced smile:  
-The Separatist droid genera threw me across the room. I got off lucky, Mikal saved me but the others died.  
Jayden could feel the sadness emanating off both Murla and Jorek. He shook his head and wrapped her arm around his shoulders:  
-Come on, we've got some medical supplies in the ship. Let's get you to lie down. We'll be leaving soon - it's fixed.   
She nodded and winced at the pain that simple motion brought her. Just before entering the shuttle, Murla called over her shoulder:  
-Jayden, you friend is very brave - to the point of foolishness.  
He smiled in reply:  
-I know.  
After Murla and Jorek had disappeared inside the shuttle, Jayden crouched down in front of Mikal and asked, placing his hands on his shoulders:  
-Are you alright, kid?  
Mikal nodded silently. Jayden cast a glance at TK and jerked his head towards the shuttle behind them, wordlessly telling him to get it prepped for launch. The droid complied. Jayden looked into Mikal's eyes seriously:  
-Okay, kid, now we're alone. So tell me what's bothering you? I know you're not alright. I'm not Alana, but you can trust me.  
Upon his words Mikal's yellow eyes filled with tears and he sobbed, wiping them away:  
-Is she going to be okay? I don't want Alana to die!  
Jayden stared at the kid before pulling him close and hugging him, letting the little boy cry on his shoulder. Jayden closed his eyes tiredly and asked with a small smile on his face:  
-You're worried about her?  
The little boy sobbed and choked out through his tears:  
-I like her. I don't want her to die. I really do care about her.  
Jayden opened his eyes and softly said:  
-Yeah, she has a way of making people do that. Listen, kid, I've seen Alana fight. She's saved my life more than once. She may not look like she's strong but she is...Not like a Bantha though.  
Jayden added the last part as an afterthought and Mikal giggled pulling away and wiping the tears off his face. Jayden smiled at him:  
-Alana will be fine, but we've got to help her. Do you want to help?  
-Yes!  
-Ok, then come onto the shuttle with me. You and TK will be my co-pilots.  
As Jayden took the little boy's free hand, Mikal asked in awe:  
-You're a pilot?!  
Jayden grinned:  
-Who do you think flew the shuttle here. Alana and TK can fly ships too.  
-Woah, that's so cool!  
-I'm going to teach you too,you know.  
-Awesome!  
Mikal smiled brightly and laughed, all traces of fear erased from his face. As Jayden watched him laugh and dragged him onto the shuttle his mind drifted to Alana. "Please, hold on - we're coming" - he whispered through their bond.

=====================

Alana stopped running in the middle of a stone clearing. She couldn't run anymore. The black splotches in her vision were becoming more and more frequent. If Grievous was following her, let him come. Alana drew in a deep breath. She unexpectedly heard Jayden's voice echo in her mind and a small smile formed on her lips. Alana stood up straighter and turned around slowly to face Grievous who had indeed just arrived. His fourth lightsaber was attached to his hip as he was missing a limb. Alana faced him and ignited her own blades silently. Grievous snarled:  
-This ends here, Jedi filth! No more running.  
Alana nodded:  
-Yes. Let's end this.  
-This will end with your death!  
Alana shifted into a defensive Soresu stance and smiled tiredly:  
-We shall see.  
Grievous charged at her and she didn't dodge. She was tired of running. Instead Alana blocked his every move with one of her own. Alana had a surprising ability to pick up complicated moves after only seeing them done a few times. It took her time to adapt them to her own style but she could instantly utilise them. That ability was not unheard of but it was fairly scarce. While she was fighting with Grievous she was subconsciously automatically picking up on his style, moves and preferences - which in turn let her calculate his weaknesses. This was the time to exploit them.  
    Grievous's animosity towards the Jedi spurred him, he was arrogant, prideful. His fighting style was near flawless - his only weaknesses were his organs. If they were to be attacked he was vulnerable. Alana let Grievous attack her, shifting from one Soresu stance to another. She blocked his attacks, relying on pure intuition now. Letting the Force guide her. Shockingly even for herself - she moved as though she had done this a million times and it scared her slightly.   
   They arrived at a stalemate- with Alana letting the Force guide her and Grievous's brute strength and tactics they were matched. But the balance was slowly shifting. In whose favour? It was hard to tell.  
   Alana suddenly smashed her two lightsaber blades together, causing a flash of light, blinding Grievous and herself temporarily. Even though neither of them could see Alana had the advantage- she could see with the Force while her opponent couldn't. Alana lunged at him and chopped off his other top limb and it clattered to the ground with his third lightsaber. When they could see again and Grievous realised what happened he roared with fury. He was so enraged that he didn't see Lana stumble back and nearly fall over as her world nearly faded to black once more. She was way past her limits even the Force was telling her that and yet she endured, she pushed herself. She wouldn't back down.  
     Alana smiled wryly inside : she had no place to lecture Jayden about acting like the hero when she was being this reckless herself. She knew very well that she was no hero, she was just a stubborn padawan that had a strong reckless streak and a desire to protect others. She was no one great, she was just herself and using her own strength she would keep pushing.   
   Grievous glared at the young padawan and attacked her once more. He had cut down many before her and he would cut her down. She presented no challenge. He could see that she was tired, she was on the brink of collapse and yet the asinine girl kept fighting him - refusing to relent. She had the Force, but he had years of combat. Even before he got this body he had been a warrior- defending his people from the Huks that sought to enslave them. He would win!  
    Alana knew that she fighting a battle that she would lose. She had only one hope for survival: that Jayden and the others got here soon. Alana jumped and using her arm pushed herself off the ground and kicked the droid general across the skull, he retaliated by kicking her in the torso and sending her flying across the rocky clearing. Nevertheless, Alana got up. Grievous righted himself and rushed at her again. This time he could feel her strength fading as she resisted his oncoming barrage of attacks. But the movements of her body were still fluid as she moved, dodged and weaved. But just once she stumbled and left an opening and Grievous took it. Using the bluntl end of his lightsabers he knocked her breathe mask askew. Alana's eyes widened and she jumped back from him, holding her breath. She tried to fix it but it would stay on, Grievous had hit one of the locking mechanisms. Grievous snarled:  
-Not so tough are you, Jedi scum. You will die now.  
Alana couldn't find anything to counter that with. Even if Grievous didn't kill her - the toxic atmosphere would. She held the mask against her face with one hand but this way she couldn't fight and Alana was already feeling a slight burning feeling in her lungs - that meant that filter in the mask was failing. She couldn't hold out much longer.  
   Suddenly a shadow overcast the clearing. A shuttle hovered above it. The door slid to the side and Alana heard a voice call through their bond:  
-Alana, hurry up.  
Alana deactivated her lightsabers and used the last of her strength to jump up onto the shuttle, ignoring Grievous's outraged cry. As soon as she was inside, she cried:   
-Close the entrance or he will follow!  
She heard  TK whistle somewhere a bit away and the door slid shut. There was a clang from outside and a faint outraged cry before the shuttle sped off and Alana sunk to the ground, her legs giving away. She saw a pair of worried green eyes and heard a few faintly familiar voices before she passed out.

=================

Alana didn't know how much time had passed but when she opened her eyes she was lying somewhere in the Medbay. Her body felt clean and she felt more or less rested. She seemed to wearing a simple white robe. So she was somewhere with a serious medical facility. She felt around with the Force and once again was nearly overwhelmed by the amount of life and machinery in it. Bburru station - that's where she was. Alana didn't recall getting here however. The last thing she could recall was getting onto the shuttle and then...it seemed she had passed out. Alana's cheeks flushed slightly with embarrassment - great, she had passed out in front of all of them. She must seem like a weakling now. Oh well, what's done was done.  
   Alana glanced around the room and found her lightsabers, her belt on top of a grey dresser. Her boots leaned against it. Next to her weapons a pair of dark blue pants and a pale blue shirt lay - a change of clothes Alana guessed. She was alone in the room, lying in a bed.  
  Alana was slightly startled when a door slid open and a certain Mandolorian walked in. His eyebrows shot up at first when he saw her watching him before he relaxed and a smile appeared on his face. He sat down in a chair not far from the bed:  
-So someone's finally awake.  
Alana nodded and suddenly felt the childish urge to hide under her blanket. So that's just what she did. From beneath it she asked:  
-How long was I out?  
Jayden's amused voice answered:  
-About half a day, give or take.  
Alana groaned and pulled the blanket tighter over her head:  
-Everyone must think I'm a weakling now. This is so embarrassing.  
-Is that why you're hiding from me under a blanket now?  
-Yes.  
Came the muffled reply and Jayden laughed. Seriously? Was this the same girl that he couldn't talk out of fighting General Grievous? He leaned over and tugged at the edge of the blanket:  
-Come on, Alana, no one thinks you're weak. They were actually really surprised you managed to get away alive and after Mikal told them what he'd seen - they were really impressed. Plus that Holocron you had with you mangled to break the barrier and save our lives. No one blames you for passing out - they were surprised that you were still alive, you were exhausted. They really like you and are worried about you,  
Alana's muffle voice protested:  
-Still embarrassing.  
Jayden grinned as he said:  
-You know you can't hide under that blanket forever.  
Alana childishly retorted:  
-Watch me.  
Jayden laughed. Alana couldn't help but smile and slowly peek out. He grinned when he caught her doing that and grabbing her wrists pulled her up into a sitting position. She sighed:  
-Okay, so staying in blanketland isn't the best idea.   
Jayden patted her head like a kid's and teased:  
-See? Good girl.  
Alana pushed his hand off but she she was grinning too. Remembering everyone else she asked:  
-How's everyone?  
Jayden smiled:  
-Why don't you see for yourself?  
-Huh?  
-The medical droid said you were cleared to leave as soon as you woke up.  
Alana stared at Jayden:  
-What, really?!  
He nodded:  
-Yep. He says your wounds are healed and you just needed rest.  
-Yes!  
Alana cheered. She seriously hated staying in medbays. However Jayden's expression suddenly hardened as he pushed a bit of her hair away. Alana tensed as she felt his fingers brush a small part on her neck in a diagonal line:  
-What's this?  
Alana remembered the fight with Grievous and shrugged with a small smile:  
-A souvenir Grievous left me with. It'll fade into a small white line with time. Pretty sure I have one on my leg too.  
Jayden looked her in the eyes:  
-Alana.  
She waved her hands around with a bright smile:  
-Jayden, I'm fine, seriously. Now get out of the room so I can change. Shoo!  
He shook his head, his usual grin slipping back into place but nevertheless complied. Just before exiting, however her threw her a a hair tie which Alana easily caught and raised an eyebrow. Jayden shrugged:  
-Murla said you might want this.  
-Thanks.  
He smiled and nodded before leaving. Alana pushed the blanket off herself and stood up. She tucked the blanket neatly as per habit before walking over to the mirror. She swept her long hair into a low ponytail and with a small smile muttered:  
-Guess I survived this one. I wonder what old man will say when he hears this...


	22. Farewells and warnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm back! And I'm actually done with exams! Yay! I also have ,y results so that's a load off my mind and thanks to everyone who wished me luck and supported me! I'm going to tell you straight up: I am not happy with this chapter. Like at all. I suck at leaving chapters - I just do. Oh and one more small note: remember that temple? Well, in chapter 20 I said it was Desolous's temple while in chapter 21 I said it was someone's temple. I made a mistake - the temple is just one that Desolous inhabited but it's not his, it's sorta a shapeshifter temple if that makes any sense. There was also something else but I forgot. Anyway-Enjoy!

Chapter 22 - Farewells and warnings.

Alana stretched as she walked out of the medical room and found Jayden and TK waiting patiently for her. Jayden was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and the droid was next to him, swivelling his head around - watching everyone carefully. She smiled:  
-Hey, sorry to keep you waiting.  
Jayden ran his eyes over her and grinned when she glared at him, commenting:  
-You look nice.  
Alana looked at herself slightly critically and shrugged:  
-Um, thanks. Wow, it feels weird to wear pants again, I haven't worn them in over 6 years - just dresses and skirts.  
-Don't you have Jedi robes?  
Alana nodded as they began walking:  
-Yes, we do, but I sorta have a mental breakdown whenever I try to put them on so what you first saw me in was the compromise.  
-You can have a mental breakdown from wearing a certain type of clothes?  
-I guess so. I'm still finding my limits myself.  
-Just don't push yourself too far, if you burn out it won't be good.   
Alana nodded and continued silently, looking around the station. It still fascinated her immensely. Jayden, meanwhile, glanced at the side of her neck again to see an angry red line that was slowly healing - he frowned. Alana felt his displeasure through the Force and sighed:  
-Jayden, come on - it's just a scar. Surely, you have your share of them too?  
-Yeah, of course I do. But there's a big difference- I'm a guy and you're a girl. Looks are important for girls.  
Alana folded her arms and raised an eyebrow:  
-Don't tell me you like those shallow types.  
-I don't, but I'm just surprised that you're not reacting worse to having two permanent scars.  
Alana shrugged and smiled:  
-I'm not that type of girl. My best friend Emira probably would freak out, but I'm just grateful I got off easy. So, anyway, where are we going now?  
TK piped up from her side, stating that they were heading to the creepy old man's place. Alana glanced at Jayden quizzically:  
-Corso's?  
He nodded:  
-Yeah, we promised to drop by if we survived, remember?  
-Oh, yeah. What's on the "to-do" list for today anyway?  
-Well, we drop by the old geezers place, meet up with Murla and Mikal before heading off.  
Jayden slowly listed, checking that he remembered everything vital. Overcome with curiosity, Alana asked:  
-Where are we going next?  
Jayden rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly:  
-Well, I need to stop by Correlia -  I'm meeting a contact there.  
Alana clapped her hands together in realisation:  
-Oh, for your job?  
-Yes. I hope you're okay with spending at least a day there.  
-No big deal, you're helping me with my stuff so I'd be happy to help you out. We agreed, remember?  
Jayden grinned but shook his head:  
-The contact said to come alone, he's kinda skittish. You can just wonder about Coronet city  with TK if you want to - it's a republic planet you know.  
-That's a good idea, given that I've never been to Correlia before.  
-It's really close by. By the way while you were out I visited Zhar and Lanne and filled them in on everything. He asked me to pass on his gratitude.  
Alana smiled:  
-No thanks needed, let's just hope he has a little more courage next time.  
-Look's like someone is starting to pick up on my point of view.  
-Shut it, di'kut. Oh,we're here.  
Alana and her companions turned the corner and were once again standing before Corso's bar, with glowing neon sign that read "Cin Tra" in Mandolorian, which meant White Starfield. Jayden pushed open the door and stepping in called:  
-Hey, old geezer, you in here?  
The elderly Mandolorian man came out to greet them:  
-Ah, it's the adorable prick. And the lovely miss Alana with their droid.  
TK stuck a crackling taser arm out at him and the old man took a step back, sighing:  
-And of course, he still doesn't like me.   
Jayden laughed as he slipped into one of the bar stools before the counter:  
-That's one of the few things we have in common.  
The elderly Mandolorian waved a spoon he was holding at the cheeky brat and stated:  
-You are a very disrespectful young man.   
-You know you love me, old timer.  
Corso sighed:  
-Alana, do you treat your elders this way?  
Alana slipped into a stool beside Jayden, smiling brightly:  
-Depends on who. I don't normally talk to the council too often so no on that, but my Master? Yes.  
Corso groaned, which prompted Jayden to chuckle and ask:  
-Seriously?  
Alana nodded, smiling:  
-Yep, we're a very unorthodox pair. We sorta hate the rules and only act like the perfect Master and Student when someone we don't know is around. If I had to describe our relationship I'd say it's probably most akin to one of siblings.   
Corso muttered something like "youngsters these days..." and went into the kitchen. From there he called:  
-I'm guessing you want food?  
Jayden and Alana instantly took him up on his offer with the latter being a bit more polite about it. Alana thought back to her Master before her thoughts drifted to J2. She turned to TK:  
-You know we also have a droid that follows us around. He can be as cranky as you. I'm sure you'd like each other. Maybe you should meet.  
Jayden beside her vehemently shook his head:  
-Stars, no! I can barely deal with one of him and if there were two...  
He shuddered and Alana laughed, TK got out his taser arm again and pointed it at Jayden trilling something along the lines of "You want a piece of me, idiot?!". An almost inevitable scuffle was stopped by Corso arriving with food:  
-Here you go.  
-Thanks,Corso.  
-Yeah, thanks, old man.  
Corso sighed in defeat as he looked at the young Mandolorian. That boy was never going to change. The droid whistled something to which Alana nodded and he stopped paying attention to everyone right away. Corso pulled up a chair and asked:  
-So what did you two get up to?  
Between bites of her food Alana calmly stated:  
-Oh, nothing major. Went down onto a toxic planet, got in a short dogfight with separatists, crashed on aforementioned toxic planet, fought a pair of mutated beetles, found the survivors of the stranded archeological teams, I went into a Sith temple while Jayden did whatever he did.  
Jayden filled in helpfully:  
-Went through a bunch of abandoned factories, jumped over a 3 meter long hole, nearly got blown up when I was caught in an explosion, worked on fixing the ship.  
Alana's eyes widened at the mention of an explosion but she didn't pry and just continued:  
-In the weird temple, I met and old ghost-like person as well as an evil Sith ghost, I fought a bunch of murderous ancient droids and eventually confronted the said Sith ghost. Found a bunch of weird stuff in the temple, got out of it and then went to fight Generous Grievous to stall for time. Fought him, got more-or-less rescued by Jayden and the people on the shuttle and then spent half a day unconscious and in a kolto tank today. Why?  
Alana went back to her food and regarded the open-mouthed old man with an amused light dancing in her dark blue eyes. Corso ran a hand down his face and exasperatedly stated:  
-You kids are insane.  
Jayden and Alana cheerfully agreed at the same time:  
-Quite possibly.  
Corso shook his head in exasperation- kids nowadays. His eyes stopped on a strange clip on earring the young Jedi was wearing. He raised his eyebrows in surprise and commented:  
-That's a nice earring, Alana.  
The Jedi looked puzzled and reached a hand to her ear to find the artefact she took from the temple lying in the palm of her hand. She stared at it for a moment before hitting her head against the counter with a groan and moaning:  
-How in the universe did this thing get here?!  
Alana could have sworn she felt a spike of amusement from it. Damn gem. Corso, Jayden and TK looked at her in confusion. The young Mandolorian inquired:  
-Um, Alana what exactly is that and the last I can remember I put it in one of your belt pouches so how did it get onto your ear?  
Alana clipped it to one of her pants pockets and with a sigh explained:  
-It's a Force artefact that a certain somebody asked me to keep safe. It's what Grievous and his Masters were after and it's what was hidden away in the temple.   
The look in Jayden's eyes prompted her to continue:  
-I.. Uh.. Found an near ancient letter from thousands of years ago addressed  to me beside the Holocron. In it were instructions on how to shatter the barrier and a plea for me to take the artefact and not give it to anyone. It's a long letter...  
Jayden rubbed his brow and asked Alana slight sarcastically:  
-Is anything about you ever not weird?!  
Alana shrugged and after putting food in her mouth and swallowing it replied calmly:  
-Nope, probably not. Besides how normal are you? Just because you don't have a crazy Sith attacking you doesn't mean you're normal!  
Jayden shrugged:  
-Perhaps, but I don't have magical moving objects. Of Force-moving objects, whichever. Anyway,-said Jayden effectively switching the topic,- old geezer, how is my Grandma?  
Corso's eyes sparkled and Alana listened, curious to hear more about Jayden's mysterious grandmother:  
-Yelena? Oh, she's fine - as lively as ever. Misses you though. You should probably drop in on the next gathering.  
Jayden nodded,thoughtful:  
-Maybe I will.  
Alana cocked her head to the side like a curious child:  
-Gathering?  
Jayden swallowed the food he had in his mouth before explaining:  
-Yeah, once in a while everyone from the small Mandolorian community in which my grandma lives has a gathering. They always invite me and Corso, but unlike the old man I'm often very busy so I normally just drop by unannounced. The gathering is like a small party of close friends, we celebrate new arrivals, remember the passed, discuss stuff - it's a fun event. Some with the old warrior traditions, others in a casual style. And my grandma is normally the ringleader along with the old geezer.  
Corso nodded in confirmation of the young Mandolorians words. his eyes misting over as he reminisced with a smile:  
-Ah, the gatherings. Brings back memories of old times. Like when this loveable little jerks Grandfather and I were fighting over Yelena. He won her heart, but we actually all became the best of friends after that. The three of us were the ringleaders. Yelena was such a spitfire and so lively at the same time, she also had the tendency to be sarcastic.  
Jayden grinned and glanced at the girl sitting beside him she raised an eyebrow in response before catching onto what that grin meant:  
-Jayden Callen, I swear--  
Her tirade was cut off by a loud prolonged beeping sound. Alana glanced down to see a light on her holocom was flashing. She pulled it out and frowned upon recognising that particular frequency. Alana jerked her head up to face Corso and asked seriously:  
-This planet is under separatist control, correct?  
The elderly Mandolorian, although taken slightly aback by her rapid change in attitude and the abruptness of her questions, nodded slowly:  
-Yes, that's right.  
Alana stood up and crossed her arms, her holocom still beeping:  
-What about communications, are they tracked? Incoming and outgoing?  
TK had switched back into the conversation:  
-Beep.  
-Yes? Okay, that's a problem. I need to--  
-Whirr-bee-reet!  
-You can bypass it?  
-Beep. Bzzt-blip-bloop.  
Alana glanced gratefully at TK:  
-Thanks, TK.  Corso, I hate to trouble you but do you have a secure room I can use?  
The old man nodded and pointed at the door behind him and to the left:  
-Sure, go in there. I can guarantee no one will trouble you.  
-Thank you.  
Alana cast a glance at Jayden to see a confused expression in his face. She motioned TK to go on ahead and leaned over so she could whisper in Jayden's ear:  
-It's the Jedi Council calling.  
A look of realisation dawned on his face and as she pulled back, she saw him nodding. Alana gave him a small smile before going into the room. Corso looked between the two before shaking his head in exasperation: teenagers these days...

=SW:LB=

Alana stood before the flickering hologram image of the Jedi Council that TK was projecting and stiffened. Unwanted memories flashed behind her eyes before Alana pushed them away. That had been an illusion and this was reality - she needed to mind the difference. And yet Desolous's words rang out in her mind: " The Jedi Council is not as righteous as you believe, they will betray you just as I was betrayed." Alana shook her head and focused on the here and now:  
-Masters.  
Nearly the whole council was assembled. Master Windu took it upon himself to speak:  
-Padawan Sheelan, what progress have you made?  
Alana knew that they had all noticed that she was no longer wearing the clothes she normally did instead of her Jedi robes and was grateful that they didn't comment on it. Alana calmly stated:  
-I've found the first youngling on Duro, Masters, but there are a few complications.  
-What are they?  
Alana inhaled deeply, masking her nervousness and spoke quickly to prevent any of her true emotions from seeping into her voice:  
-Masters, he's a Sith.  
Master Plo Kloon cautiously asked:  
-A 4 year old child is a servant of the Dark Side and trained in the dark arts?  
Alana shook her head:  
-No, I meant he's of the Sith race.  
The whole room descended into a shocked silence with Alana watching the adults nervously. A few moments passed before Master Yoda spoke up:  
-Sure of this, are you?  
If she hadn't been in front of the Jedi council Alana would have facepalmed. She nodded:  
-Yes, I've met him.  
Master Kenobi stroked his beard thoughtfully:  
-That complicates matters. We may have to take him sooner then anticipated.  
Master Windu looked at Master Kenobi:  
-I agree.  
-So do I, we must prevent the Dark Side from taking over.  
Master Shaak Tii said, voicing her agreement. The whole council slowly murmured their assent, none of them noticing the horrified look Alana had gotten on her face. When they all had come to a conclusion, Master Windu turned to Alana:  
-Padawan, you are to bring the boy to us before resuming your mission. By force if necessary. Remeber, the needs of many are more important than the needs of a few.   
Silence was the answer to his order. Before Alana shook her head, her eyes cast down to the ground, quietly but firmly she said:  
-No.  
The Masters all looked at her in confusion. Alana looked up and even though to them right now she was just a blueish hologram, they all could see that strange fire burning in her eyes. For the first time since the time they had assigned her to Kai, they saw the true Alana Sheelan. Firmly and louder she repeated:  
-No. With all due respect, Masters, I refuse. We are Jedi - Guardians of peace,not kidnappers - I will not take a child away from his parents without both parties consent!  
Master Kenobi tried to reason with the young headstrong Jedi:  
-Alana, this is a time of war. We cannot afford such luxuries as time. We are doing this for his own good. He will be safe here. You must bring him to us.  
Alana couldn't mask the brief flicker of betrayal and hurt that had flashed through her eyes at that particular Master's words. Alana had hoped Obi-wan would understand, but it seemed she had misjudged him. Tauntingly the ghost of Desolous's voice echoed: "The Jedi Council isn't as righteous as you believe". Alana had wanted to believe that he was wrong but now? How could they even suggest that?! Murla's broken voice whispered from her memories: "When are you ripping my son away from me? Isn't that what you Jedi do with Force-sensitive children?!" No! Alana knew that she was loyal to the order but this was going against her morals and that was a boundary she would not cross. They weren't acting like Jedi, like Jedi should and she wouldn't follow their orders.   
     During all these thoughts she had managed to keep her face impassive and the Masters looked satisfied that they had convinced her. She had gone against them for a moment but Alana was a good padawan and she would obey the High Jedi Council. They couldn't be more wrong. Alana's eyes hid her anger well and she kept her voice cold and controlled as she spoke firmly:  
-No. Masters, my loyalty is to the Order, believe me, but I refuse to do what you ask of me. I will report back when I locate the next youngling. Alana Sheelan out.  
And with that she gave TK the signal to cut the transmission. He did so gladly. Alana felt the Masters shock and numbness thought the Force and smiled grimly: she wasn't a puppet for them to control. She respected them and would gladly learn from them but she wouldn't be brainwashed by them. She had always refused that and having a Master such as hers had helped her to escape such a fate. She knew there would consequences, perhaps they would even expel her out of the order but she still refused to go against what was morally right and what was morally wrong. Sometimes sacrifices should be made but Alana would never willingly sacrifice the happiness and livelihood of others.

=SW:LB=

An hour later Alana was still in a somber mood. She knew Jayden and TK had noticed and was thankful that they didn't comment on it. She tried to be polite towards them and everyone else as they'd done nothing to deserve her ire. They shouldn't have to suffer just because she was upset. She'd never do that to anyone.  
    They were approaching Murla's flat now so they could say goodbye before leaving for Corellia and so Alana could settle her Jedi business with them. And she was back to thinking about the Jedi. Great.  
    Mikal's family didn't seem like a mystery Alana was meant to unravel so she wished him the best of luck with that. She hoped he'd have more luck with that than she did with hers. Her progress was the grand total of nought. The young Jedi frowned.  
    Jayden sighed seeing the slightly out of it look in Alana's eyes. He could feel that her emotions were all extremely negative and that made him wonder what in the universe had the Jedi Council said to make her like this. As far as he had seen (and Jayden did admit that he didn't know Alana well) she had been quite upbeat and optimistic so as to see this from her and for a prolonged period of time? Well, Jayden was a bit confused. Girls, he would never understand them....  
   Unexpectedly Alana asked quietly:  
-Have either of you ever been let down by people you believed in?  
Jayden and TK turned to her, slightly startled. Oddly enough TK was the first to answer. He whistled: "Once, by my master". Both humans looked at him in surprise. Gently, Alana probed:  
-Your Master? I thought you said you were independent.  
-Bzzt-beep-dee-reet. [Once, long ago, I had a master. She was the only one I ever acknowledged as that and will ever. She...disappeared.]  
Alana exchanged a glance with Jayden and nodded when he shook his head. As much as the two didn't get along, even Jayden could tell that this was a sore subject for the odd little droid. Jayden searched Alana's face for any sign of her true emotions but found none. Choosing his words carefully Jayden phrased his own answer to her quiet question:  
-We've all been let down at some point, some more than others. Let me guess: this is about the Jedi Council, isn't it?  
Alana gave a watery and humourless laugh:  
-Yep, you caught me. I...  
He kept his eyes trained on her as she spoke. He didn't know why he tried to help her figure out what was going on, maybe because he didn't want to see anyone become the way he had once been, he just was. He hadn't known her for very long and despite that he felt intrigued by her. She was a puzzle and Jayden never backed down from a challenge. This was no exception. Still, he wouldn't push her. She would talk if she wanted, there was no sense in forcing her:  
-You don't have to tell me-,he glanced at the droid beside them and corrected himself,- us, if you don't want to.  
She shook her head, mutely. She needed to tell someone, maybe someone else could see something that she was missing. She had probably overreacted to the Masters words but still...Bitterly she said:  
-I'm a Jedi. I'm not supposed to feel anger, hate, sadness, fear - all that, I'm not supposed to form attachments and moreover I'm supposed to listen to the High Jedi Council and execute their orders without question. Guess I failed all that.  
TK beside her chirped that repressing and forbidding emotions was stupid and inhumane, Alana shot him a grateful smile. She continued:  
-I'm sorry if I sound like I'm always whining about the Jedi and myself, it's selfish of me but I just don't really know what to do. This is the first time since I lost my memory that I've been out alone without the Jedi keeping major tabs on me so I guess I relaxed a bit. Point is, today when the council called me and I reported to them on finding Mikal they called him a threat and said that I had to take him to them, "by force if necessary"- was how they phrased it. They also mentioned how the needs of many would overweight the needs of a few,-Alana huffed in frustration,- don't they see that if I ripped Mikal away from his mother he would just grow to resent the Jedi and he would become the very thing we are trying to save him from?! It's idiocy.   
She paused to compose herself, keeping her spiking emotions in check. TK whistled sympathetically, He'd  seen it all too and was once again repulsed by how much the Jedi Order had changed since the time his Master had been part of it. Back then, TK mused, this would have never been allowed, even thought of. He missed that time, the time she had been alive. Alana sighed and concluded:  
-As you can probably guess, I said no. I'd never done that before - to be honest it was a bit scary, but I just couldn't let them use me to commit a stupid mistake. One that would condemn a living, breathing being - a child at that. Both you and Murla were right...The Jedi, I can't believe they'd say that. I think this war is getting to all of us...  
Jayden winced. He didn't want to point out that the Jedi had been doing this long before the war. Her trust in them had been shaken and he could see how that had affected her, so he didn't say anything. Through their bond he gently let her know that he was glad she'd made that decision for what it was worth.   
    They made a left turn and ended up standing right in front of an apartment building. Suddenly a small red figure rushed out of the automated doors and latched itself around Alana's legs with such speed and velocity that it nearly knocked her off balance. Mikal looked up at her, his face beaming:  
-Alana! It's really you! And Jayden and TK!  
Alana returned his smile and instinctively picked him up:  
-Yep, we're all here. You're mum told you we'd be coming, did she?  
He grabbed onto one of her shoulders for support and nodded with as a serious expression as a 4 year old child could make:  
-Uh-huh,she said we'd have something important to discuss. What is it?  
-Well, you'll have to wait and see. I don't know if you'll like it or not but you have to be patient.  
Mikal pouted for a moment before signing in defeat and making Alana put him down. He grabbed her hand instead and tugged her after him:  
-Come on, Mum's waiting!

=SW:LB=

Jayden watched with a small smile as Alana,TK and a small Sith child laughed as they played with a ball together. It was at first a simple game which became steadily more complex with Alana and Mikal using the Force to their advantage and TK using his thrusters for a boost. They'd gone up to the roof of the building as Murla didn't want them to destroy anything in her apartment. All in all Jayden could say that this was one of the most entertaining games he had seen in all his life, however he was perfectly content just watching his two teammates fool around with a kid. Alana he could understand but TK? Jayden snorted. The droid really had taken a shine to the kid for some reason, he didn't even refer to him as an "organic". Jayden had gotten so lost in his own musing that he jumped a bit when Murla beside him spoke up:  
-Do you trust her?  
Jayden looked at her in slight confusion:  
-Who?  
-Your Jedi friend. You see, I want to trust her - badly, but I've met a few Jedi before and I don't want them brainwashing Mikal into anything like them. I want to protect him from that.  
Jayden was quiet for a minute before countering her words with a question of his own:  
-Do you see Alana as Jedi-brainwashed?  
Murla's eyes widened in surprise and she slowly shook her head:  
-No, she's anything but. I've never seen a Jedi with so much emotion and passion.  
Jayden chuckled:  
-That's Alana Sheelan for you. She's stubborn, reckless, very sarcastic but from what I know of her so far I'd say she's a good person. Mikal told you about what she did, right?  
-How could I forget? His eyes were shining with adoration for her. She's quite the girl.  
Jayden snorted but a smile was playing on his lips:  
-We annoy each other a lot so I'm not one to judge but I do trust her and I believe you should too. If you do let Mikal become a Jedi I'm pretty sure Alana would watch over him like a mynock. I doubt she'd let one of her wards get bullied or hurt in any way. But at the end of the day,-Jayden shrugged-,the decision of whether to entrust Mikal to Alana or not is left up to you two. I can only tell you what's best from my point of view.  
Murla and Jayden turned back to watch the game just in time to see the aforementioned Jedi catching Mikal from falling over. He smiled at her in glee and hugged her as she laughed. This scene and Mikal's recounts of what this girl had done for them - it calmed Murla's worries. Perhaps she really should take the young man's advice and entrust him to Alana, either way she wasn't naive enough to believe that the Jedi would stop pestering them if she refused. Alana Sheelan would be the best choice.She smiled slightly:  
-Perhaps you are right...

=SW:LB=

Kai Lionis rubbed his brow as he sat in the archives of the temple for the millionth time rereading the same words on the screen in confusion: No location available. What in the galaxy was that supposed to mean?! Each planet had a set of coordinates and a location in the galaxy and yet Aroko had none. Kai had also looked over every map of the galaxy that he could and yet Aroko was not depicted on any of them. It was like the damn planet didn't even exist.   
   Kai himself wasn't sure why he was so fixated on this planet. Probably because despite what Mace Windu had said he was determined to help his padawan recall who she was and why she had ended up alone on an uninhabited planet as a 10 year old child with a severe case of amnesia. He just couldn't leave this alone, despite knowing he had to get back to his duties soon and that it was very late in the night right now. Alana's lost face kept popping up in his mind's eye. Just who was Alana Sheelan and who was that Sith Lord so bent on hunting her down? His last talk with her over the holocom was on loop inside his mind.   
    A steely look of determination took place on his face: he would find the answers to all these questions. He had to. Alana was like a little sister to him and he'd do anything for her and it didn't matter what the Council thought. That girl had no one left in the galaxy and she had chosen to cling to him, despite knowing that it was wrong Kai had decided to be her family. He would find out what had happened to her. A whisper like a gentle breeze sounded behind him:  
-Don't.  
Kai turned around and nearly fell of his chair at what he saw. It was dark in the archives despite the soft luminous glow of the the shelves of the archives themselves and Kia could barely make out the figure who had spoken to him. The figure stepped forward and Kai saw a woman, probably in her late twenties with flowing brown hair and ,to his shock, bright midnight blue eyes. Eyes that he had only seen on one person before. And yet this woman wasn't Alana - she was someone else despite a few similarities, Kai noted. And yet what him jarred him the most was that she had this blueish hazy glow around her - like she wasn't entirely real. She wore a  short sleeved dark blue dress with a black cardigan over it and serious expression on her face. On her belt ,to his immense surprise, hung a double-bladed lightsaber. A Jedi? A Sith? Kai couldn't tell. He had never seen her before and that haziness - just who and what was she? The woman shook her head again and said:  
-Don't. You shouldn't get involved in this, Kai Lionis.  
-Who are you? I don't believe we've met before.  
A small smile graced her lips and once again Kai noted the similarity of it to someone else. She leaned her head to the side and simply said:  
-No, we haven't, but I know you very well. It is right that you don't remember me - we have never met before and yet I have watched both you and your student closely.   
-Alana? You mean my padawan- Alana Sheelan?  
The woman got a strange expression on her face as soon as Kai spoke that name. In it was grief, guilt, pain, joy and most of all love - that name meant something to her. Kai sighed and asked:  
-I'm not hallucinating, am I?  
She shook her head:  
-No, you're not.  
-And you're not really here, are you?  
She nodded, her dark blue eyes shining:  
-No, I'm not.   
Kai crossed his arms and looked at her:  
-So if I'm not hallucinating and you're not really here that leaves the conclusion that you're here through the Force.  
-Give the man a prize!,- she sarcastically stated and laughed softly-, Yes, you are correct. But please listen to me, I don't have too much time.  
Kai nodded and both of their face morphed into a pair of serious expressions. She spoke in a quiet but firm voice:  
-Listen, do not get involved in your student's past. Please, don't. If you try you will not come out of this safely. In time Alana may recall everything on her own. Alana's past is not something that should be trifled with and neither is Aroko. Please, forget this idea. Do NOT get involved in Alana's and Aroko's past.  
Kai closed his eyes and sighed. What in the galaxy was going on? He made up his mind to ask the woman that precise question but upon opening his eyes he saw that she was gone. Like she had never been there in the first place, leaving Kai to wonder once more - just what was it that made Alana Sheelan so different?

=SW:LB=

Alana's smile was gentle and perhaps a bit sad as she hugged Mikal goodbye. The young boy's eyes were still shining with excitement from their previous conversation. It was late evening now as they had spent the whole day at Murla's, she had also invited them to stay overnight but Alana and her companions had declined saying that they needed to leave today.   
   Alana, Mikal and Murla had spent quite some time discussing the topic of Mikal training to be a Jedi. The young Sith boy had taken to the idea rather quickly and had been very excited about the whole prospect and it took the combined efforts of Alana and Murla with a few words put in by Jayden (who Mikal saw as in important figure for some reason) and TK to get the child to understand every aspect of what this decision entailed. He had mulled it over for a few minutes with as much seriousness as a boy his age could, but then rather maturely stated that he understood the sacrifices and he'd be willing to make them before once again returning to the state where he was an extremely excited red ball full of Force energy. He was still a 4 year old child after all, Sith or not.  
    Alana pulled away and rubbed the boys head with a smile before standing up and saying:  
-Bye, Mikal! Take care and listen to your mum, okay?  
He grinned and nodded:  
-I will.  
TK and the boy just looked at each other for a few moments before the boy tackled the droid into a hug. The droid buzzed in fake annoyance but let the child hug him. Jayden was the last one to say goodbye. He held out his hand for Mikal to shake and the boy shook it enthusiastically, glad that someone was treating him like a grown up:  
-Hey, kid, I know you'll grow up to be a good man one day but don't rush it, you hear me?  
-Ugh, fine.  
-And as annoying as it, trust me I'm a guy too -I know how this is, listen to women- they can say some pretty smart stuff.  
Mikal laughed and Alana rolled her eyes at that statement but for the moment refrained from punching the idiot. Men. Mikal agreed:  
-Sure, I will. Bye, Jayden.  
Jayden stood up from his crouching position and nodded:  
-Bye, kid.  
Alana turned to Murla and the two women exchanged a meaningful glance. The yellow-skinned twi'lek nodded in understanding. Jayden tapped his partner on the shoulder:  
-We going or not?  
She turned to him with a look that despite making him grin promised something else and nodded:  
-Yes.  
Murla and Mikal watched the trio walk off, down the lit streets of Bburru station. A small smile tugged at the twi'lek's lips as she saw Alana punch the young Mandolorian in the arm and retort while the droid beside them apparently laughed. They were an odd trio that was for sure, but for some reason Murla was convinced that they would be all the better for it.

=SW:LB=

Alana yawned as they approached the Crimson storm, she was tired. She wasn't alone in that though. TK probably was the only one that was still running on full charge. Jayden looked tired to but he masked his exhaustion well. As they went up the boarding ramp, Alana shivered:  
-Oh.  
She stopped an looked around. She didn't like what she was feeling. She didn't like it at all. Jayden must have sensed something off too as he also turned around. It was dark in the hunters bay and despite neither teenager being scared of the dark, they were uncomfortable. Alana's dark blue eyes darted around the scene before her, searching for the source of that ominous sensation she was getting through the Force.   
   Suddenly her eyes widened and she summoned her green lightsaber to her hand, instantly switching it on and just in time. A volley of blaster bolts flew at them and Alana reacted just fast enough to deflect the majority of them. She turned her head and shouted:  
-TK,Jayden lets go.  
The Mandolorian and the droid were already on their way to the cockpit. As soon as the ship started to take off Alana moved backwards and up the loading ramp. She cut what she supposed was a tracker beacon as it flew towards them and backflipped just as the ramp closed. Their assailants were left with nothing. Just to be sure Alana placed a hand on the wall of the Crimson Storm and used the Force to try and sense if there were anymore beacons - to her relief there were none.  
     Jayden piloted the ship smoothly out of the bay and together with TK, logged in the nav computers next hyperspace trajectory before pulling the lever and sending them all into hyperspace. Next stop - Correlia.


	23. New Planet=New Problems

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I'm back! And with a hopefully much better chapter than the last one. That should be a relief because the last one was abysmal. This one does seem better but I still can't find that rhythm which sucks and lowers the story quality a bit. Now onto a few notes before we begin:  
> 1) Yes, as you saw in the last chapter I made the Jedi Council jerks in a way. Um, yeah not too intentional but my opinion on all of them is negative in a way. I tried to keep them in character though.  
> 2)Yes, I'm aware that this story had countless typos and mistakes that lower its quality a lot and when I finish this fanfic I'll probably go back and edit those chapters - I try to limit those mistakes to a minimum but with my life as hectic as it is and with no one to help in that department I do the best I can.  
> 3)Thanks a lot to everyone who read and dropped me a note. Every single one of those puts a smile on my face and makes me really happy.  
> 4)In this chapter you'll see a certain canon character that I tried to keep in character but since I have no way of knowing what he was like when he was young  I improvised.  
> 5) Oh and I totally messed up in the first part of this chapter with Emira - forgot that they can't talk in hyperspace like this - apparently. Not sure.
> 
> I believe that's about it! So without further ado - Enjoy!
> 
> P.S Anyone who know who Vitiate is gets a virtual cookie.

Chapter 23 - New Planet=New Problems

Alana shivered uncontrollably in her sleep that night. A memory, a dream or something of the like occupied her mind. Once again she was found herself watching that same girl, though she was different - older, sadder, she looked far too mature for her physical appearance and much less innocent. And yet she couldn't have been older than a decade.  
   Alana saw her standing in a vast and dark toned throne room, a man occupied that throne. He didn't seem to notice her yet. The room itself was made of stone and it was cold, blue ghostly fires burned on tall pyramid like burners, just behind the throne hung a banner red with a black insignia. Alana scrunched up her forehead - it looked a bit like the symbol of the galactic republic but it wasn't at the same time. She shivered, apart from the cold the dark side's influence here was palpable.   
   The man on the throne wore black robes and his skin (what was visible of it) was deathly pale and wrinkled. Normally Alana would have attributed this to old age but she knew better - this was not the case with this man. With him it was the steady progress of Dark Side corruption slowly marring his already slightly disfigured visage. His arms rested on the armrests of the throne, one hand drumming it's sickly pale fingers against the cold surface. His voice rang out across the room:  
-I can sense your presence.  
The girl turned to him, a small grim smile on her lips. So he couldn't see her? Why not? She visibly let a bit of the tension drain out from her body and instantly Alana felt as though the man on the throne had latched onto the little girl's form. Subconsciously Alana held her breath. The man calmly spoke one word:  
-You.  
The girl nodded:  
-Yes, me. You haven't changed a bit, Vitiate.  
The man leaned back:  
-Your efforts are futile, you will not change what is to come.  
The girl sighed and glared at the man, pure fury evident in her eyes. Vitiate? Why did that name ring a bell? Of course! Alana facepalmed - during the Cold War over 4000 years ago a man called Vitiate was the emperor of the Sith Empire. He was assumed to have been killed by the Hero of Tython but Alana had a feeling that more had gone on with this man than the archives told. Something in the back of her mind,beyond the clouds of amnesia,whispered that Vitiate had been a great man,terrible but great.  
     And just as always, as soon as her mind wandered from the here and now the vision started to fade. Alana reached out to grab onto it but it evaporated like a wisp of smoke. But just before she jolted out of sleep she heard the Sith Emperor's voice once more: "The greatest of men are truly madmen. That is how it has always been and always will be..."  
     Alana woke up with a start and instantly sat up in panic. She looked around in alarm before realising she was in her quarters aboard the Crimson Storm. She put a hand on her heart and forced herself to take deep steady breaths, silencing the blaring alarms in her head. As soon as she had somewhat calmed her erratically pounding heart, Alana swung her feet off the bunk and, after taking a deep breath, stood up and walked over to the blue bag, stumbling slightly in the darkness. She sighed when she realised she couldn't see anything and used the Force to slightly enhance her vision in the dark. She rummaged through the grey-blue bag of clothes Seila had given Jayden and smiled slightly when she saw a same pair of clothes as the ones she had worn before fighting Grievous. Well, that saved her a lot of trouble.  
    Alana threw them on, fastened her belt around her waist and stepped out of her quarters. She heard the door behind her slide back into place quietly but apart from the familiar low hum of the hyperdrive and of the sub-systems the ship was quiet. Alana reached out with the Force and found two gently flickering Force-presences on the ship, one was slightly fuzzy and brighter than the other - she assumed that was TK, while the other was solid and slightly cool and it was a bit dimmer - it belonged to Jayden, he was still asleep. Suddenly she saw a negative red flicker in Jayden's Force presence that signified an negative emotion but it quickly faded. Probably a bad dream, Alana reasoned with herself. Shrugging, Alana gave up on sleeping any more tonight and made her way into the cockpit quietly.   
     There, as per her expectations, she found a certain astromech-assassin droid. TK was plugged into the ship's system and was apparently "conversing" with the ship, no doubt coaxing as much information out of it's data banks as he could. That droid seemed very interested in gathering as much data on the galaxy as was possible, that intrigued the young Jedi - who exactly had programmed that trait in him or had he developed it on his own? Which again brought Alana back to the question- just who was TK-26? He knew medicine, assassination protocols, slicing, piloting, tracking, languages and he even had knowledge of the Jedi and the Sith  and that was just the abilities she knew him to posses. She had never met a droid like him before.  
      It took TK a moment to notice that there was someone besides him in the cockpit. When he trained his photoreceptors on the Jedi she gave him a small smile before slipping into the co-pilots chair and thoughtfully watching the blue glow of the hyperspace tunnel. She was evidently lost in thought. TK continued gathering data from this very intriguing vessel but he kept his photoreceptors on Alana. When she was lost in thought like this and up in the middle of the night, she reminded him of his Master somehow. His Master too had had a tendency to get up in the middle of the night and just go out to sit on the front porch and sit there, thinking-he had often joined her. He missed her, a lot, and having a girl so similar around just brought out those memories. But why were they so similar? Even back during Alana's fight with the droid army general he had noticed similarities of the fighting style - evasion and force powers before quick and precise attacks, his Masters fighting style had been the same. Probably because they were both Jedi and the teaching hadn't changed too much - he had managed to beam out the data after all. TK reeled back from the memory his processor brought up - so much blood and death stained the landscape, and panic inescapable panic and fear. He focused back on gathering the data-anything to not remember that night.   
    The silence in the cockpit was interrupted by a low beeping sound. TK turned to the source, curious, to see Alana putting a small datachip into her datapad with a frown. Her frown deepened as whatever had been on the chip was displayed. TK, overcome with curiosity, disengaged himself from the ship and rolled over to her. He saw that she was watching a video feed - it was incredibly short: at first there was nothing -just a forest planet, after which he saw a steel building, slowly whoever had been filming this approached it before there a flash of orange before static. Before the flash of orange both Alana and TK had registered a slightly familiar hum - one very reminiscent to that of a lightsaber. Aurebesh symbols blinked on the screen, it read - "Data feed ended". Alana sighed before turning to TK, unexpectedly:  
-What do you make of this?  
TK paused before stating that if a data feed had ended that meant that either the receiver was broken (which it wasn't) or the transmitter had been detroyed, the latter seemed far more likely. Alana nodded, she had come to the same conclusion and also, unlike TK, she had noticed a small flash of purple on the feed - someone or rather something had been there. She explained:  
-This was a feed from one of my spy droids that I left behind on Ralak to watch over an old Jedi Archive by the looks of it.  
TK froze as soon as her lips had formed the name of the planet. Ralak?! She had been there and had nearly entered that precise building- that was surprising and slightly unnerving. She was only slightly mistaken by the nature of that place on Ralak - it was indeed an old archive but it was also where something much more powerful and very very destructive stood. Cautiously and just to be sure, he asked whether she had entered the "archives" or not. Alana shook her head:  
-No, I didn't manage to, but my best friend did and she and her Master had ended up on Yavin IV with no memory of how that had happened. Weird...  
TK would have rolled his eyes if he had any. It wasn't weird to him - he knew exactly what that archive housed and this made perfect sense to him. Alana's voice jerked him out of his thoughts once more:  
-Speaking of Emira, I should contact her - you want to meet her?  
She leaned her head inquiringly at TK, a warm smile on her lips and once again TK saw the similarities. He whistled an affirmative and she nodded happily as she pulled up her friend's supposed contact. TK couldn't help but wonder what that friend might be like - if she was anything like the idiot captain he would deactivate himself. Alana pressed the call button on her holocom and it was static for a minute before a miniature hand-sized hologram of a teenage girl in Jedi robes popped up. Both Jedi looked happy to see each other:  
-Alana! Damn it - you had me so worried! Why didn't you call me sooner?  
Alana laughed softly at the sight of her friend:  
-Hello, to you too Emira! Are you doing alright?  
The hologram of Emira put her hands on her hips and glared at Alana in a very "Emira" way:  
-Young lady, where have you been?! I should be asking you if you're alive! First I hear that you were on a ship that blew up then I hear that you're alive and now you're contacting me in the middle of the night by GST?!   
Alana had the decency to look slightly guilty:  
-Ok, yeah, I'm sorry about that, but my life's been crazy ever since I left Coruscant. You have no idea what happened.  
Emira sighed and sat down on a previously unnoticed by Alana armchair and waved an arm while still glaring at her:  
-Enlighten me.  
Smiling wryly at her friend gestures, Alana brought her friend up to speed on everything that had transpired since she had left. At the end of her story Emira was shaking her head in exasperation, wondering how in the universe her best friend always managed to end up like this. When Alana finished talking, which was quite a bit of time later, she dryly commented:  
-You have the strangest luck in the universe.  
Alana smiled brightly, not doing anything to deny that statement- it was true after all. She glanced at TK beside her who was watching Emira carefully. She made a small motion for him to come closet and when he did she introduced the two:  
-Emira meet TK-26- an multi-functional astromech droid , TK meet Emira Leeta - my best friend and an airhead.  
-Hey!  
Emira protested and TK chirped that he could see that. Alana smiled: this was fun! She exhaled, turning serious again:  
-So how are thing going on your end?  
Emira sighed and ran a hand down her face:  
-Not good, I'm not even back on Coruscant yet.  
Alana sat up straighter:  
-What do you mean?  
Emira looked her in square in the face:  
-Alana, it looks like you jinxed it when you said neither of us would run into certain people again before I left - I met my father again.   
-You serious?  
-Yes, and unfortunately that's not all. Alana....Ayume has been kidnapped.  
Alana felt her heart drop for a minute, she didn't know the girl but the love Emira held for her little sister - even though she had never known her well was evident. The look in her eyes as she said the last sentence was distraught first and foremost but behind it lurked a promise of pain to whoever had been dumb enough to kidnap her sister. Cautiously, Alana asked:  
-Are you doing alright?  
-Yes, tired and upset as well as absolutely furious but other than that fabulous!  
She suddenly looked away, evidently someone had called her name and she nodded to that person. She turned back to Alana and TK a moment later:  
-Sorry, guys, gotta run. Keep me posted! Bye!  
And that was how the transmission ended. Alana looked at TK with a mix of emotions:  
-Looks like we all are mixed up in something bigger than expected...

==SW:LB==

Jayden strapped on his full Mandolorian armour - this was Corellia and he wasn't going to be careless enough to have people recognising him, also Jayden was very wary of his contact, he knew the man but he had plenty of enemies and there was no way he was taking any chances. He checked that his blasters were in prime condition before grabbing his helmet and stepping out of his quarters. He went into the galley where he found TK talking with Alana. Talking wasn't the right word though since the conversation consisted of beeps and whistles from the droids end and Basic from Alana's.   
     Jayden entered the room and greeted the two . Both turned around to face him, Alana smiling cheerfully and TK whirring a standard greeting coupled with an insult. Alana looked slightly surprised by what he was wearing:  
-You're going full armour, huh?  
Jayden shrugged and sat down at the table as Alana placed a plate of food in front of him:  
-I prefer not to take chances. Looks like you're doing the opposite of that though.  
He commented looking at the food in front of him. Alana rolled her eyes:  
-Oh relax, I got all this stuff from the holonet and TK made sure it was safe for consumption.  
TK confirmed her words with a self-satisfied whistle. Jayden raised an eyebrow, Alana jerked one shoulder noncommittally:  
-What? "I prefer not to take chances"- as you phrased it.  
Jayden rolled his eyes and decided not to dignify her retort with an answer, he didn't want to give Alana the satisfaction of knowing that the way she turned his own words against him irked him slightly. He simply picked up his eating utensils and started putting food in his mouth, not noticing the smirk on Alana's face. She had sensed his emotions through their weird Force bond she was trying to stop herself from laughing.   
  As they ate Alana asked:  
-So what are the plans for today?  
-Well, I've got work to take care of while you and TK can do whatever you want. Let's meet up here at 10 o'clock in the evening. Oh, and keep your comlinks on you - that applies to you too, tin can.  
-Bzzt-bleep!  
-Yeah, well, deal with it - I'm not about to go running about Corellia searching for you!  
-Beep-Frotz-Gzzt!  
-Don't care.  
Alana watched the whole exchange with amusement. With a smile in her voice she said:  
-I bet you two will actually become the best of friends one day.  
Both Jayden and TK turned to her and exclaimed in their respective languages:  
-That'll never happen!

==SW:LB==

Heat, scorching heat. The Suns around this planet were too bright, but he had faced worse. A small grim smile tugged at the corner of his now desert chapped lips. A trickle of sweat ran down from his forehead. His head was starting to hurt. For a moment he contemplated throwing on his black cloak again, but in the end the heat won out and he left it draped over his shoulder. The front strands of his natural dark grey hair stuck to his forehead while his yellow-near amber eyes squinted against the light. This barren terrain was silent, save for the soft footfalls against the rocks he created. No matter - if anyone crossed him they would fall by his blade.   
    His throat felt parched and ached for water but he trudged on. He was nearly there. Besides Tenebris had endured far worse back when he had been just an acolyte, growing up on Ceperion. He shoved away those memories - they were useless to him now, the person in those memories was dead as far as he was concerned.   
    Darth Tenebris squinted against the bright sunlight and finally saw the rocky formation he had been heading for over the past two days. He approached it with caution - places like these were prone to unwelcome surprises. He only relaxed slightly when nothing happened. He needed to finish his business here quickly as in two days time he would convene with the two current Sith on Malachor.  
   As soon as he entered the dark cave, blue ghostly flames lit up. The climate in the cave was in stark contrast to the one outside - it was cool and slightly damp. Tenebris set down his cloak and walked to a corner of the cave where he knew a small indent in the wall full of pure water was located. He drank and finally quenched his thirst. Now that all the material necessities were out of the way he could focus.  
   Tenebris sat down in the middle of the cave, between four flickering blue ghostly flames, and closed his eyes. He reached into the Force and it responded quickly to his call. He felt a presence, oddly distant, appear behind him. Without opening his eyes he spoke, a pleased note in his voice:  
-Vaylin...

==SW:LB==

-Be careful, we may not be on separatist territory anymore but that doesn't mean we should let our guard down. Keep your comlinks on and--  
-Jayden, relax, we know.  
Alana cut across Jayden's warnings. He frowned and nodded, before sliding his helmet on. They were standing in the shadow that the Crimson Storm cast and in such a spot that many people's glances simple slipped over them. Jayden had insisted that they did this, stating that he didn't want a repeat of what had happened on Alderaan's moon. Alana agreed. As he checked something on the wristband Alana felt a wave of concern and discomfort come from him:  
-What's wrong?  
Jayden's voice was changed by his helmet as he answered:  
-My contact is acting weird. I don't like this, it usually means something's up.  
-Hm, there's something in the Force, too but it could just be a jumble of all the emotions of beings I'm getting here. Its probably nothing.  
TK beside her warbled a question: "Then why do I get the notion that we're going to end up in a ton of trouble?". Alana shrugged and a small smile curled upon her lips:  
-That's probably because we will.  
Jayden pointed a finger at her and chided:  
-Don't jinx it, Jedi.  
Taking that as her cue, Alana rolled her eyes and began walking away with TK:  
-May the Force be with you, Shadow.  
Jayden shook his head and slipped into his Shadow persona, switching into work mode. Time to find out what Kalleg was up to.

==SW:LB==

Alana and TK walked along the streets of Coronet city and took in it's atmosphere. If Alana had to describe it in one word she'd say it was - lively, if TK had his say he'd call it bright and slightly chaotic. Beings of all species walked around here: Ithorians,Duros, Rodians, Humans and Alana even spotted two wookies looking incredibly out of place.   
    Corellia was a planet most famous for their ship building which was done out in orbit above the planet while agricultural products were grown here and there on the land. Coronet,the capital city of Corellia and the site of a big spaceport was where most offworlders arrived. The heads of many corporations including CorSec (Corellian Security) as well many other small businesses and trade guilds were here. Also this city held the record of the best technological parts being sold both for ships and droids.  
    TK didn't quite know where to look with all the technology and new knowledge around him and Alana could barely suppress a smile at the sight of that. As they continued walking at a leisurely pace and passing by the different beings Alana suddenly remembered something. She turned to the droid at her side:  
-Hey,TK, can you speak different languages besides binary?  
-Beep.  
-You can?! Basic too?  
-Bzzt-beep-Dee-reet-dwoo.  
-Then how come you don't?  
Alana frowned as she registered the answer. His vocabulator was badly damaged to the extent that he was only able to use it once a day and at risk of some of his processors frying. A vocabulator in an astromech? That was something new or old, whichever - regardless, it wasn't something that you saw normally. Alana bit her lip slightly out of habit as she pondered over this new piece of information. Her deep blue eyes roamed over the street aimlessly until they accidentally stopped on an ugnaught selling droid parts. That sight sparked an idea in her mind. Her face lit up with a smile she turned to TK and inquired:  
-Do you know the model? And requirements?  
Despite being slightly bewildered TK let out an affirmative whistle.   
-Great! Then let's go find a vendor who sells it.  
-Bee-dwooo?  
TK whistled tentatively, not daring to hope. She didn't owe him anything so why would she... Alana nodded:  
-Of course. It'll help both you and everyone else out with communication! Plus, you need this and I'd be happy to help a friend out.  
The word "friend" struck a cord within the little droid. When was the last time he had been called anyone's friend? It had been more than a century of that he was sure.   
-Come on.  
Alana called at TK speeding up her pace as she had noticed a certain individual who could possibly have what they needed.

==SW:LB==

Jayden walked into the crowded cantina and scanned around for anybody familiar:No one, good. That meant the Rodians hadn't caught up with them just yet. He didn't have time to deal with them right now so the further behind they were the better. Ignoring the eyes trained on him Jayden made his way over to a certain elevator. However, before he could step in he felt someone press a blaster to his back. Inwardly Jayden sighed - of course something like this had to happen. A deep male voice sounded behind him:  
-So, the infamous Shadow himself finally shows. You've gotten sloppy for one of the two best in House Salaktori. Hope you don't mind but we need to have a chat.  
What happened next was unexplainable to the Shadow's assailant, however it was exactly what people who knew Shadow would expect. At first the zabrak assailant was holding a blaster to the Mandolorian bounty hunters back and the next his was on the floor, his weapon knocked out of reach and Shadow had one foot on him with his twin blasters trained on the man. The Zabrak looked up into the place where any human's eyes normally were only to once again remember he couldn't see them due to Shadow's armour. Softly Shadow spoke, his voice quiet and dangerous enhanced by the mask:  
-Listen here, idiot, you're lucky I don't have the time to deal with you today or you'd be a mess of bloodied limbs and innards splattered across that very wall. Do you understand?  
The zabrak nodded quickly. He should have never taken this job! Bragging rights and credits weren't worth his life! Shadow regarded him coldly before releasing him and finally making his way into the elevator. His eyes swept over the room one more time before the elevator door slid closed. Once they did Shadow punched in the codes his contact had sent him so they could meet in private and the elevator began it's ascent, only then did Shadow allow himself to relax and slip back into being Jayden Callen. Idiots.  
    While he waited for the elevator to reach the appropriate floor Jayden glanced around, doing a mental exercise. He checked for cameras, hidden weapons, bugs anything of that sort then he analysed any possible routes of escape in case of emergency after which he calculated which would be the best way to eliminate an opponent that came in from the ceiling, the floor and through the doors. This was something Jayden had slowly worked into a habit since he was a young child, since the day when his world had come crashing down. Jayden caught his reflection in the mirror and smiled bitterly when his eyes caught his families crest on the center of his armour. An orange unfinished semi-circle with three sharp points, the middle one stood the tallest - it was a fairly simple symbol but one that held deep meaning to those who knew it and Jayden was fairly sure that he could count the number of those people on one hand.   
    Grey and green had been the colour scheme Jayden had chosen for his armour so the orange stood out, his grandmother had offered to help him change it to another colour but Jayden had refused. He kept it that colour as a painful reminder to himself that he must live on. The elevator doors slid open and just like that Jayden Callen was gone, replaced with Shadow once more.  
    Shadow stepped out of the elevator and into a dark room, the doors sliding closed behind him and what little light there had been disappearing. Uncomfortable with the darkness Shadow folded his pinky finger and the one beside it twice on his left hand. The night vision within his helmet switched on. It was quiet, far too quiet for Shadow's liking. After contemplating it for a moment Shadow reached out with the Force,looking for presences as Alana had taught him: the room was empty and there was no one inside. Shadow frowned behind his mask - Kalleg had never been late before, he was missing something...  
    Shadow tentatively walked over to the other side of the room and flipped on the lights. What he saw made the look in Shadow's eyes harden: the sofa's were smeared with blood - fairly new by the looks of it. Some of the furniture in the room was overturned and Shadow saw Kalleg's usual self-defence vibroblade snapped in half. Shadow cursed softly under his breath:  
-Kriff...What happened here?  
Shadow scanned the room one more time, searching for clues. It was obvious that there had been a fight and that Kalleg had been overpowered but by who and why? Shadow's eyes suddenly stopped on a grey metal mass lying in a heap in the corner of the room, oddly scorched. It took a moment for Shadow to realise that this was K1-P0 , the Ithorian's trusty protocol droid.   
   Shadow made his way over to the poor droid and knelt beside him. The droid was deactivated and one of his optics had been violently ripped out, aside from that he'd been scorched by some manner of an explosion- very likely an ion grenade. Frowning, Shadow pulled the droid up into a sitting position and flipped it's circuit breaker, the droid's remaining optical lens switched  on. He instantly became alarmed:  
-Aah! Please, don't deactivate me again! I can't even see! Oh no, Master Kalleg!  
-Relax, Kay-one, it's me.   
The droid seemed to recognise Shadows calm and cool tone as he calmed down and let the bounty hunter fix his missing lens back onto him and stand up.  Kay-one also stood up. He clasped his grey metallic hands together:  
-Ah, Master Shadow! You're really here.  
-What happened here Kay-one? Where's Kalleg?  
The grey protocol droid looked down,silent. Crossing his arms Shadow repeated his questions. The droid sadly stated:  
-Master Kalleg and I were attacked. By three people - I don't remember them because they deactivated me too quickly. They took Master Kalleg!  
-How long ago was that?  
-5 hours, 32 minutes and 26 seconds approximately.  
-Damn...  
Shadow looked down, the gears in his mind spinning. K1 unexpectedly begged him:  
-Oh, Master Shadow please save him!   
Shadow shrugged:  
-I don't have much choice. Did the attackers leave any indication...?  
The droid nodded and held out a note Shadow hadn't previously noticed. It was splattered with blood but the black letters were still legible, it read:  
Bounty Hunter, forget about the Ithorian and leave immediately. If you do not we will be forced to take action.Glory to the Republic!  
Shadow furrowed his eyebrows in confusion: this didn't give him much... Except what kind of kidnappers wrote "Glory to the Republic!" as a last sentence? Only fanatics would do that or madmen. Somehow Shadow was leaning towards the former. He looked up at K1:  
-How many days have you been on Corellia?  
-Approximately a week, Master Shadow.  
-Have you heard any mention of Republic fanatics lately?  
The droid nodded importantly:  
-Why yes - I heard a few patrons of the cantina below gossiping about a mad republic fanatic scientist living in the lower levels the other day.  
Shadow sighed as he mused out loud:  
-A mad republic-loving scientist... This doesn't sound like something a scientist would do. Worth checking out I suppose. Thanks,Kay-one and I'll try to find Kalleg - I promise.  
-Oh, thank you, Master Shadow!  
-Don't thank me yet. Stay here.  
Shadow ordered the protocol droid and stepped back into the elevator. As the doors closed in front of him and the elevator began its descent Shadow slipped back into Jayden. As he felt it's descent, he couldn't help thinking just how right TK was.

==SW:LB==

Alana smiled at the droid rolling alongside her. They had managed to get exactly what he needed and with their, ahem, haggling abilities for a reasonable price. After they had gotten it TK had safely stored it away within one of his hidden compartments (which Alana had no clue he had and decided not to question) and now the little droid seemed much happier overall.   
-Are you going to need help installing that? I've noticed you do most your repairs yourself.  
Again and ability Alana had decided not to question. TK chirped a cheerful affirmative and that was so different from the often cynical astromech-assassin droid that Alana almost thought that someone had taken her TK and had replaced him with another. No, she thought, this droid was one in a million.  
  As they walked Alana basked in the temporary peace, one that probably wouldn't hold. She smiled as she felt the warm light of the sun on her face and the barest brush of the wind against her neck as it played a bit with her loose hair - moment like these were rare and even more so as she wasn't at the Jedi Temple now. Right now, as she walked in civilian clothes and with a perhaps slightly odd but cheerful droid at her side and with her Jedi weapons concealed, she could almost pretend she was normal. Well, as normal as one could be with the Force thrumming within them and with two lightsabers at their sides. She realised that she was enjoying this briefly induced fantasy of being normal. It was a beautiful fantasy but a fantasy nonetheless.  
     Alana was jerked out of her thoughts when she heard a scuffling sound come from the nearby alleyway and a low groan of pain. She paused mid-step and nearly lost her balance, a faint ripple of pain and anger permeated through the Force nearby. Alana turned in that direction to see two large looming figures and she barely made out a much smaller one. Motioning TK to follow her quietly, Alana pressed herself against the wall and listened in. Two rough and deep voices were speaking:  
-You just crossed the wrong people, brat.  
-Yeah, what he said.  
A child's, a boy's, voice responded indignantly:  
-I have no idea what you morons are going on about.  
-Really? Then will this refresh your memory?  
There was a sickening sound of a punch during which Alana barely restrained herself from jumping out of her hiding spot. However she didn't, something told her that the kid wouldn't appreciate her intervention and that she'd only make matters worse. There was a scuffling sound before the kid spoke again:  
-You two really are morons if a 5 year old can dupe you.  
After that there were two blaster shots and two thumps of heavy bodies hitting the ground. Alana turned to look at what had happened and shook her head silently at the sight: a little boy, human with brown eyes and brown hair, was standing over two weequay men with a stun blaster in his hands. He was grinning at his own triumph:  
-Like I always say there's nothing like a good blaster at your side.  
He didn't seem to have noticed her yet. Taking in the scene again Alana asked:  
-Nice shot, but what are you going to do when they wake up?  
The boy jumped in surprise and his eyes finally found her. He hesitated before rubbing the back of his head uncomfortably and saying:  
-I haven't really thought that far.   
When Alana moved forward he frowned and crossed his arms:  
-I have this under control, I don't need help.  
-And I'm not offering it.  
Alana replied calmly and crouched down beside the two unconscious weequay. She gently touched their heads and sent a pulse of the Force into them. Closing her eyes she saw a few flashes of what had transpired and of who they were. She used the Force to gently make their unconscious and therefore a lot more vulnerable minds to make them forget about the kid and what he'd done - it was a lot like Force persuasion. Alana stood up when she was done:  
-There. This way they won't remember any of this. And you, kid,-she addressed the boy who frowned at being called a "kid"-, you certainly enjoy a reckless life, don't you? Stealing?  
He glared and crossed his arms defensively:  
-It's none of your business and I'm not a kid!  
Alana looked at him evenly:  
-It's not. But why? For the fun? The thrill? You're only 5 years old! Where are your parents?  
The boy looked away and muttered something inaudible before repeating it louder:  
-Don't need them. And I don't do it for fun. Hmph.  
Was all he said before falling silent. Alana sighed and crouched down in front of the boy:  
-Fine, I'm not going to pressure you into telling me but do you have a name?  
The kid finally looked at her again and slowly nodded:  
-Yeah, I do. Han...Han Solo.  
Alana's lips formed a small smile:  
-Well,Han Solo, do you want some ice cream?

==SW:LB==

TK watched slightly detached as Alana and the kid called Han sat in a small booth in an ice cream parlour, eating ice cream. It was one of the most bizarre scenes he'd seen in a while. TK just couldn't reconcile the Alana on Duro and the Alana in the here and now. The difference was monumental.   
   She'd gotten the kid to open up slightly and it quickly became apparent that he had quite an attitude on him even at this age,he was cocky and mildly sarcastic often too. Alana didn't try to pry into his business and just talked to him about blasters (a topic he seemed to be chatty about), starships (he was an enthusiastic to talk about this) and now they'd moved onto Corellia. Alana was listening to the young boy telling her about a few odd spacers that'd shown up recently and an odd gang, when after swallowing a bit of ice cream he said:  
-Oh, and there's been rumours of a mad republic-fanatic scientist living somewhere around here.  
Alana raised an eyebrow:  
-Really?  
Han nodded:  
-Yeah, they say a few people have been kidnapped. Not that I'm worried though. He'd catch me when black holes shine.  
Alana rolled her eyes at his confident attitude but the news of a republic-crazy scientist worried her a bit. This didn't sit well with her. Her mind strayed off in that direction of thoughts and she didn't even notice Han calling her name. She snapped back into reality:  
-Oh, sorry. What did you say?  
-I asked how are you sure that those guys won't come after me?  
-Ah, that. I used the Force to mess with their heads a bit - I don't really enjoy doing it.  
Han groaned:  
-Great, so what, are you one of those laser-sword wielding yahoos that believe in a hokey religion?  
Alana smiled, amused:  
-If by that you mean whether I'm a Jedi or not, they yes - I am.   
He shook his head at her:  
-You've got a few screws loose.  
Alana shrugged:  
-Haven't we all? And you don't act like a 5 year old, kid.  
-I'm not a kid!  
Han protested hotly. Alana was about to counter his passionate statement when she froze . A dark presence, no, two had just entered the shop. Alana turned her head slightly to see the droid assistant bound up to two beings: one was a male Trandoshan while the other was a short red Rodian. Both of them were armed and there was something really off about them. Alana tuned back into what Han was saying but kept her attention on the two newcomers. Curiously enough, the kid was also talking about them:  
-Hey, I've seen them before. They are those weird spacers I told you about. I followed them once and saw them going down into the lower levels, carrying something weird. I bet that's where that crazy scientist is hiding!  
As soon he finished those words Han slumped down on the table, unconscious. Alana suddenly heard TK emanate a shrill whistle before there was a beep and he was shut down, two shadows loomed across the table. Alana turned her head slightly and saw the Trandoshan and the Rodian before her vision went black and she too was stunned. Despite her Jedi training, she hadn't reacted fast enough.  
   The Rodian put away his blaster and looked at the three figures before them:  
-So, what we do with them, Jorgo?  
The Trandoshan, Jorgo,answered in his native tongue:  
-They know too much. I'll the girl and the kid to the doctor while you dispose this walking trash can into a meltdown factory, Ledor. They'll all be put to good use.  
The Rodian nodded and after sweeping his eyes across the room which was mostly empty and smiling slightly at the deactivated assistant droid, declared:  
-Glory to the Republic!  
The Trandoshan nodded his assent and murmured in Trandoshan:  
-Glory to the Republic! And may the Scorekeeper grant them many victorious hunts.

==SW:LB==

Jayden stood atop one of the buildings and surveyed the seemingly endless. There were apparently quite a few entries to the lower levels but which one was the correct one? Maybe he did need Alana and TK's help with this. He clicked on his comlink and tried to contact them twice but to his surprise found nothing but static. What was going on? As Jayden used his jet pack to take off he, in the direction he'd last sensed Alana's presence he muttered to himself:  
-I have a bad feeling about this.


	24. Beneath the Surface

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! And I only took a week (I think)! Yeah, so I actually managed to make this chapter moderately sized: 6000-ish words instead of my usual 9000+. Yay for that! Also there's quite a lot of stuff I have to say beforehand, so pay attention:  
> 1) Once again a huge thanks to everyone who dropped me a note and gave me their feedback it helps a lot  
> 2) This is more of a general note: I made an estimated plan in my head of how long this fanfic is going to be and oh gosh is it long. I'm totally not going to blame anyone who decides they want out. This one is going to be bordering on epic novel length long - like over 100 chapter for sure.  
> 3) This is all taking place one year into the clone wars.  
> 4)There is quite a bit of Mando'a here so here we go:  
> Ner vod-my brother/sister  
> Cyar'ika-dear  
> Akaan-war  
> Beroya-bounty hunter  
> The rest is translated at the side.  
> 5)I do have a bad habit of making my characters ask more questions and I don't give answers to them that quickly but bear with me - all will become clear in due time.  
> 6) I loop back a lot to the old republic, like SWTOR so a few people may be confused. You can always ask me to explain and I'll tell you what's what but my best advice? If you can't play the game go and watch the class storylines on YouTube- I love them.  
> 7)Thank you for sticking with me this long. It means a lot.  
> 8) As usual- Enjoy!
> 
> Also some very observant people may notice that all 24 chapters were posted here today: yeah, that's only for this site, in reality this fanfic was started on the 17 of September 2015. Just a note

Chapter 24 - Beneath the Surface

Count Dooku was pacing in his office, hands locked behind his back, lightsaber swinging in tandem with his steps. Aside from his pacing and his furrowed brow he appeared calm and collected outwardly while inside he was ready to tear his hair out and chop half of his office furniture into rubble in frustration. Grievous had failed him - again. And no, despite his frustration the leader of the Confederacy of Independent Systems or as the Republic so vulgarly called them - Separatists wouldn't do the aforementioned destruction to his office, he had never seen a need for pointless destruction. There always had to be a goal.  
    Count Dooku was very frustrated. How hard was it to talk to the overseer on Bburru station, land on an abandoned planet, get to a certain location, get the artefact and fly back up?! How hard?! Evidently Grievous couldn't even do that! Of course, Dooku mused, I hadn't anticipated that the planet would have an ion spill barrier and I doubt anyone could have anticipated a Jedi being there either but that's no excuse for... Dooku suddenly stopped pacing as his mind reeled at the last bit of his thoughts: the Jedi. Why would there be a Jedi on an separatist occupied and dead world? And moreover why didn't his Master inform him of that when he had assigned him and Grievous this task? It just didn't add up. Was this some sort of test? - Dooku wondered but he quickly dismissed the thought. No, this wasn't intricate enough of a test to be assigned by his Master. Nevertheless he had to report on the situation to his Master.  
   Count Dooku kneeled before the holoterminal as the blue and see through image of his Master appeared. He bowed his head as he spoke:  
-Master, General Grievous has failed us. We don't have the artefact and he is no shape to actively continue.  
-Explain, Darth Tyrannus.  
Count Dooku didn't dare raise his head as every note in his Masters voice informed him that he was severely displeased. Choosing his words carefully the apprentice elaborated:  
-Master, we did not foresee two factors in play. The planet had an ion spill barrier around it and there was a Jedi.  
He felt a slight note of surprise from his Master before it vanished instantly:  
-Who was that Jedi?  
-I am not privy to such knowledge, Master. Grievous described her as young, blond-brown hair and dark blue eyes.  
If Dooku could see his Master's face he would have noticed a thoughtful expression on it. Seeing his Master pause, the apprentice added:  
-She also had two lightsabers - green and violet.  
This made Sidious ponder a bit further. If his speculations were accurate he knew precisely who that Jedi was but why in the galaxy was she there? Shouldn't she be holed up with the rest of those fools in the Temple? Perhaps it was time for a "friendly chat" with a few of the Jedi. Sidious sighed inwardly. He turned to his apprentice who was still kneeling:  
-Very well, we shall try to compensate for that loss. Continue as you did, apprentice. Oh and offer Grievous no aid - he must learn the meaning of failure.  
-As you say, Master.  
The transmission cut off and Count Dooku was left wondering just who that Jedi was.

==SW:LB==

Alana's head hurt, again. Damn it, why couldn't she live a week without something happening to mess with her brain?! Oh right, her life had recently gone from odd to outright insane! Why...oh why... Well, it was time to see what kind of situation she had gotten herself into this time since the last thing she remembered was being stunned by a Trandoshan with a Rodian...  
    Alana wanted to open her eyes but to her dismay found that she couldn't. She inhaled sharply but kept her cool. Okay, so she might be blindfolded-not a good sign but she could deal with it. Alana tried to lift her hand but found that that was impossible too thanks to the cold metallic rings strapping her to whatever object she lying on. The same situation was with her legs. Great, just great.  
    Alana reached out with the Force and searched for any familiar Force signatures or life forms. She noticed a few: her lightsabers were fairly far away from her so that was concerning, but aside from them she also noticed quite a few live Force presences but they all seemed slightly dim somehow. All apart from two: they were purple and orange and rapidly moving. Damn it.  
    Alana took a deep breath, this wasn't the first time she'd gotten caught so she knew panicking was both useless and a waste of much needed energy. Right now her best hope was to sit here and wait for anyone who could at least get this blindfold off her to appear. Her captor was a good enough candidate as any. Speaking of which, who was he or she? It took a moment for all the puzzle pieces in her mind to click - the crazy scientist! It made sense: who else would want them to shut up if they had even an inkling of his precise location? If she could Alana would have facepalmed: she had gotten to careless, that's why she hadn't sensed their assailants until it was a moment too late! If she had anyone to blame for being stuck like this it was only herself. She sighed: stupid, stupid, stupid! She was so stupid!  
    Her musing and basically self-berating was interrupted by a voice. It sounded like it belonged to an old man, a Republic accent evident in it with a few hints of something else:  
-Oh ho! My most intriguing specimen is awake!  
A slightly exasperated voice sounded close by, this one belonging to a younger woman  with a strange mix of accent which Alana couldn't place:  
-Sir, please contain yourself. This isn't good for your health.  
-Yes, yes, Anora.  
The old man dismissed Anora's (the woman's) warning with slight annoyance,like one of a child when being told to wash their hands before eating. He turned his attention back to his "specimen", something Alana had decided instantly that she was averse to being called. From him Alana felt a mix of excitement,curiosity and something she couldn't place but didn't like, while from Anora she felt apprehension, worry, doubt and pure exasperation as well as a tinge of...fondness? Huh, who would have guessed. She sensed the old man moving.  
  The next moment Alana was squinting against the bright lights as the blindfold was ripped off her. As soon as her eyes adjusted to the light and she was able to keep her eyes open normally she saw two people. The first was as she summarised an old man, with brown eyes, neatly brushed back grey hair and wearing a grey lab coat. Beside him stood the second figure: a young Chiss woman with vibrant blue skin, short black-blue hair that reached only to the base of her neck, vibrant red eyes and wearing a whiter lab coat with a datapad and a strange metallic object in her hands. The old man was nearly jumping for joy when her eyes focused on him:  
-Ah! Such an interesting pigmentation of eyes! I've never seen these in a human, I must reevaluate my conclusion about this one.  
Anora facepalmed with her free hand and Alana felt slightly envious of her since she desperately wanted to do the same. The old man cottoned on quite quickly mercifully:  
-Ah, forgive me - introductions are in order. I am Doctor Vandar Kimble - once chief scientist of the Republic's weapon development projects now retired and working on a project that will make our victory certain! Glory to the Republic!  
He shouted the last line and Alana was left watching him slightly confused at what she had just heard. The Chiss woman beside him sighed but fixed her eyes on Alana:  
-And I'm his assistant- Anora Revel. I've never seen anyone with anything quite like your physiology.  
Alana shook her head: the situation had just gotten weirder - she was surrounded by a pair of slightly insane scientists. Yep, the rumours had been true. Alana cleared her throat before speaking:  
-Um, I'd say it's nice to meet you and shake hands if I wasn't chained to a slightly upright standing examination table. Pardon me for my obvious lack of manners.  
The Doctor waved her sarcastic apology aside and spoke buoyantly:  
-Never mind that, my dear. Tell me: what species are you?  
Before Alana could inquire whether he was blind or slightly off his rocker, a tortured scream sounded and both Doctor Vandar and Anora turned around in the direction from which it had come. The Doctor sighed:  
-Oh dear, it seems that my hands were shaking when I implanted the cerebellum regulation patch in our Ithorian friend. Anora, watch our new patient will you.  
Was all he said before hurrying off to the poor soul that was shrieking in pain. Alana shuddered, she had a really bad feeling about this. Whatever the Doctor had done to that poor Ithorian Alana hoped he wouldn't do to her. She reassured herself slightly by remembering that a Jedi was never without a weapon - she had the Force. She could defend herself if need be. Evidently Anora had been thinking along the same lines because she held up the metallic cut in half and on hinges circle thing and asked:  
-Do you know what this is?  
Alana glanced at the object and although she had no idea what it was she didn't like it at all. She shook her head slightly and replied:  
-No, can't say I do, but something tells me you're going to tell me soon enough.  
-Mhm, perhaps I shall. Actually, I believe actions speak louder than words.  
She reached up and before Alana could even form a thought to try and stop her, she snapped the ring around Alana's neck. It clicked into place, the locking mechanism engaging. Instantly Alana felt as though she had been blindsided, it was like one of her senses had disappeared: this collar cut her off from the Force and it felt torturous for some reason. Anora cocked her head to the side:  
-Works, doesn't it? That, my friend, is a Force suppression collar and don't bother trying to tap into the Force it'll only shock you. You can't get it off either unless you have my fingerprints or your lightsabers. The Doctor may be careless despite his genius mind, while I certainly am not.  
Alana glared at the woman but the more she tried to focus on her form, the more she kept sliding out of view. It seemed that instead of one Anora there were now three and with each passing moment Alana's headache increased and she found it harder to breathe. Black spots that signalled the oncoming wave of unconsciousness started appearing in Alana's vision and distantly she heard a rapid beeping sound. She heard the Chiss scientists rush over to whatever was beeping and mutter something in Chenuh that sounded like "This shouldn't be happening!" before Alana lost the battle of wills and despite her annoyance and protests her brain shut itself down.

==SW:LB==

Jayden paced back and forth on the bridge of the Crimson Storm, in full armour save for his helmet. As the sun over Corellia set it drew a close to second day Alana and TK were missing. He had a the general idea of how to get into the lower levels, but no clue which entrance he should take and what to expect. Worse still he had no clue how the two were doing, even his unwilling  Force bond with Alana had been cut off . Oh, he knew they were alive alright - he had perfect faith in Alana's and TK's survival skills to not, but what if they needed help? He could come in and rescue them if he knew where they were. Jayden smiled slightly at the image of Alana glaring at him and firmly stating that she was not a damsel in distress that needed saving. He snorted at the idea of Alana being much of a damsel let alone in distress - it was ridiculous, there were many words that he could use to describe the impulsive young female Jedi but "damsel in distress " wasn't one of them and he was pretty certain she would punch the lights out of anyone who dared call her that. That was one of the reasons he had so much fun annoying her by calling her "princess" - as she seemingly had the mental image of most princesses being helpless and woefully incompetent, which Jayden could say from experience most of them were.  
    Jayden suddenly stood up and pulled on his mask before exiting the ship, unable to stand one more minute in total silence with just his thoughts for company. He decided to go into the local cantina if not for a drink then for some possibly useful information. His reputation as one of the two best bounty hunters in House Salaktori and as "Shadow" made him feared and respected by many so no one besides those with a death wish and those impossibly stupid should bother him. As soon as Jayden stepped into the buzzing cantina he almost stopped dead at who he saw sitting at the bar table completely ignoring the brawl that had broken out behind her.  
    A young Mirialan woman with pale green skin, short and wavy chestnut hair and violet eyes sat casually on a bar stool. She wore a black wraparound top that covered only her chest and a black leather open jacket over top, as well as brown pants, black boots and a black belt with a holster in which a custom made blaster was located. She looked like she hadn't a care in the world as she sipped her orange coloured drink and blithely ignored the ongoing ruckus. Jayden stared for a moment before recovering: he just couldn't believe that she was really here in a crowded Corellian cantina right when he needed her most. Acting as usual, Jayden slid into a bar stool beside her. The droid bartender trotted up to him but Jayden waved him away, having no desire to take his helmet off in front of so many people.  
    At first glance she payed him little attention and Jayden payed her no mind before asking quietly:  
-Tion'ad hukaat'kama? [T:Who's watching your back?]  
She regarded him calmly before slowly and steadily answering in unaccented Mando'a:  
-Ner vod. Aliit ori'shya tal'din al cui ogir'olar. Copaani gaan? [T:My brother, family is more than blood but that is irrelevant. Need a hand?]  
Jayden nodded:  
-Elek, vor entye. Mando'ad draar digu. [T:Yes, I accept a debt. A Mandolorian never forgets.]  
A small smile broke out over the Mirialan woman's face:  
-Mar'e! [T:At last!]  
With the last of those words spoken, the Mirialan woman nodded and stood up, motioning Jayden to follow her. Despite being slightly perplexed Jayden followed her, fighting off the urge to slide back into Shadow and make sure none of those fools looked at her that way. No one approached them and that was just as well. The young woman paused in front of one of the doors to the private sections of the cantina and tapped in a code before going inside and pulling Jayden in with her. As soon as the door closed behind him, she jumped on him pulling him into a hard hug. For a moment Jayden stood frozen before hugging her back. When she finally stepped away from him, he pulled off his helmet and a bright smile resided on his face:  
-Kas! What are you doing here?!  
She grinned mischievously:  
-Oh, well, I heard that a certain famous beroya was stopping by on Corellia and I decided I wanted an autograph.  
Jayden shook his head at Kasrie's antics. Kasrie Cadera was like a sister to him along with her two others: Nelia and Shara. Nelia, Kasrie and Shara had grown up along with him and while Kasrie was the same age as him, Nelia was 19 and Shara was only 14. Nelia and Shara had a human fathers while Kasrie had had a Mirialan one - the simplest way to put it was the fact that their mother was a woman that didn't like to be tied down by marriage but loved her children to death. Kasrie along with her two sisters belonged to that small remnant of an old Mandolorian community that his grandmother led. Despite Nelia's protest Kasrie (who had always been the most impulsive of the three) had already dragged Shara into their little smuggling business and the three normally travelled together.  
-But really Jayden, it's great to see you again. You've been away for ages!  
Exclaimed Kasrie as she dragged Jayden over to a sofa and made him sit down before perching next to him herself. Jayden smiled apologetically:  
-Sorry about that, but lately it's been one job after another. I suspect it's the same for you three?  
Kasrie nodded as she leaned back on the plush sofa:  
-Yeah, Nel and Shara love it but I just need a break sometimes so when I heard you were in Coronet and we were having our hyperdrive replaced anyways I took that as my chance. The war has really created lots of opportunities, sad that it took a akaan to get business booming though. However, from your reaction I'm guessing you weren't expecting me?  
Jayden nodded:  
-Yeah, but I'm really glad that you're here.  
-Why do I get the feeling that when you accepted my offer for help you weren't just using it as our code phrase?  
-That's because I do, Kas. I need your magical brain to help me figure the easiest route to get to the bowels of Coronet.  
-Well, I do have a wonderful brain...  
-Yeah, yeah - here.  
Jayden pulled up a schematic of the city on his datapad and handed it to Kasrie who quickly scanned it before looking up at him with a single eyebrow raised:  
-You said easiest, right? Not safest?  
-Yes, the faster the better. I have a feeling I'm on a time limit here.  
Kasrie nodded before glancing back down at the schematics and muttering:  
-Right, let's see if you can provide me with a challenge, hm?

==SW:LB==

TK powered back up abruptly as his sensors registered a strong heat source a fair distance ahead. It was one of the things his Master had programmed him with and he was immensely grateful. TK looked around as his processors established what had happened just beforehand. TK buzzed angrily - he really wanted to shoot that Rodian and Trandoshan into cosmic dust! They had put him in a meltdown factory!  
    Speaking of which he was on a conveyor belt that was moving steadily towards a highly heated object. TK had no plans of getting melted down anytime soon so he tried to roll the opposite way when he found he couldn't - he had been practically welded to the conveyor belt like all the other droids there. Well, that complicated matters slightly but they'd have to try better if they wanted to get rid of him. TK pulled out a small arm that had a durasteel cutter from within himself. He used it to cut one side free but time was running short as they approached the "meltdown machine" and he was still welded to the other side. His durasteel cutter arm worked as fast as he could make it but the metal was thick so it took some time. TK soon realised that he'd run out of time before he'd cut through the it so that left him with one final option: destroy the machine.  
   He used another one of his mechanical arms to launch one of the grenades that he carried within himself. Idiotic organics hadn't even checked him over before stuffing him onto a conveyor belt! There was a spectacular explosion and the machine was blasted into a hundred tiny pieces just as TK finally cut himself free. He righted himself and activated his thrusters just a moment before he was tossed into the magma tank that stood beneath the meltdown machine. That was cutting it a bit too close even for TK's standards.  
   He spared one final glance at the machine that had nearly possibly destroyed him before using his thrusters to fly to the nearest bridge that the organics used for walking around safely. Now to find a computer terminal. TK looked around and buzzed in annoyance: this whole factory was wreaking havoc with his sensors. He'd just have to do it the manual way. TK rolled along the bridge keeping his optics peeled for any computer terminals when he ran into a group of enraged ugnaught who were apparently overseeing the meltdown process here and he'd destroyed a lot of their work. Oopsie - thought TK sarcastically. They ran at him stun batons raised. How funny. TK pulled out his two heavy duty blasters and with great enthusiasm started blasting up the whole place. They fell in seconds. For some reason he'd messed up and set his blasters to stun, for a second TK debated whether to switch to kill and finish them off when he realised that'd just be a waste of time and rolled away.  
   After quite a bit of rolling along bridges TK finally made into the main building, where he found the much coveted computer terminal. He plugged into it thanking his fore sight to get all necessary plug in arms. The system defences was fairly rudimentary and TK sliced through them in no time at all. As soon as he was in the first thing he did was download the area schematics so he knew what death traps lay ahead since his scanners were jammed, the second was to unlock all the security doors and to take out a fairly large group of ungnaughts in one of the upcoming rooms by overloading the terminal beside them. Once he had done that TK decided to shut down the factory for now - he couldn't make it permanent unfortunately: it'd draw to much attention. The last thing he wanted was to fight off half the city when he should be looking for Alana. He had no doubt that the reckless Jedi had gotten herself into a similar predicament minus the meltdown part of course. After switching on alarms in all parts of the factory as a final parting gift TK unplugged himself from the computer and shut down all the terminals for good measure.  
    The little droid used the downloaded schematics to quickly determine the fastest route to the exit and marked it in his mind. He started rolling along that path when he noticed a pair of heavily armed humans, he hid. In TK's experience humans seemed to be a bit smarter than ungnaughts so tricking them was necessary. Thank the maker he had his holographic disguises. TK quickly activated one of them and looked like a perfectly good protocol droid to anyone who deemed fit to pay any attention to him. Once that was done he left his hiding spot. Instantly he crossed paths with the humans and stopped them deciding that it was time to put his old vocabulator to use a few final times:  
-Oh, Masters, I wouldn't go that way!  
One of the human men stopped and asked:  
-Why not, droid?  
TK decided it was time to play up the dramatics:  
-Oh, Masters, it is truly horrible! Some stupid creature overloaded the factories power core and now there may be an explosion! Masters, we should get out of here while we still can!  
The humans exchanged a glance before one of them grumbled "they don't pay us enough anyway" and they both ran for the exist. Once they were out of sight TK dropped the disguise and chortled in his own droid way. Humans could also be very foolish at times. Thankfully, TK encountered next to no further obstacles on his path save for a dozen security droids who'd rudely tried to stop him and he'd blasted them into rubble. Soon he was at the exit. Time to find his Jedi.

==SW:LB==

It was dark when Jayden and Kasrie parted in front of the cantina. She looked at him in concern one final time and asked once more:  
-You sure you don't want me to come with you?  
Jayden waved her offer off:  
-Thanks, Kas, but I'll manage. You better get going, Nelia's going to kill you if you come back at the last minute.  
Kasrie nodded and they both began to walk their separate ways before Kasrie called back:  
-Hope she's worth sticking your neck out for.  
Jayden whipped around and stared at Kasrie, glad once again that his helmet obscured his face. Jayden hadn't even mentioned who he was looking for or why he was going there to her so how in the universe...? He choked out:  
-H-How?  
Kasrie laughed:  
-That,ner cyar'ika vod, is my secret. But really I've known you since we were kids - I know how you think. So your new partner, is she worth risking your life for?  
Jayden nodded:  
-Yeah, she'd do the same for me, Kas.  
Kasrie looked at him with a smile before turning around and starting to walk away but not without calling:  
-I want to meet her one day, oh great and powerful Shadow!  
Jayden simply rolled his eyes. 

==SW:LB==

Doctor Vandar strolled into the room where his newest specimen was being held only to see his assistant nervously pinching the bridge of her nose and glaring at the read outs on the machine that was hooked up to the Jedi. The Jedi... He looked at her and stared: she looked near dead, face deathly pale, barely breathing and eyes only half open and empty. What in the universe had happened here?! He turned to his assistant:  
-Anora, what happened to our patient?!  
She rose from her chair and spread her arms helplessly:  
-I don't know, sir. I placed the Force suppression collar on her as we discussed and then - she became like this.  
Doctor Vandar frowned: Force suppression collars only cut off a Force user from it and it could certainly be a bit jarring but he had never heard of someone going into a comatose state when being outfitted with it. Never ever and Doctor Vandar knew medicine, technology and history very well. He'd been awarded numerous commendations for his research so why...? He turned to the Chiss woman:  
-Did you run a physiology scan on her?  
She shook her head:  
-No, sir. I wasn't sure if it was safe enough to do.  
Doctor Vandar sighed:  
-So the past couple of hours you've been sitting here and monitoring her vitals?  
Anora glared at him:  
-As if. No, I kept a mobile monitor with me while I checked on our other patients. Sir, if I may inquire: what do you plan to do with the child- he's far too young to survive that type of operation?  
The elderly scientist shrugged:  
-I don't know - train him as an assistant, maybe. Killing him would be a waste of ammunition and good republic resources. Now, Anora, dear, run that physiology scan and cross reference it with a human.  
The Chiss woman stood up, her red eyes glowing in the dim light:  
-Right away, sir.  
She walked over to the main terminal and her slender and long blue finger glided over the machine's controls effortlessly as she booted up the scan. Soon one of the overhead machines, turned to face the comatose Jedi and a blue light glided over her. Anora quietly murmured:  
-Data coming in. Nearly there and...ah!  
She turned towards the doctor, eyes shining with scientific wonder:  
-You were right, sir. I've never seen anything quite like it.  
The Doctor rubbed his brow tiredly:  
-Anora, cross-reference, dear.  
She nodded and eagerly entered a few new commands for the machine. Doctor Vandar made his way over to stand beside her. The machine beeped and a second later it displayed- "89% human organism". The Doctor got a huge smile on his face:  
-I knew it! I was correct.  
His assistant smiled enthusiastically:  
-You were, sir. But then what species...?  
-Hm, it must be an offshoot of humans. Probably something that adapted to the environment- you know? Ah, I can run a search in the archives!  
The Chiss woman leaned her head to the side:  
-Are we going down there, sir?  
The scientists nodded importantly:  
-Why, of course, my dear. We have to complete our main project have we not? Our super soldiers are only a minor side-project and yet I do so love working with Rakatan technology! And I must also commend you for choosing Corellia as our base of operations: we can get so many new specimens here! Ah, I'm so excited. Now, let's go,my dear.  
Anora picked up a small object and nodded:  
-Right away, sir. I'll take the monitor just in case. Can we station the Trandoshan and Rodian here as guards?  
The Doctor pondered it for a moment before agreeing:  
-That is a good idea. Now, let's go - I want to see that magnificent planetary repulsor once more!

==SW:LB==

Alana walked around in the dark tunnel, barely seeing anything before a bright light lit up somewhere. She ran toward it - anything was better than the darkness. She stopped when she saw the scene before her. It was that lush green planet again. The one where she'd seen the girl get her crystal but this time Alana was alone.  
   Alana took a tentative step from the dark tunnel on to it and as soon as she had the tunnel closed up behind her and she wast left standing in a clearing. She looked around a instead of being horribly disoriented felt a sense of familiarity wash over her, she felt safe as though she was somewhere where no one could ever hurt her. Like...home. Alana shrugged off that sensation marking it as absurd - she'd never even been here before so how could this feel like...like...home? The Jedi sighed and pushed it to the back of her mind just before the clouds of amnesia were all the unanswered questions lay. With nothing better to do Alana decided to take a walk.  
    It didn't take her long to stumble across something that made her start. There were houses, next to the large trees. Moderate sized comfortable houses. Curious, Alana walked up to the door of one and knocked - there was no answer. Alana cautiously pushed open the door and once inside closed it softly behind herself. It looked like a house where an old woman lived with china, comfortable sofas and books. Alana felt slightly uncomfortable barging in like this but her curiosity at the strange familiarity of this place drove her. She stopped when she noticed a hologram of three people. There was a more or less elderly woman with bright purple eyes and greying hair, beside her clutching a cheerfully laughing toddler stood a grinning young woman with...midnight blue eyes...like Alana's own. She also had brown hair a few shades darker than the toddlers - she was probably the child's mother. The toddler herself - Alana recognised her, it was a younger version of the little girl she followed in her dreams and visions: she looked so carefree and laughing as her smiling mother tried to hold her still so the holo could be made. Alana smiled wistfully at the picture, she wished she at least had something like that - something to remind her of who her family was.  
    Shaking her head Alana turned around and left the house but for a reason unbeknownst to even her she didn't stop. Her legs propelled her forwards, towards the place that called to her. Alana halted when she was standing on a hill below which stood a large building so reminiscent of the Jedi temple on Tython (Alana had never been there but she had seen holo-images) but different at the same time. Before the temple herself lay a courtyard where there was a sparring zone, a meditation zone and there were a few benches under shaded trees that would be ideal for Masters teaching younglings. From her vantage point Alana could see that the temple grounds were vast and covered much space, half of which she couldn't see because of the temple itself. It was beautiful and even better the man-made buildings co-existed harmoniously with nature.  
    Alana frowned: where in the galaxy was this planet? As far as she knew there were only two places where the Jedi temples and enclaves weren't in ruins and this fit neither of them. This planet definitely wasn't Coruscant but it wasn't Tython either, so where...? This was definitely the planet that the girl had found that purple kyber crystal on but apart from that there was also apparently a Jedi temple. She suddenly remembered seeing the same view in the Sith temple on Duro. Alana rubbed her forehead - what was this place? She carefully made her way down the slope and stopped just before a large stone slab. There was an engraving on it: a hollow near semi-circle from which three end protruded (a bit like the current Jedi symbol) one on the left another on the right and the last one in the middle. Two lines connected the sides two the middle. On top of the middle one there was a small diamond shape. Gently Alana ran her fingers over it and suddenly a sharp jolt of pain shot through her skull. Images flashed before her eyes: this temple in the middle of night, this place in daylight but full of people and buzzing with life, then chaos, blood and this very stone stained with blood at the bottom and then...a ring of stones somewhere. Visions, images that she didn't recognise flashed before her mind's eye. Alana pulled her hand back from the stone, gasping for air. Once she had regained her bearings Alana stared at the innocuous stone slab and decided to refrain from touching it. Sifting through the onslaught of images she'd just received Alana realised that two things seemed familiar: the first was that horrible picture of death and chaos as well as blood -she'd seen that all before entering the Sith Temple on Duro, the second was that ring of stones - she'd seen that before in reality. Her mind reeled back to her earliest possible memory from six years ago -it was fuzzy but she'd woken up in the middle of a ring of stones. Alana's heart began to beat faster in her chest - it couldn't be, could it?  
   Deciding to find out for certain Alana ran into the Jedi Temple following that call and her instincts and soon enough she was standing in a large central atrium. In the middle of that atrium there was a small patch of grass and on it lay a ring of stones. White and cream ones, small and neatly arranged. Alana's breath hitched as she surveyed them: it was the exactly the same place where her memories had begun but that night had been cold and it had been raining and she had been half-asleep. This was the place, there was no mistake and finally Alana knew the name of the planet. Slowly she whispered one word:  
-Aroko...


	25. Dark Lords

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya! I'm back and I have a stupid cold. In the middle of July. I'm stupid, I know. Anyway, this chapter is a bit different from all the ones before it as you may or may not have noticed by the title. This specific chapter (and my 5th milestone! Yay!) doesn't follow Alana and her group. Nope, this chapter is the one where all the Sithies (yes, I did just call them that) meet up and have their little conversation which some of you may guess how it ends. A few notes beforehand:  
> 1) This was really really tough to write. I have never ever written anything as tricky as this. I very nearly gave up on this chapter if not for the constant encouragements and death glares my little sister kept giving me.  
> 2) I really don't mean to make Palpatine and Dooku look less awesome than they are, but they are very very difficult to write and I apologise beforehand if they are too OOC.  
> 3)Despite the previous two notes an the abruptness of this chapter I'm pretty happy with it. After all I get to expose Darky's (Darth Tenebris's nickname from my little sister) backstory and I was really happy with how that turned out.  
> 4) I apologise beforehand for any typos and stupid autocorrect mistakes.  
> 5) As per usual - Enjoy!

Chapter 25 - Dark Lords

At first over the dark planet of Malachor III there was silence, before a lone starfighter came out in orbit with it's hyperspace ring. Quietly it detached from the ring and the ring itself faded out of view. It's steath shield was activated and the starfighter flew towards the planet.  
   The starfighter itself was black and grey, sleek and had impressive firepower. It shot towards the planet's surface. Soon it landed in a rocky clearing without much difficulty and the cockpit slid open. Nimbly a black shape jumped out, the cockpit slid closed behind it and a stealth generator activated. The ship faded from view. After ensuring that nobody would see his ship, Darth Tenebris headed off, striding towards his destination through nighttime Malachor.  
   His footfalls were soft, almost ghostlike, as he walked across the rocky surface. It was dark but Tenebris didn't need any light to see perfectly, he had thrown the hood of his black cloak back so it wouldn't hinder his field of view. There was a certain determination to his steps - a goal.  
    Today was the day when he was meeting with the Sith Lords of this era. Tenebris didn't dread the confrontation,no, he merely saw it as a tedious but necessary task. In truth Tenebris would much rather get on with his preparations, but he knew that there was no avoiding this. Tenebris had his own tactics and gaining an ally as powerful as the Supreme Chancellor would certainly tip the odds in his favour. If he was honest Tenebris held no respect for the current Dark Lord - he had met men who deserved his respect and Sheev Palpatine or Darth Sidious was not one of them. Certainly, the man deserved to be commended for being able to wrap the Senate and the Jedi Council around his finger but that was all Tenebris would allow him. He held even less regard for the man's apprentice - Darth Tyrannus. If he had trained back on Ceperion as Tenebris had he wouldn't have survived more than a week. Ceperion would crush him before the other acolytes even had a chance.  
    Tenebris walked inside a certain temple. A Sith temple and one that was located not far from the resting place of Terrak Morrhage. He could feel it's dark power pulsing, calling to him - it wanted to consume him, but Tenebris refused to bend: he was the Master and that power was his tool, his servant. Not the other way around as so many Sith failed to understand and lost themselves. Tenebris entered a large circular spacious room with many statues in it. He sank down into a meditative position at the foot of one of them and reached into the Force. It would be a while before Tyrannus and Sidious got here and he would rather spend his time mediating than looking up at the starless sky of Malachor.

==SW:LB==

Sidious sat back comfortably in his shuttle that was flying through hyperspace towards Malachor III . He had contacted his apprentice just a bit earlier, before entering the blue void, and had confirmed that he too had set out for that dark planet. The dark planet on which they would meet with the suddenly emerged Sith Lord.  
   As soon as Sidious's thoughts drifted to the man he frowned. This man was another Sith Lord and worse yet, a Sith Lord that Sidious - the current Dark Lord, couldn't make heads or tails of. Who was he and where had he come from? Was there anything or anyone that Sidious could use as leverage against him? And most importantly: how did he know who Darth Sidious was? And if he knew that did he know the rest of Sidious's plans? If so he was a definite threat. A threat that Sidious couldn't ignore.  
   It had taken Sidious a massive amount of energy to even locate him and he suspected that that was just because he had let him. It was as though he was mocking him, toying with him - daring him to lose control. But Sidious refused to be baited so he sent his student to do the negotiating. Some may have labelled that as a cowardly move, but in reality it wasn't. It was being careful. The balance had already been disrupted by the existence of a third Sith Lord as the rule of two had definitely been broken so Sidious decided to play it safe for now. However that did not mean that Sidious wouldn't take the earliest opportunity to eliminate the threat himself - no one would ruin his plans. 

==SW:LB==

Dooku closed his eyes as he reclined in his seat on his solar cruiser. He tuned everything out and focused on what was to come. His master and he were heading off to meet Darth Tenebris, a newly emerged Dark Lord. Dooku's brow furrowed at the thought of the man.  
    Dooku, being a politician, had learned to pick up on even the most intensely concealed emotions by the intonations in beings voices. Tenebris had hid them very well but Dooku had managed to snatch a few notes. Tenebris was confident, careful, clever and most of all he had the upper hand. Dooku had the suspicion that had he wanted to Tenebris could have very well blackmailed both himself and his Master into doing whatever he wished. Heck, he could probably blackmail anyone in the galaxy if he wanted to. Tenebris had information, secrets and he knew how to use them. All in all this marked Tenebris as a dangerous opponent in Dooku's book. However there was one thing that felt off to him: the Sith lord's hunt for a lowly padawan.  
  In truth this confused him - Darth Tenebris was powerful, of that much Dooku was sure so why would he want to hunt a padawan? There were other Masters that he could probably kill and enjoy himself (Dooku wasn't sure if he was into that sort of thing) so why a padawan? And one that was still a teenager of all people? That must be some sort of overkill.  
    To be fair though Dooku had never met the girl and although he had looked her up so he knew who not to kill - there was nothing too notable about her apart from her eyes. Her eyes which were a vibrant dark blue hue, he had never seen those before. Other than them she seemed plenty ordinary but he supposed he shouldn't judge - not until he met her in person at least. That was another thing: if Tenebris had met her - why hadn't he killed her then?  
  All in all Darth Tenebris was an enigma, one that Dooku wasn't sure that it was wise to unravel.

==SW:LB==

As he opened himself to the flow of the Force, Tenebris sighed. It was needling him, they were prompting him to remember. From time to time, to retain semblance of himself, Tenebris found that he was forced to relive his oldest and now meaningless memories. Memories of a person who should not exist anymore, memories of a person who had been replaced by him - Darth Tenebris. Had he his say he would never look at them again, but he had no choice in the matter - it was better than becoming like his prey. Some memories were better than none. And so once again he let his mind drift to collect the shattered pieces of his old self.  
    A young boy stood in a deep cave, slicing through hordes of scaly reptilian creatures with extremely sharp teeth, Heryks they called them. His blade hummed and shone with a bright blood-red light and his hands were stained with blood as he gripped the hilt. His movements were fluid, seemingly effortless and deadly precise.   
    As the last Heryk fell before him, the young boy looked up - his brown eyes that had already begun shifting to yellow flew over the cavern ceiling. He raised his lightsaber so that it's crimson light illuminated it. There was nothing, he exhaled. Slowly he turned around and began walking towards the caverns mouth when the ground beneath his feet trembled. The young boy frowned before whirling around and stabbing the darkness with his lightsaber. A pained cry resounded throughout the cavern. A  fairly large terentatek fell to the ground with a resounding thump.   
    The young boy moved away before the monster even had time to inhale. As it tried to stand up again a crimson lightsaber was plunged into it's skull, snuffing out it's spark of life. It dropped onto the cold rocky surface, dead. Taking care not to get run through with the poison the young boy sliced off a claw. As he looked at the corpse of the terentatek he smiled grimly. This had been his first major kill since he had begun his training as a Sith, the Masters would be impressed since this was the first time in the history of Ceperion that a 11 year old child had managed to kill a force-devouring beast and with only two moves no less.   
Tenebris's consciousness returned for only a moment and he couldn't help but be amused at that tiny achievement, it was so insignificant compared to what he had accomplished to date. Another memory soon dragged him under.  
   The same person, now a young teen pored over countless books and datapads. His eyes, now amber in hue but still retaining a tinge of rich brown, raced over sentence after sentence. A spark of excitement that was so rare danced in his eyes. He was certain: it was possible. But how though? Perhaps if a person had that gift and if they'd cooperate... The young teen shook his head: no, he knew there was no one on Ceperion who could do that and the only other two places were Aroko and the lone moon of Ienam, but there was no chance of him contacting them. The teen frowned.   
    A soft knock jerked him out of his thoughts and upon turning he saw a young woman standing in the doorway. She had light grey-white hair and yellow yet gentle eyes. The young teens eyes lit up and he struggled to maintain his composure. She smiled but made a shushing motion, closing the door behind herself. It was late and everybody was probably in bed at the academy but it was better to be safe than sorry.  As soon as the door closed the young woman smiled:  
-Hello, Valoren. Studying as usual?  
Valoren half-shrugged, a very rare tiny smile on his face. He stood up to face his older sister, the only person who truly cared about him in this murderous place:  
-Kaeda! What are you doing here? What if the Masters find you?  
A cocky smile slid up onto Kaeda's face:  
-They wouldn't dare lay a finger on their best student!   
Valoren smiled. His sister was only 18, 5 years older than him, but she was by far the best Force user on Ceperion. As much as he disliked admitting it - Valoren looked up to his sister. She was a Sith and yet she firmly maintained her just morals and love for life and humanity - she was everything he wanted to be. She made the Force work with her instead of letting it consume her, despite her eyes turning from hazel-brown to yellow there were no other traces of Dark Side corruption on her face. And even though he knew it was a weakness in the Sith Valoren lo-  
-No! Foolish child...  
Tenebris murmured sharply. Kaeda... She brought up painful memories for the Sith Lord. He sighed and closed his eyes. He winced when he saw his sisters smile at her death in his memories. Kaeda had indeed been his weakness once upon a time.   
    Once upon a time there had been a little boy named Valoren with warm brown eyes. Once upon a time he had had a sister and they had both lived on Ceperion. Once upon a time she had been a person who had meant everything to him. And Once upon a time he had killed her.   
   Tenebris felt a sharp jolt in the Force and that jerked him out of his reverie. They were here. He sensed the two newly arrived Sith's presences. The Master left a strong imprint on the Force while the apprentice instead chose to tread lightly. Hmm, curious... Tenebris stood up: well, it was time to put on his best diplomatic face again and try to refrain from beating some sense into them. He had to play along after all, otherwise things wouldn't run their course.

==SW:LB==

Darth Sidious and his apprentice entered the dimly lit room and instantly noticed a figure standing there. He was standing with an amused smile on his lips. His hair was dark grey and yet it didn't look dyed or aged from years of life. Other than his eerie yellow eyes he bore no signs of any other dark side corruption that inevitably took hold of any Sith. A scar ran up to his face from his neck, stopping under his right eye. He looked oddly young though, no more than two decades old maybe even a year less. Most women would definitely consider him good-looking. In short both Sith were surprised.  
    Tenebris wasn't surprised to see that Dark Side corruption had already affected both of them mildly. Though both of them used the Force to hide it Tenebris saw right through that ruse. He bowed mockingly:  
-Welcome to the Dark Temple, Darth Sidious and Tyrannus.  
The Master spoke first:  
-Are you Darth Tenebris?  
Tenebris folded his arms:  
-Indeed I am.   
The apprentice looked at Tenebris sceptically. Just as he opened his mouth Tenebris threw him a look and cautioned:  
-Do not judge me by my age, Tyrannus. That would be extremely unwise and could very well mark the end of your life.  
Tyrannus frowned, perhaps he had judged too hastily. Sidious nearly clicked his tongue in annoyance: so the upstart had a knack for piercing mental shields, did he? Sidious instinctively tightened his. Tenebris laughed:  
-Do relax, I have no desire to enter your minds - I simply wish talk have a civil talk.   
-That is rare these days, Darth Tenebris.  
A crooked smile showed up on Tenebris's face:  
-Ah, yes, this war. It's quite distasteful but this doesn't concern me in any way.  
Tyrranus couldn't help but probe:  
-And why is that? Who do you side with?  
Tenebris shot him a pitying look, as though he was a small child who didn't understand the most basic things:  
-I don't take sides, Tyrranus. I have no stake in this war and I will never have. I have come here for one reason alone: to finish what I started many years ago. I may cause a few... unexpected events along the way but that is all.  
Darth Sidious narrowed his eyes:  
-And what does that mean?  
His hand slowly snaked towards his lightsaber, if Tenebris was going to harm his plans... Well, it would suffice to say he wouldn't leave this planet...ever. Tenebris sighed and rubbed his brow:  
-How many times must I say this: I-don't-care-what-you-do. Your plans are of no importance to me, Alana Sheelan is my only target.  
There was a pause before a question on both of the current Sith Lords mind was given voice:  
-Why her? A lowly padawan? There are many worthier candidates.  
Tenebris paused for the first time in their conversation. He looked down and up before answering, a strange fire burning in his eyes:  
-That girl is far more dangerous than you know, though she's unaware of that herself. You have no idea what she is and I will not tell you. She should not interfere with your plans for the Chosen one and Order 66 so you needn't probe further and,-at this point Tenebris smiled-, even if you try and find anything about her you will turn up nil. I can guarantee that but you would know that already wouldn't you, Supreme Chancellor?  
Sidious regarded the young Sith with narrowed eyes:  
-Some would say you know too much, Tenebris. And knowing too much is bad for your health.  
Tenebris's gaze cooled:  
-Secrets come with a price, Sidious. You should know that. I could tell you everything I know and how I came to know it - but are you willing to pay the price? The secrets I carry have an especially high toll.   
Tyrranus looked at the young man carefully. Even though his speech was cryptic the Count knew he wasn't lying. Tenebris had seen something that they never had an he had paid a heavy price but what?   
-What price? What did you give?  
Tenebris gave a short bitter laugh, the first true emotion he had displayed:  
-What, you ask? Everything. I gave everything.  
Sidious frowned inwardly at the phrasing. Something didn't add up, he was hiding something. Something big... Carefully he probed:  
-Everything is a lot for a secret, just what do you plan to do with it?  
Tenebris rolled his eyes inwardly: Force, help him. He knew they were highly intelligent men and he knew that he was being very cryptic in order to keep the truth from them but honestly- this was getting ridiculous. Tenebris shrugged:  
-Who knows? I'll probably just cause quite a bit of chaos before I'm done.  
Two red blades ignited as soon as he finished speaking. Both Master and apprentice were standing in combat positions, eyes trained on Tenebris. He sighed and unclipped his lightsaber as he shrugged his cloak off:  
-So that's how it's going to be? Well, I can't say I wasn't expecting this.  
He shifted into a defensive position and his black-red blade ignited. It was mainly black with a bright red outline, extremely different from the usual Sith lightsaber colour. He had switched the crystal around just before meeting the two Sith, finding it more accurate. Combined with a firm but narrow deep black hilt it made for one impressive lightsaber. Sidious raised one eyebrow: this man was getting stranger by the minute.  
    Tenebris stood alert as the other two Sith started circling him. He knew that he could probably take one of them if it was a fair fight, but this wasn't the case right now and Tenebris was not foolish enough to risk his life unnecessarily. However Tenebris didn't have much time to formulate an escape plan before Sidious shot a vicious bolt of lightning at him. He prepared to dodge but suddenly it seemed as though everything and everyone in the room had frozen in time, save for Tenebris. He sighed: oh, he knew perfectly well what was going on.  
   Tenebris turned to his left to see the ghost of Terrak Morrhage in all it's shadowy red glory standing and looking at him with crossed arms. If he could see his face behind that grey mask Tenebris would notice a slightly amused countenance on his face. The ghost decided to speak first:  
-Seems like you've gotten yourself into quite a situation. Are you going to run?  
The question was harmless with no underlying insult intended, but Tenebris's hands clenched and he inhaled sharply. He tossed a glare at Morrhage:  
-Do you think I want to? Because I sure as heck don't!   
-Then are you going to fight?  
Morrhage asked patiently, something which he normally wasn't. Tenebris exhaled and deactivated his lightsaber, watching the black-red blade recede:  
-As much as I want to end this charade and shove the truth in these idiots faces - I can't. So no, I won't fight.  
-Then are you going to just die? Like all those Jedi dogs my plague killed?  
Tenebris shook his head and cast a warning glare at the shadowy red ghost:  
-Your plague? I helped you devise it, remember?  
Morrhage's ghost sighed:  
-And that's the only reason I'm offering to help you right now. I don't wish to remain indebted to another Sith forever. Especially to one that I can't crush into cosmic dust. Do you accept my help or not, young Sith?  
-I'm not that young. And since you're being so helpful- yes.  
-Very well.

==SW:LB==

Sidious instantly felt something was off when as soon as the bolt he released charged at Darth Tenebris the man dodged it easily. Even more disturbing was the fact that he didn't even look at it and his lightsaber was suddenly deactivated. His apprentice rushed at the man but the once again present black-red blade partied his blows simply. Sidious frowned as he shot another round of intense Force lightning at the upstart: he didn't like this at all.  
    Tenebris knew that he couldn't hold the two of them off for too long without messing up the way the future of this galaxy would probably run so he needed to get out of this quickly. Tenebris feigned stumbling and falling onto his back as he ducked under another array of the current Dark Lord's lightning, he could feel a fleeting sense of triumph from the his opponents permeate through the Force and smirked inwardly. Instead of falling he simply backflipped and landed into a crouched position.   
   Before Master or apprentice had a chance to move Tenebris sent an especially strong Force pulse into the ground beneath their feet. The ground rumbled and suddenly the temple began to shake, large rocks falling from the ceiling and pieces of the floor crumbling away. The dark grey-haired Sith Lord cast a glance at his opponents to see the two struggle for a moment to regain their balance as the Dark Temple began to rapidly disintegrate under their feet and felt a sense of satisfaction run through him. He quickly turned on his heel and walked briskly away from the atrium to the closest exit point the Morrahge had pointed out to him. He didn't even turn back when he felt an immense wave of rage and pain come from behind him.  
    It turned out that he had lost control over his own power for a second because the Temple suddenly began to disintegrate faster and Tenebris was forced to sprint. He cleared the debris from his path with both his lightsaber and the Force as he ran. The Sith Lord felt a brief sense of relief pass through him as he saw the red light of the rising sun over Malachor III peek through the exit. He managed to just path through the archway before the tunnel was closed off by falling rock, Tenebris nodded before briskly picking up his pace as he continued towards his star fighter.

==SW:LB==

-Well, the negotiations certainly failed...  
Murmured Tenebris as he set the coordinates for his next hyperspace jump. His star fighter was locked into its hyperspace ring and he had yet to see any other fighters or cruisers leave the planet so he had a feeling his two enemies were still on the treacherous sphere that was Malachor III. He had of course anticipated that something like this might happen but he had hoped that it wouldn't. He now knew that it was a naive hope: these two were too set in their ways and too concerned with the safety of their plans to listen to a voice of reason. They seemed to be quite attached to Bane's rule of two too.  
    Tenebris sighed and ran a hand through his dark grey hair: was he the only one that understood that this infighting would be the death of them? But in the end betrayal had been the Sith's endless game for eternity and he was only one man, he could never change that fact. As he pulled the lever for hyperspace Tenebris's face was a mask of grim determination and his voice was deadly cold as he spoke:  
-Very well, there will be no more attempts for reason. Only chaos.


	26. Into the lair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm back! Now a quick announcement: I'm going to be going on holiday tomorrow for a week so I have no clue what the update status will be for my time travelling. Also I'm going to be 16 tomorrow on the 4th of August! Yay! And there's also something else I need to say:
> 
> I'm sorry that you have to deal with my writing. I'm still pretty new as a writer and I'm not too attentive so my writing style is very jumbled up and messy. Also I hate planning as it ties me down and as a result my writing all over the place. And there are typos everywhere. I know that those are all my flaws and I promise I'm working on it. Thanks for being patient and I'm sorry again.
> 
> So that's about it. Enjoy this 7800+ word long chapter!

Chapter 26 - Into the lair

Jayden ducked into a narrow alleyway and was instantly plunged into absolute darkness. He curled his little finger on his left hand and the one beside it twice, causing the night vision in his helmet and the HUD to switch on. The Mandolorian unholstered his blasters and carefully scanned the passageway, recalling his talk with Kasrie.  
Kasrie leaned towards the holographic map of Coronet city that was being projected over the table. Her violet eyes were thoughtful as they raced from one place to another. Suddenly her eyes widened just a fraction and she sat up straight. Her lips moved silently to form the words "Ni parjir!" or "I win" and she looked at Jayden with a triumphant gleam in her eyes.   
-I think I just figured out where the entrance to the lower levels is and get this - this one is considered hazardous so no one should even come near it.  
Jayden leaned forward and looked at the spot Kasrie was pointing at. It was a small entrance in a narrow alleyway, not too far from the spaceport but secluded enough not to be easily stumbled upon. He nodded:  
-It does seem suspicious.  
Kasrie shot him an exasperated look:  
-Suspicious?! This practically screams "secret entrance".  
-Alright, alright, Kas. Say I go there: how would I get down to the lower levels?  
Kasrie shrugged before crossing her arms in thought:  
-That I don't know. Most of Coronet's city industrial transportation is done mag-lev trains so it's possible there may be a system of them running beneath it. However do take into account that this entrance is considered off-limits so I'd say you would be walking over the drainage system : which means darkness and lots of pipes. And I bet there's quite a few mutated creatures down there too,-Kasrie paused-, you sure you want to do this?   
-Positive.  
-Well, I won't try to stop you. Good luck, vod.  
Jayden frowned behind his mask: this wasn't going to be a fun trip for sure. He walked slowly and carefully, stretching out with all of his five senses and making sure to keep those lights of presences flickering brightly in the back of his mind. He wasn't going to take any chances. The silence enveloping this place felt heavy, uneasy and he illogically feared disturbing it.  
His caution payed off a moment later: just as he turned towards the boarded up entrance he felt a shiver run up his spine and a bright orange light flare. He ducked and rolled left, sending two blaster bolts at his assailant. There was a pained whimper before a loud snarl. Through his visor Jayden stared as what he identified as a rabid akk dog. It charged at him again and as Jayden dodged instinctively he flipped the settings on his blasters to "lethal". He was ready for it when the mad animal twisted to get a chunk of his leg (not that it would have been able to) and his twin blasters discharged, the shot catching him right between the eyes. With a low whine the animal fell to the ground, dead.  
Jayden sighed in relief but didn't drop his guard. Why did he have the nagging feeling that whatever resided in the drainage level was much much worse? Oh, right, because that's how his life normally went.

==SW:LB==

The Crimson Storm stood still on the landing pad where her owner had parked her. All systems apart from security were shut off and all panels were dark. Passerby's cast curious glances at the unusual ship and some even stopped to try and puzzle out what model it was. None could guess it of course.   
The Crimson Storm might have originally been a standard freighter model but over the course of it's life it had been modified so heavily that it now no longer resembled any model. With it's four turrets, two levels and strange wings as well as the distinct grey and dark redwood colour it was a ship like no other. Most people wouldn't be able to tell that it was more than a few centuries old and just like that many wouldn't even be able to begin to comprehend what kind of a story that innocuous looking ship held.  
Like many before him a certain individual stopped and looked at the ship, but unlike others his eyes widened under the wide brim of his hat and a small smile appeared beneath his short brown beard. He wore a black cloak that hid his typical clothes and the way his hat was tilted obscured his face. Corellia was the perfect place for him to blend in but now that he saw her again, he couldn't resist against getting a closer look at the old girl.  
The human walked up to the quiet ship and ran his gaze over her. He murmured quietly:  
-Still in one piece, eh? You're a lucky ship, alright.  
He moved below to the underbelly of the ship and placed a palm on it, smiling.   
-It's been a long time, old girl. A lot has changed both for me and you and things will continue to change. You just stay loyal to the people you carry now, you hear me?  
The ship seemingly vibrated and the man smiled. He took his palm from the ship and looked at it with that same nostalgic smile:  
-I hear you. Don't worry, Shadow's a smart kid - he'll figure it out. Well, those spice crates won't smuggle themselves - Captain Julos Okarr out! Take care, old girl.  
He saluted the Crimson Storm before walking away, still wearing that smile on his lips. Shadow had a good ship, a trustworthy one and dare he say it - one that seemed almost alive. The Crimson Storm didn't posses an AI but he liked to think that the ship possessed something akin to a soul. He knew that Storm wouldn't fail anyone when they needed her the most, that was just the ship she was - one that could endure heavy barrages and still come out in more or less one piece. He'd modified her to last himself, when he'd been younger and owned her and although he missed flying her he was content with the way she'd turned out.   
Shadow was seen as this one scary Mandolorian bounty hunter and he'd earned that reputation fair and square with his deeds, but what most people forgot that Shadow was human too. Heck, Shadow was still more or less a kid from what Okarr's sources told him. And like a human he cared about things too and from the way the Storm was it was pretty obvious that the kid took good care of her, even going as far as upgrading her himself. Okkar snorted: it seemed like tinkering on the Storm was a tradition, all her previous owners had done it and it looked like the kid did it as well. Yes, the Crimson Storm was in good hands for sure.

==SW:LB==

TK looked around nervously and let out a low whistle. He had entered the drainage level and was tracking Alana's position by using the unique and very odd but nearly untraceable frequency that the stone in her purple lightsaber gave off. It was dark in the drainage level and TK had to use his projector as a light and if his humidity readings were correct it was also very, very wet down here. And this was all not mentioning how hard to traverse this pipe-terrain was.   
TK grumbled inwardly but rolled along, following that frequency like a Ronto on a rope. It was his only chance of finding that foolish Jedi girl before she got herself killed. Though in truth TK had to admit that he'd never even suspected that a crazies like these could exist in Coronet city - well, that just went to show you that the galaxy had all sorts, TK had definitely seen that during his time travelling.  
Suddenly there was a clang against one of the pipes off to TK's left. He paused to listen, there was no other noise but there was a faint heat signature. Something was tailing him! And as TK noticed the scratch marks on the overhead pipes: it didn't seem friendly in the least. What could it be? An akk dog? No, they couldn't climb upside down. Gundarks? No, it was too damp for them here. Then what? His processors brought up an image he never wanted to be imprinted in his memory core - the underbelly of Taris before it's bombardment by Malak and after. Could it be? The heat signatures matched and the size seemed just right. TK sincerely hoped that this wasn't what he suspected it to be. He might be a droid but those specific creatures could do quite a bit of damage, TK knew that from firsthand experience. Maybe it was just another human sized creature that had slimy grey skin and very sharp claws, TK hoped.  
However his hopes were dashed just as the creature pounced and he came receptor to face with a fully grown rakghoul. The creature snarled and TK let out a shrill beep as he rolled back. Normally when you compared the chances of an astromech droid winning against a rakghoul they were fairly low and TK had to give himself a mental shock to remind himself that he was also an assassin droid with assassination protocols that were fully operational. Average statistics didn't apply to him and this rakghoul was a literally a million years too early to take him on, but that didn't mean this was going to be simple.  
TK got out his shock probe and the rakghoul stiffened for a moment as he saw the electricity around it's tip crackle. Nevertheless, a moment later the rakghoul leapt at TK. The astromech barely managed to roll out of the way and watched in shock at the place where the rakghoul's claw had ripped the metal casing of the pipe apart like it was tin foil. TK had seen this before and he had also seen what happened to even the toughest of droids that met with a rakghoul. He had to solve this fast!  
Deciding to go with offence instead of defence this time TK charged at the Rakghoul with his shock probe, the rakghoul didn't back down from the challenge and leapt at TK. The little droid managed to dodge the full brunt of the blow by tilting his whole body backwards however the rakghoul's claw still managed to rip apart some of the unprotected wires on his left front "leg" that controlled the movement mechanism, rendering that "leg" useless. TK teetered but managed to not tip over and finally deliver his own blow. Two blaster shots sounded as well as a rakghoul scream from being shocked in the chest area with a shock probe, TK had also managed to get his blasters out and set them to lethal. The rakghoul keeled over, dead.  
Remembering that rakghouls usually hunted in packs, TK decided to keep moving: it was better to be safe than sorry. TK found that moving was a lot harder than before due to the wires the rakghoul had cut on his front left "leg", it was harder but not impossible due to TK still having three perfectly good others left. As he moved he recalibrated his sensors so they could zone in on rakghouls faster than before and alert TK to their presence beforehand. This whole thing reminded him of when he'd being on Taris just before the orbital bombardment many centuries ago.  
TK had managed to slip past the gate guards in the undercity and was now trying to continue his self-assigned mission. Only problem was he had no clue how to find her. Logic told him that she was supposed to be dead but he had never found her corpse among the many dead so that was what had kept him going for the last few millennia's as he searched for her. It was illogical, impractical- he knew, but somehow he was certain that she was still alive somewhere so when he'd heard of a Sith blockade on Taris and the explosion of the Endar Spire from a few spacers in a cantina, he decided to check Taris out: after all, the oddest things happened with her around.   
He had come across a weird pair of people, alright: a republic pilot TK recognised as Carth Onasi and another man who he'd seen coming out of some weird gangs hide out , the hidden something-or-other. She wasn't there but just in case he decided to tail them.  
They seemed to be looking for a Jedi woman named Bastila Shan, he wished them luck with that - it wouldn't be simple. The pilot was ordinary enough but the other man? Yeah, he? He wasn't normal - it took TK a few hours to realise that this man was no other than the leader of the Sith fleet Darth Revan, the fallen prodigal knight. Though he seemed to be amnesiac or perhaps brainwashed? If it was the latter TK had a pretty good idea who'd done it. To be fully truthful there were two prime candidates: the true Sith hiding beyond the outer rim with their "immortal" emperor and the Jedi. He was pretty confident that it was the latter rather than the former. It frustrated him to no end to see how low the Jedi had fallen, if the massacre hadn't taken place this never would have happened. The Jedi were the ones responsible for the brainwashing and they called themselves devoted servants of the "light side". TK wasn't Force-sensitive but he was pretty sure the Force didn't want them to be such total IDIOTS!   
Anyway, TK had tailed them all the way down to the undercity where he was forced to evade a certain outcast that for some reason wanted to strip him for parts to sell and had ended up split up from the two he was tailing (it wasn't stalking!). And that was how he'd ended up alone in a place teeming with rakghouls. He was pretty far away from the gate,too and all because he saw something that seemed like a little girl in a pale blue dress and barefoot that looked like his Master running off somewhere. His optics must have been malfunctioning.   
He heard a growl and slowly twisted his head around to see three angry-looking rakghouls salivating behind him. Uh Oh.  
TK twisted his head to stop recalling what happened next. He had had enough of one fight with a rakghoul thank you and , no, he didn't care that it was short! TK let out a low slightly tired-sounding whistle: he needed to find that Jedi of his and the faster the better. Oh, and the kid she had been with too: Han something-something. Good thing that he was getting much closer, then.

==SW:LB==

Jayden frowned as he walked through the drainage level, occasionally stumbling and banging his head against a low hanging pipe that he didn't notice. Even with night vision on it was hard to see down here. The pipes cris-crossed, rose and dipped in short making it very easy for someone who wasn't paying attention to trip and fall flat on their face. Which was what would happen to him if he didn't get a light on soon. Jayden sighed and flipped down his targeting visor and pressed a small button on the side so the back of the visor doubled as a torch. There, now he could see much better. However that only solved one problem and left the most crucial one in place: he had no idea how to get to wherever Alana was. He had suspected she'd somehow gotten mixed up with this mad scientist business (after all, getting into trouble seemed to be her strong point) but he had no idea how to reach her or even if she was really there. He had tried to sense her through their bond but found himself unable too - it was as if it had never existed, he didn't know why but this made him worried. A voice a little off to his left made him start:  
-You look deep in thought. Need a hand?  
Jayden turned towards the source of the voice and to his surprise a man came out of the shadows. There was something off about him. Even with the light his targeting visor gave off the man's features were a bit hard to make out but Jayden was surprised to notice familiar coloured strands of caramel-brown hair and yet completely new ice blue eyes. He was dressed in dark clothes as though he had been going in for a stealth op and on his belt, to Jayden's immense surprise, were two lightsabers with dark silver hilts. A Jedi? Jayden couldn't be sure. He didn't feel any hostility radiating off this man but just in case he raised his twin blasters to the man's head. That's when he noticed the slight fuzzy blue glow the man had around him - there was something definitely off about him, every sense Jayden had was screaming that at him. He kept his Shadow persona at the ready but didn't slip into it just yet. Switching the settings on his blasters to lethal, Jayden spoke in a quiet and dangerous voice:  
-Who are you and how did you locate me?  
The man raised his hands in a gesture of surrender:  
-Calm down, kid, I'm not working with the psycho doctor down there. If anything,-he clenched his hands as a shadow crossed his face,- I want to squash that man into cosmic dust.  
Jayden stared: did he just imagine it or did the man's eyes flick to yellow a second ago? He checked again - no, his eyes were definitely a vibrant light blue colour. Odd. In any case Jayden didn't trust this guy one bit:  
\- Sorry, but I don't trust you. Trust isn't something we normally have in my line of work.  
The man sighed and crossed his arms:  
-You're going to be stubborn about this, aren't you? Listen, hotshot, I'm here for one reason and one reason only: to help you save Alana Sheelan. Now, Jayden Callen, I suggest you cooperate or this will all be for nought.  
-How do you know who I am?!  
Before the man could reply there was a sound of a snarl somewhere from the right and the sound of claws against durasteel. Jayden frowned, he knew what that noise meant- more rakghouls. The man echoed his thoughts:  
-Rakghouls. I suggest we get going, I know a way around them.  
Jayden didn't lower his blasters:  
-I didn't agree to go anywhere with you.  
The man's eyes suddenly shifted to a yellow colour and he fixed Jayden with an even glare:  
-Listen to me here, kid. Alana Sheelan is on the brink of death and unless someone get's there soon she'll die in less than an hour, aside from that we also have a deranged psychopath on the loose who's planning to use this planet as a mobile shipbuilding base which will throw life for everyone here off course and very possibly kill them! Now is really not the time to be stubborn!  
Jayden froze for a moment, hesitated before lowering his blasters but not slipping them back into his holsters. He nodded:  
-Very well, let's go then.  
-Good.

==SW:LB==

Doctor Vandar was practically on the verge of jumping with joy as he fiddled with the controls of the now fully operational planetary repulsor. Anora shook her head in slight amusement before glancing down back at the monitor she'd brought with her as a precaution. The Jedi girl's breathing was laboured and ragged almost as though her body was pushing itself to keep her from dying. Human or not the Force suppression collar shouldn't have affected her like it had and that threw the Chiss woman through a loop and Anora hated being confused. All Force suppression collars did was cut off the subject from the Force and unless this girl relied on it for life support it shouldn't have.... Anora's eyes widened as she realised something. She quickly put the monitor down and strode out of this room and into the next one, ignoring the doctor calling her name.   
Anora walked over to the main computer and after cursing softly in Chenuh started typing something. Her fingers flew over the keyboard and soon a message popped up on the ancient computers display. Anora banged her blue fist against the wall:  
-Damn it, how did I not see this sooner. Of course it defies all logic but it makes sense at the same time. So it wasn't just a bunch of nonsense after all...  
Anora finally smiled and nearly jumped a foot in there when the Doctor spoke up behind her:  
-What wasn't nonsense, assistant?  
-Sir!  
-Yes? I'm listening very attentively.  
-Look at this, sir.  
The Doctor's eyes skimmed over what was displayed on the screen and they widened in surprise as he read. He stroked his chin thoughtfully:  
-Hmm, it would make sense but doesn't it seem just like a silly story? We're scientists, my dear, we deal with certain facts not myths!  
-Sir, this isn't a myth. You've seen the colour--  
-Yes, yes, I have but it just seems too much of coincidence to be natural.  
Anora spread her arms and shrugged:  
-Well, the Jedi do believe in the will of the Force.  
Doctor Vandar crossed his arms and frowned:  
-But I don't. It's just not normal... In any case, whether or not this old wives tale is true, that is one interesting specimen. Now, my dear, do help me get ready.  
Anora nodded and followed the Doctor out of the small room and into the one where the repulsors controls were located, not forgetting to switch off the ancient machine on her way out. As the Doctor went over to one panel, his Chiss assistant went over to the other. They moved in synch, their hands mirroring each other. The doctor spoke, cutting through the oddly suspenseful silence:  
-In three.  
The Chiss woman nodded, however she seemed unsure:  
-Sir, will this work? And is it a good idea to activate something so old?  
The old man waved off her concerns:  
-Relax, my dear. Everything will work out just fine: the repulsor core will be within our control, our super soldiers will fight for the republic and soon Corellia will be the Republic's greatest ally! Together we will squash those despicable Separatist! Glory to the Republic!  
She sighed inwardly and let a small smile reside on her lips:  
-Yes, sir.  
-Have faith, assistant! We work for a noble cause and despite the sacrifices we had to make we have come out on top! Now, on three.  
-Roger that ,sir.  
Doctor Vandar grabbed the lever the same time Anora did. He counted down with his voice resonating through the room:  
-One...Two...Three!  
On Three both of them pulled on the levers and with a mighty rumble the panels all throughout the room lit up. Both scientists looked around in wonder. Doctor Vandar whistled:  
-What'd you know, it's been millions of years and yet it still works! This is fantastic!  
He was now jumping up and down for real. Anora sighed but she too was beaming:  
-Sir, don't overexcite yourself - it's bad for your heart. Your seventy six not twelve years old!  
He nodded and finally calmed down somewhat. The old doctor was almost glowing when he turned to his assistant:  
-The planetary repulsor works, it will take just over an hour and a half for it to switch on fully and then it's go time! We did it, my dear!  
-Yes, we did, sir. Glory to the Republic!

==SW:LB==

Jayden and the man beside him stumbled as a loud rumble echoed through the tunnels and the ground quaked beneath their feet. The man's eyes widened as he grabbed onto the wall for support and muttered:  
-No, this is too soon! Damn it, I'm no strategist, Neerean.  
Jayden frowned at his words (he'd lip read the man since he couldn't hear with all the noise) but refrained from saying anything since he didn't want to shout. When the shaking finally stopped and the two straightened up again, Jayden turned to the man:  
-What was that?  
He ran a hand through his hair and grimaced:  
-That was the sound of the planetary repulsor activating. We have an hour and a half before it's prime systems are ready to go.  
-I'm guessing that bad.  
The man faced him:  
-Very bad. Do you know what the planetary repulsor core is?  
-Hate to sound stupid, but no.   
-Thought so. The planetary repulsor core is like an engine on a starfighter, but it can move the entire planet. If that psycho gets it fully operational - Correlia will turn into a shipyard-fortress that can move to any location in this galaxy.  
Jayden stared at the man:  
-Are you kidding me?! There's no way...  
-A thing like that could exist? Trust me,kid, the sooner you learn that nothing is truly impossible the better off you'll be. I learned that the hard way. Now, let's walk and talk.  
Jayden nodded, his face determined behind the mask:  
-Right.  
They walked at a brisk pace together in silence before the man spoke:  
-Eren. My name is Eren. I doubt you'd know my last name so it's no use mentioning it.  
Jayden shrugged, letting it slide:  
-Sure. I'd introduce myself but you already know who I am. Um, I don't want to come off as insensitive but you're dead, aren't you?  
Eren stared at him blankly for a moment before laughing:  
-You're a smart kid. Yeah, I am. I'm something akin to a Force ghost yet I'm not one. What tipped you off?  
-You didn't feel normal. Both in the Force and on the normal plane.  
Eren shot him a surprised look:  
-You can feel out presences already? Impressive.  
-Alana taught me. I assume you know about her.  
Eren nodded:  
\- I do. She's someone I want to protect.  
Jayden looked at him in confusion from behind his mask:  
\- Let me get this straight: you're dead and yet you want to protect her?  
-Yes. Even more so because I failed her in life. In a way I feel it's my fault that she has amnesia now.  
Jayden stopped dead:  
-You...you knew her before she lost her memory?!  
-In a way. I knew her parents.  
Eren answered without looking at the stunned Mando and continued walking. Jayden wasn't sure whether to believe what this man said or not, after all he could be lying for all Jayden knew. However his instincts told Jayden that there wasn't even a hint of deceit in Eren's words. Jayden shook his head and hurried to catch up. He hesitated for a moment before asking:  
-Are you going to talk to Alana?  
Eren shook his head:  
-No, it's best if I don't. If my face triggers a memory within her - well, I don't want to see her suffer.  
-But won't it be a good thing if she regains at least some of her memories?!  
Jayden questioned in confusion: he didn't understand why Eren refused to talk to the one person he supposedly wanted to protect, especially a person who was searching for the anchor to her past. In a way it seemed almost cruel to deny her that, but Eren had mentioned that his face might trigger a memory to resurface and that it would cause her pain... Maybe it was better... Ugh, it wasn't up to Jayden in any case, he would tell Alana that he ran into a person like that and that was all. End of story. Eren sighed:  
-Look, I want her to remember as much as you do but there is a reason why she can't remember anything just yet even if you two don't know it. I cannot guarantee it but I believe she will remember in time. She's already come across a few triggers before though I doubt she considers what she saw to be memories. She's stubborn like her mother in that way.  
Jayden turned to look at Eren and noticed a small fond smile on his face. He'd evidently liked Alana's parents:  
-It's a family trait?  
-Oh yes,the stubbornness and the sarcasm are pieces of her mothers personality.  
-And you won't tell her even that?  
-I can't. You can if you want to though, I won't stop you - maybe something like this will even make her happy. She takes after her mother in a lot of ways you know, but there are pieces of her father in her as much as I wish there were not.  
His voice dropped in the last sentence and Jayden frowned beneath his helmet. Eren seemed disappointed in her father, extremely but there was no hatred or any sort of animosity there.   
-Why? What was he like?  
\- I can't exactly tell you too much because those memories belong to Alana whether she recalls them or not. But I will tell you this much: Alana's father was and is a powerful but at the same powerless man, a difficult person and the things that he did hurt the people he cared about. A lot. But he never meant to hurt them and even though the two people who meant the most to him understood why he did what he did, they still hurt. And he still can't forgive himself for hurting them. He always did see himself as a failure of a father. I'm not sure this paints a fair picture of him for Alana or for you, but this is the way I saw him. Anyway, I've said more than I should have - let's keep moving, we've nearly reached the psycho's base anyway.  
Jayden followed Eren silently. He wasn't sure why but Eren seemed to be blaming himself for something in this story. The man he had described seemed to be a person who was waging war within himself and even though he didn't want his loved ones to get hurt by distancing himself he did. Jayden couldn't exactly judge if that man had been a failure as a father since he didn't know him and since his own father had been absent nearly all the time. He didn't exactly know what fathers were supposed to be like, he only had the standard stereotype for basis.  
Jayden was abruptly jerked out of his thoughts when Eren suddenly stopped and muttered something under his breath. They were standing at an intersection and Eren was peering around the corner, Jayden peered around the corner along with him and cursed under his breath when he saw a pack of larger rakghouls blocking their way. Jayden turned to his companion:  
-Can you fight?  
-Yes, but I will disappear immediately afterwards and you'll be on your own. It takes enormous amounts of energy to keep this form.  
-So be it then. I think I can find my way from here.  
\- Alright, let's go.  
Jayden nodded and gripped his blasters tighter. Eren unclipped both lightsabers from his belt and turned them on. Two silvery-blue blades ignited, one facing forwards and the other (the lightsaber Eren held in a reverse grip) backwards. They charged at the rakghouls together.   
Opting to use his jet pack for a better view of his enemies Jayden flew up. Up here, near the ceiling, he had a better chance of not hitting Eren who had begun slicing up rakghouls with his blades and scoring some hits himself. He unleashed a torrent of blasterfire upon them, the rakghouls he hit whirled on him and a few jumped trying to hit him in vain. Jayden dodged them easily, weaving through the air. However when a rakghoul came barrelling into him from behind Jayden lost his balance but decided to make the most of it by landing on one of the rakghouls and shooting him straight in the face. Another one charged at him and Jayden had to kick it away before shooting it as it seemed to have come too close for comfort. He fired upon two at the same time, his twin blasters discharging in unison. One of the remaining rakghouls leaped at Jayden's chest and raked a claw against his chest. To both Eren's and the rakghouls surprise it didn't even make a dent, a light scratch perhaps but what Mandolorian armour was without that? Jayden shot the offending monster in the base of its head, cutting off its nervous systems and killing him effectively. As he dodged another one, he muttered:  
-Thank the stars for beskar.  
He flipped over one of the rakghouls and shot him in the back before ducking under one's claw. As Eren sliced a pair of rakghouls in half he asked:  
-I thought beskar was impossible to mine nowadays?  
Jayden nodded as soon as he stood up from being knocked over by a rakghoul:  
-Yeah, it is. This is something my family left behind for me. I managed to make the everything besides the top part of my helmet from it. That's why Alana managed to slice it off and that's a whole other story.  
-Convenient.  
Eren replied as he kneed a rakghoul in the face before slashing it with his lightsabers across the chest. Jayden grinned under his helmet as he shot another rakghoul upside the head. He got knocked halfway across the intersection the moment after by another rakghoul though. It swiped at his head while he was still disoriented but Jayden's instincts kicked in and kicked it under where a human's lungs would be. It wheezed and doubled back which gave Jayden all the time he needed to finish him off. He stood up and glanced at Eren who he could only make out in this darkness by his silver-blue blades, he seemed to be handling them just fine but seeing as there were only two rakghouls left Jayden wasn't about to let Eren finish both off. He shot at one and it whirled on him, Jayden grinned:  
-Hope you don't mind but I'm stealing one of your clients!  
The said client jumped at him and Jayden narrowly avoided it's claw hitting the small unprotected by beskar part of his shoulder. He frowned, concentrating: that's what he got for being cocky it was hard to see in the dark as it was. Time to end this. Jayden pressed a button on his wristpad and a small harpoon with a cable shot out at the rakghouls, piercing it's skin and attaching it to Jayden. The Mandolorian didn't even blink as the mutated creature screamed in pain, Shadow had taken over. He shot at it but the more the rakghoul tried to dodge the worse the pain it was experiencing became. Shadow was determined to finish this by any means necessary. Eren finally sliced the one he'd been fighting in half and frowned as he saw the Mandolorian take his one down: there was something off. Suddenly the kid fell to his knees and started gasping for air, knowing that he had little time left Eren quickly made his way over:  
-What happened?  
Jayden had finally wrestled control back again and wheezed:  
-I nearly lost it to him. Man, when in the galaxy did he get stronger?  
-Him who?  
-Shadow,-Jayden coughed-, he's me but not me. He's something very dark and sadistic, he's also hard to keep control of, he comes in useful sometimes but most of the time he just...  
-Tries to take over?   
Jayden nodded. Eren's frowned deepened: He knew what the kid was talking about but he didn't have the time to help him now. Placing a hand on Jayden's shoulder he said:  
\- Tell Alana about this, she might be able to help and give her this once the two of you are safe.  
He held out a small datachip and Jayden put it securely away with a nod. Suddenly Eren's hand disappeared from the young Mando's shoulder. Eren smiled wryly as he began fading:  
-Looks like my time is up. Kid, follow this path straight and you're sure reach the base soon enough. May the Force be with you.  
And with those parting words he disappeared completely. Jayden sighed and stood up:  
-I will never understand those Force types but it's thanks to him I got this far. Right - no time to stall.  
Jayden cast one glance at the corpses of the dead rakghouls before turning and walking down the now unobstructed tunnel. Could he really tell Alana about Shadow without him getting in the way? In any case he had more pressing concerns as of right now, like making sure Corellia stayed in orbit.

==SW:LB==

TK stopped dead when he heard even paced footsteps resounding through the tunnel.  
They seemed familiar in pace and rhythm but they were also a bit heavier than he recalled. Just in case TK primed his blasters before rolling out to meet whoever it was. He was met with a figure clad in Mandolorian grey and green armour with an orange symbol on his chestplate and two blasters aimed at him. TK nearly froze up at the sight before he remembered who was in the armour and calmed down slightly. He now understood why Shadow had gained such a reputation solely on the way he looked, if his deeds were to be added into the mix he became a terrifying figure . Perhaps it was a trick of the light but in a way he looked like a messenger of death, come to do it's bidding. However that frightening illusion was shattered a moment later when he heard Jayden's voice, not Shadow's:  
-TK?! What are you doing here?  
TK was frozen for a moment before being overcome with relief at seeing a familiar and, dare he say it, a friendly face. He rolled up to Jayden and whistled a greeting before urging him to hurry and follow him. Jayden seemed puzzled:  
-You know where Alana is?! Wait, how come you aren't with her?  
TK gave an exasperated series of beeps before giving Jayden a quick rundown of everything that had happened in the past two days. When he finished his recount Jayden sighed:  
-Yep, she really does have a talent for getting in trouble. Let's go, TK. Someone has to help her get out of this mess.  
TK let out an affirmative beep and followed after the Mandolorian. Jayden kept his blasters at the ready, the settings on them lethal. They trudged on, towards where the Doctor's base of operations was supposed to be located, TK's projector and the back of Jayden's targeting visor the only things lighting their way. They were both silent, each lost in their own thoughts.  
After a few minutes of walking Jayden suddenly noticed a light spilling out onto the floor of the tunnel a bit ahead, a light that wasn't generated by either of them. Deciding to not hesitate any longer, Jayden holstered his blasters and ran towards the light. It turned out that light was streaming from the level below them: they were just above the base it seemed. However there was still the problem of the cover being securely screwed one but that problem was soon resolved by TK and his multiple screwdrivers. Jayden raised an eyebrow behind the mask:  
-Do I want to know why you carry around a bunch of powerful screwdrivers?  
-Beep-frotz.  
-Thought so. Watch my back.  
-Dee-reet?  
-Ok, ok. Please watch my back?  
-Woo-bloop.  
Jayden sighed and pressed a button on his wristpad which shot the grappling hook onto the floor beside the opening and it latched on using a magnetic seal. The Mando tugged on it to make sure it was secure before jumping through the opening and landing safely thanks to the wire. He pressed a button again and it shot back to his wristpad. He motioned TK to come down there and the droid complied but not without showing off a bit first as he used his thrusters while resealing the cover and landing soundlessly. Who knew a droid could like showing off so much? In any case, they were in.   
Jayden switched off the the night vision and pushed the targeting visor up, TK switched off the light coming from his projector since it was bright enough in the base with lights hanging on the ceiling. Jayden unholstered one of his blasters and asked TK quietly:  
\- Where do we go now?  
-Bee-reet Dee-whop bzzt!  
\- You mean you can find her lightsabers?  
\- Beep.  
\- Then lead the way? And no sneaking around holocams, I'd rather face them head on.  
-Bzzt-Dee-dwoo?  
-Yes, I'm aware it's a stupid idea, but I'm tired of hiding.  
-Dee-woo.  
TK checked his scanners before starting to move at a relatively fast pace with Jayden following him. He frowned behind his mask as he checked the time on his wristpad, it was a little before 1 o'clock in the morning and if Eren's assumption was correct the primary systems of the repulsor would be ready to go at about 2:30 in the morning. They were on a time limit. Jayden clenched his free hand into a fist - where was Alana?!  
TK suddenly stopped and trilled something. Jayden pressed himself against the wall and carefully looked around the corner. He spotted both of Alana's lightsabers floating in stasis, guarded by two trandoshans. Jayden frowned, this didn't seem to be sufficient security if a Jedi was to break out and come for her weapons and for someone who'd found a way to activate a planetary repulsor this seemed like an extremely foolish move. So that left two possibilities: a trap and pure idiocy. After taking a deep breath Jayden holstered his blaster and pulled out a stun grenade. He hesitated for a moment before throwing it towards the Trandoshans. Unfortunately for them the lizards noticed it a little too late and the blast from the grenade knocked them out. Jayden drew his blaster again and cautiously entered the room, TK following behind him. There was no one else in the room.  
-Weird that there's no else here, don't you think?  
-Dee-whop-bzzt-too?  
-Ok, not counting those guys. And look, the holocam's disabled.  
Instead of answering TK rolled up to a terminal and plugged in to the mainframe. He lifted the lock around Alana's lightsabers and Jayden instantly scooped them out of the stasis field and hooked them to his own belt temporarily. TK buzzed and Jayden stopped mid-step and whirled around:  
-What do you mean the power is being severely drained?  
-Dee-whop-bzzt-bee-bleep-woo!  
-So that's why the electronic security is so light - it's all going towards powering the repulsor. And what was that secondary power drainage source?  
-Bee-dee-woo.  
-Life support? What for?  
-Dee-dwooo.  
-Well, let's find out. Lead the way to the nearest one of those cell blocks.  
-Beep.  
TK disengaged himself from the mainframe and rolled out of the room, Jayden followed him. He closed his eyes for a moment and concentrated on sensing out those lights. There were plenty of them and all of them were somehow muted but there was one that was even more different. It was flickering wildly, almost transparent, a shade of bright white and light blue. Alana. She was in trouble Jayden was sure of it. TK suddenly halted and Jayden sighed when he saw the reason: a red Rodian and Trandoshan. TK softly whistled that this was the pair that had attacked Alana, the kid and himself. Jayden pulled out his second blaster and carefully aimed at the two, shooting to kill. They were mercenaries that had lost their cause and Jayden despised that, especially the Trandoshan who was supposed to be a loyal to his own kind and revere their scorekeeper had decided to be a goon to a republic-crazed madman. Pathetic. Shadow agreed with him. Perhaps Alana would reprimand him later but at the moment Jayden didn't care, they'd messed with his partners and a kid and thought they'd get away scot free? Not likely. However pulling the trigger on then just like that would be dishonourable for a Mandolorian so Jayden do the next best thing. Guns raised, he came at them:  
-I suggest you lay down your weapons and surrender.  
The Rodian snorted:  
-Look, Jorgo, a brat come to beat us up. Cocky brat.  
The Trandoshan however hesitated before suddenly jabbing the Rodian in the ribs and saying something in his native language. The Rodian laughed:  
-This kid?! Shadow?! Jorgo, you have the funniest jokes.  
Jayden calmly surveyed the two from behind his mask:  
-Your buddy's right. I am Shadow. Now this is your last warning- surrender or you die.  
The Rodian snorted again:  
-Really?! Shadow? You're all talk kid. Prove to me that you are Shadow, kill us. You know Jorgo will never surrender and I don't believe you'll--  
Two blaster shots sounded and the two guards fell to the floor, dead. Jayden holstered his blasters and shrugged at TK:  
-He did tell me to prove it.  
The little astromech didn't object. The two proceeded past the corpses and into the room they were guarding. Jayden's mouth parted in surprise and TK gave a low sad whistle when they saw what was inside. The Jedi's skin was deathly pale, her eyes half-open and dull, she was barely even breathing - in short she looked almost dead. Jayden took off one of his graves and reached out to touch her hand gently. When his warm palm came in contact with the smooth and soft skin he found that her body was almost deathly cold. In shock, Jayden quietly whispered:  
-Alana...


	27. Encounters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I'm back! And I'm done with Chapter 27. Okay, I'm not too happy with the start but I think it gets better later on in the chapter. It's actually longer than the last one 8900+ words. Um, that's about all I wanted to say...Oh and excuse any autocorrect and typos please - I have horrible jet lag from flying three days in a row. Anyway, enjoy!

Chapter 27 - Encounters

Jayden gazed up at Alana in shock. She was deathly cold and seemed almost dead. It was as if death was holding out it's hand to her and she was hesitating, unsure whether to take it. Jayden wouldn't let her and it seemed TK wasn't about to let her die either. The little droid sped towards the main terminal that was monitoring her life signs and plugged in before whistling with some relief that she was alive but just, she was in comatose state to be specific. Jayden put his glove back on and turned to the astromech:  
-Any idea what's causing this?  
TK whirred that he'd try to run back the holocam security feed since it was still active in the cell blocks. He called Jayden over and showed him what he'd found. Jayden watched Alana's whole exchange with Anora and the madman, smiling at some parts. He clenched his hands when he saw Anora placing that metal ring ,which she called a Force suppression collar, on his partner. He held up a hand for TK to stop the playback and the droid did so with no objections. Jayden glanced back at Alana's cold body and frowned when his eyes stopped on the collar:  
-That thing is killing her? Isn't it supposed to just restrict her access to the Force?  
TK stated that was it's function but for whatever reason it was slowly killing Alana. Jayden unclipped one of her lightsabers from his belt and looked at the astromech:  
-So all we need to do is cut this collar off her?  
TK whistled that theoretically that should do. Jayden nodded and ignited her blade, he watched with slight fascination as the green blade extended from the hilt. TK trilled an alarmed query at sight of him approaching her with a lightsaber. Jayden smiled beneath his mask:  
-Relax, TK, we've done this before, Alana and I. Only once though, but I'll be careful. You get ready to release the restraints.  
TK chirped something that sounded like "You've got to be kidding me!" from behind but nevertheless complied. Jayden gripped Alana's lightsaber tighter and took a deep breath. He raised it to her neck level, careful to avoid cutting any of her flowing caramel-brown hair off. With the tip of the lightsaber he slowly pressured the lock and it melted away, the metal ring breaking in two. After deactivating Alana's green blade, Jayden carefully removed it from behind Alana's neck, still wincing when he saw the now faint pink line on her neck where she had the scar from her encounter with Grievous, from the time he'd been nearly too late.   
He glanced down at the offending ring that had nearly killed his partner before throwing it into the corner of the room. He made a motion for TK to unlock the restraints around Alana's arms and legs and with a click they did. He carefully made sure to catch Alana's limp body as she fell forward. Jayden gently set her down on the floor in a corner, out of sight of the cameras.   
TK ran a scan over her body and chirped that despite her heartbeat and blood pressure slowly returning to normal she was still far too cold. Her temperature was far too low to be normal, she needed heat and if she didn't get it there was a high possibility of her dying. The astromech suggested utilising his flamethrower to generate heat but Jayden quickly shut that idea down as it was likely to set both him and Alana on fire. With a sigh he took off his mask and gloves and,ignoring the surprised whistle TK gave, he took Alana's ice cold hands in his own warm ones. He pressed them together firmly, willing the heat his body gave off to travel into Alana's one. Nothing seemed to happen and time passed agonisingly for both the droid and the human. Jayden bit his lip - there had to be something he could do! He abruptly remembered Alana healing him and how she taught him to sense presences, both of those times he'd felt her warm and bright presence touching his tentatively and when it left he was left feeling slightly lonely but stronger than before. Maybe, just maybe, he could utilise the ghost of their Force bond to pour some of his own life essence into her. A small part of him asked him why he was so intent on helping her, even going as far as being willing to share his life force. Why? That was the question that constantly plagued him, nearly all his question started with it. And just as ever he wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because she was the first person who he'd met who didn't fear saying exactly what she thought to him, she even knew that he was Shadow - a widely feared bounty hunter and yet she never hesitated to glare at him and argue. She was the first person who'd offered to be his friend, Alana was just different- immensely so. He wasn't about to lose his partner, he was stubborn enough to refuse and stand against even fate itself when it went against what he wished. With those thoughts in mind Jayden reached out to her and latched onto her fading Force presence, refusing to let go. He gripped her hand tighter and murmured:  
-Come on, Alana...  
For a minute there was nothing before her eyelids started to flutter and warmth started to bloom in her hand. At last he heard her quietly ask:  
-Jayden?  
-Yeah, it's me. TK is here too. Sorry we took so long.  
She showed him a tiny smile:  
-I'm an idiot, huh? I let my guard down, got careless and got caught. Sorry.  
-It's no big deal. We all make mistakes. And yeah, you are an idiot.  
She gave a soft laugh:  
-You honestly lack tact when dealing with women. How do girls stand you?  
Her eyes were still closed and despite that worrying him, he confidently stated:  
-What can I say? I'm a charmer.  
She smiled and finally opened her eyes. Jayden froze in shock. Instead of seeing the familiar hue of dark blue he saw a dull blue-grey colour and blank eyes. TK whistled a surprised note. Alana looked around and sighed:  
-I can't see, can I? Well, that's not good.  
Jayden couldn't help but stare while inwardly sighing - only she could be so calm about losing her sight. TK rolled up and ran another scan over her, stating that despite this being temporary blindness he had no clue as to what caused it and how long it would last. Alana rubbed her neck and quietly spoke up:  
-I may have a clue. That collar cut off my contact to the Force and for some reason this affected my eyesight. That psycho doctor mentioned somethings about my eyes being an unusual colour so maybe it's connected... Actually forget it, I'm rambling. Are my eyes a weird colour though?  
-Beep-Dee-dwoo.  
-The droid's right, I've never seen anyone with your eye colour that's natural.  
Alana waved it off and sighed:  
-You guys should go on. I'm just going to slow you down right now. I don't want to be a burden. I'm useless anyway.  
Jayden abruptly stood up. Was she an idiot?! As he looked at her face he became more assured that sometimes she was. He glared at her:  
-You really are an idiot! Why do you think we came down here? To rescue you! You don't want to be a burden? I get it! Then stop moping around start thinking. Yes, I understand that you just nearly died but you're strong enough to fight on. Don't you remember that time in the mist on Duro? You don't need your eyes! The Force is there to guide you. It must be bursting at you full force since its been all locked up inside. Use it! You're a kriffing Jedi not a incompetent whiny princess! Look, I'm sorry this sounds so harsh but you need to get up and start walking again or this whole planet is more or less doomed! We are on a time limit here.  
He finished sharply and put on his helmet. Alana gazed up at him with those blank eyes and bit her lip. He was right - she was being selfish and whiny. Wasn't she often the one that raced out of the Medbay as soon as she could even after suffering life-threatening injuries? So why was she acting like such a wimp right now? And, yes, she could feel the Force thrumming within her - more powerful than ever before. Jayden was right, he was right. She nodded and slowly stood up. She closed her eyes and reached out with the Force, willing it to be her eyes while she couldn't see. Unexpectedly the world around her bloomed beneath her eyelids, she had called and the Force had answered. Turning determined, Alana looked at Jayden:  
-Right. I need two things: my lightsabers--  
She felt two cool cylinders being pressed into her palms. Alana raised an eyebrow:  
-Well, that was fast.  
She could hear the smile in Jayden's voice:  
-We thought we'd pick them up on the way here. Right, TK?  
-Bee-woop!  
-Yeah, yeah, good job, you walking tin can.  
-Bzzt-gzz-whop!  
Before they could start arguing again Alana cut in:  
-Um, Jayden didn't you say something about a time limit? Clue me in, please. Both of you.  
They each cast a hostile look at each other before filling her in on the events of the past two days. Alana had raised a surprised eyebrow when Jayden talked about Eren. She was teeming with questions about him and what he'd said but that had to wait until they'd settled the Doctor Vandar situation. Slipping both of her lightsabers into their carriers easily despite being blind, Alana nodded:  
-Okay, we should go. TK, know how to get to the repulsor?  
-Bbzzt-dee-whop!  
-So that's a no?  
-Beep. Dee-woo-boop-bleep.  
Jayden sighed:  
-So you know where the power drainage source goes and we can only follow that?  
-Beep.  
Alana shrugged:  
-It's better than nothing. But, um, just before we go I want to say two things.  
Both the droid and the Mando turned to look at her quizzically. Suddenly Alana bowed to both of them:  
-Thank you, for rescuing me. Thank you both so much and I'm sorry I caused you all this trouble.  
Jayden and TK stared. They were both stunned by Alana's action. It wasn't that Alana never apologised to them before or thanked them but to bow to them? That was new and neither of them felt like they deserved anything like that. Jayden was the first to come out of his silent stupor:  
-Hey, there's no need for that. We're a team. Did you expect us to just leave you here?  
Alana straightened up and avoiding his eyes, gave a tiny nod. Jayden was surprised to find himself slightly hurt by that nod. Without any emotion seeping into his voice he carefully asked:  
-Why?  
Alana's blind eyes met his and she hesitantly explained:  
\- I don't mean it in that way. It's not that I think you're the kind of person who'd abandon me here, I'm just used to being forced to rely on myself in these situations. So I apologise if I hurt you.  
TK piped up from behind Jayden:  
-Bee-dwoo?  
Alana smiled and shook her head:  
-No, I do have people I trust. Jedi are taught to be self-reliant that's all. Even though we're told that the order will support us we must always be able to move on alone. Depending on others may form attachments and that's forbidden.  
Jayden nodded:  
-Seems like the stupid thing they'd come up with. Though I do understand why you didn't expect anyone to come and help you - I've been in that situation when no one does come.  
Alana frowned inwardly but didn't ask what he meant. Jayden had his own secrets, she had hers and Force knows what TK was hiding - they didn't trust one another enough yet to tell each other the full truth. Right now their fragile bond was only beginning to grow and strengthen and each of them was afraid of causing it to snap. Jayden's words jerked her out of her musings:  
-What was the second thing?  
-Oh, um, right. I wanted to warn you that I won't be able to fight. So I really am more or less a liability to the two of you.  
-Dee-reet?  
-I can't keep my Force vision up and fight at the same time. It takes too much focus for me to maintain this temporary sight and I can't afford to get careless in battle either. I'm just not powerful enough to do that.  
Jayden frowned:  
-You seem plenty powerful to me.  
Alana shook her head with a small smile:  
-I only act that way. Anyway, I'll try to not get in the way. Lead on, General TK!  
TK saluted her with one of his mechanical appendages and Jayden rolled his eyes:  
-Don't boost his ego, Alana. His head is big enough already, both literally and figuratively!

==SW:LB==

As the trio walked through the empty corridors of the Doctor's base Alana shivered. Somethings was definitely off and those muted presences were bothering her more and more. To get her mind off things she turned to Jayden who was radiating waves of discomfort too:  
-Jayden?  
-Hm?  
-Are you alright? I mean this place gives me the creeps too, but yours seem to be going beyond that.  
He shrugged evasively:  
-It just reminds me of a place I'd rather not remember ever again that's all.  
Alana hesitated before gathering up her courage and speaking calmly:  
-I have a feeling that you didn't become a bounty hunter by choice.  
He raised an eyebrow behind his mask and countered:  
-You didn't become a Jedi by choice either it seems.  
Alana nodded:  
-Yes, but the Jedi are different.  
-How so? I don't presume to know how or why you even ended up being roped into becoming a Jedi but they gave you a place to stay and a place to call home, didn't they?  
Alana shot him a calculating look before shrugging and replying:  
-They did, I won't deny that. However what makes you so sure that I wasn't raised by the Order from the start?  
\- You're not brainwashed by them. You're to wilful and free, rebellious even. If you had been truly raised by the Jedi , and I'm just speculating here, you would be rigid and controlled - emotionless even. Your first loyalty would be to the Order and the Republic but it doesn't seem that way to me, you care more about the people who you spend time with than either of the former. Besides, you would know what had happened to cause your amnesia if you'd been with them from the start.  
Alana sighed and looked up at the ceiling:  
\- You've got most of that right. The parts you don't have however... Well, I'd rather not bring them up. And that part about my loyalties? You're the first person who's guessed right. To be honest the Order and the Republic take a back seat in my mind. Some may call that treason but it's not so. I want to protect the Republic and I am grateful to the Order, but they're not for what I fight in this war for, they're not why I agreed to take on this assignment - they're not what's most important to me. I agreed to become a Jedi so I could protect the innocent, so I could help bring balance to the the Force. Besides there wasn't much of another option for me in that moment - the Jedi were in a sense my way out. I'm guessing it was the same for you?  
Jayden gave a small nod of his head, he'd been listening to her attentively:  
\- A way out, huh? That's something we have in common.  
Alana opened her mouth to add something when TK suddenly gave a shrill whistle. Both humans turned to him, a pair of bright green eyes and blind blue ones fixing on him:  
-What is it?  
-Dee-ree! Beep-dee-bloop-woo!  
Jayden exchanged glances with Alana as they echoed the astromech in unison:  
-There's someone alive around here?  
TK chirped and affirmative note and rounded a corner quickly with the other two quickly following him. He rolled into another patient room and then abruptly stopped. Jayden grimaced at the sight, TK gave a low whistle and Alana covered her mouth with her hands at what her Force vision let her see. There was a pool of blood next to an operating table and amidst it lay the marred by cybernetics body of an Ithorian. Jayden was the first to approach him, he carefully rolled the Ithorian over:  
-Kalleg? What happened to you?  
Alana slowly lowered her hands from her face as the pieces clicked. The Ithorian that psycho had mentioned before Anora had put that collar on her - this was Jayden's contact on Corellia, the one that had gone missing. She carefully went to kneel beside him, across from Jayden. He looked at her and asked softly:  
-Can you heal him?   
Alana lowered her head and shook it. No, she couldn't fix the numerous lacerations, bruises and head injuries the Ithorian had, she couldn't remove the machinery that psycho had installed into his mind. Alana was powerless in the face of this problem. The Ithorian was barely breathing and yet he feebly opened his eyes and croaked out something in his native language. Jayden frowned, he didn't understand this language, however, before he could even turn to TK, Alana's voice rang out clearly and quietly:  
-He's asking if that's you,Shadow.  
Jayden took a deep breath and slipped into Shadow. Shadow nodded:  
-Yes, it's me.  
Kalleg sighed in relief while Alana frowned. She felt it again: that unbridled rage, cruelty and overwhelming darkness swirling in the Force around her partner. It was like Jayden Callen was gone, replaced by something much more malevolent and dark. The Ithorian spoke again and Alana translated:  
-He apologises for not being able to meet you on time. And, um...  
Alana asked him something in Ithroese and with effort he replied. She nodded and fixed her eyes on Jayden's visor, where his eyes should be even though she could only see with the Force right now.  
-Kalleg says that the Spectrewolf orbits the planet that creates a right angle with the planet prison of old and the flaming planet that will bring change to the new.   
Shadow leaned his head to the side, memorising the riddle and filing it away to be sorted out later. Alana kept her gaze flickering between whatever had replaced Jayden and Kalleg, she didn't have the faintest inkling of what was going to happen next and that put her on edge. Kalleg croaked something else softly and Alana translated quietly:  
-He's glad he's done what he was paid to do and he asks if you could grant him a request.  
Shadow nodded. He wasn't usually one to do things for people out of sentiment but at this his code of honour compelled him to at least grant him that one dying request. The Ithorian's breaths were getting more and more laboured as he finally croaked something in his native language and with widening eyes Alana translated:  
-He's...he's asking us to give that psycho what's coming to him and...,-Alana took a deep breath and finished-, he asking one of us to kill him. Right now.  
Shadow shrugged:  
-Alright. I'll do it. Thank you, Kalleg.  
Before Alana could even blink Shadow raised his blaster and shot the Ithorian. His breathing ceased and Kalleg died with a blaster wound in his chest. Shadow holstered the blaster again before standing up and turning to TK:  
-Let's go. We have a doctor to find.  
Alana cast a wary glance at whatever was Jayden right now and closed the Ithorian's eyes before following them out. After a fair bit of walking in silence with Alana carefully observing Jayden, he let out a sigh and Alana felt something in his force presence shift - like someone had suddenly switched on a light. It looked like Jayden was back. However Alana kept her mouth shut and just continued watching Jayden before he finally stopped and turned to her:  
-What is it?  
Alana crossed her arms:  
-That should be my line. Who or even what were you back there? With Kalleg?  
Jayden's eyes widened slightly in surprise behind his mask, he hadn't thought she'd notice him slipping into Shadow - after all she hadn't the first or the second time. It seemed like the third time was the charm. Jayden paused for a moment, racking his brain, trying to find a way to put off this conversation for a bit. They didn't have the time for him to explain this right now. Alana kept her blind gaze firmly fixed on him and Jayden shifted from one foot to another uncomfortably under her penetrating stare. He looked her straight in the face and attempted to negotiate with the young Jedi:  
-Look, I can explain what happened but not now. We don't have the time. I'm just asking that you trust me right now. I won't let the darkness consume me, I promise.  
Alana stood still for a moment before letting her arms drop to her sides limply and nodding her head:  
-Don't make promises you can't keep but alright. I trust you, Jayden, don't abuse that trust.  
-I won't.

==SW:LB==

Han crawled through the overhead ventilation ducts, following his instincts and being careful not to make the hydrospanner he was using as a weapon clang against the metal sides. He didn't want anyone to find him after all. Seriously, what kind of person wanted to get caught right after they'd escaped? Han had always been good at escaping, this time was no different.  
The restraints and the table had been far too big for his small frame and he'd easily slipped out of them and knocked out his guards while they were unaware. He couldn't find his stun blaster though so he opted for a hydrospanner that he'd found lying around instead. He was sure that one of the ventilation ducts in this underground base would lead out to the surface so he decided to crawl through them. He'd momentarily contemplated looking for the Jedi girl and the droid but he decided that they could most probably take care of themselves and she could probably use her Jedi magic to find him if she wanted.   
Han was crawling over an area where elevator cables ran when he heard voices. One was male and unfamiliar:  
\- You sure it's this way?  
A droid whistled something in binary that Han didn't get. The male voice spoke again:  
\- You better be right because we certainly don't have the time to be running around on a wild Bantha chase.  
The same droid trilled a few indignant notes and a familiar female voice cut him off:  
-Jayden, TK, cool it. We need to work together, not argue.  
Han's brown eyes widened slightly. That was her! The Jedi girl! And she was with friends? Han decided to peek down through a grate. He saw the Jedi girl (he still didn't know her name), that same droid and a Mandolorian. Han stiffened - if the rumours were true this wasn't any Mando, it was Shadow himself - the supposed Death's hand. What was she doing with him?   
Meanwhile Alana sensed a small but familiar presence in the Force above them. She inwardly gave a sigh of relief - the kid was okay. That took a load off her mind. He didn't seem to be projecting any pain so that meant he wasn't hurt - good. She tilted her head upwards and called:  
-Hey, I know you're up there. Come down here, Han Solo.  
Han jumped slightly, startled. Of course, she had her weird magic. The hydrospanner in his hand accidentally clanged against the metal wall of the ventilation ducts and the clang resonated, making the people below him very well aware of Han's presence. He cursed softly under his breath:  
-Blast.  
Well, now that he was exposed he decided it was better to get down there with them. Frowning, Han carefully remove the grate and looked down - it was quite a distance to jump. Alana positioned herself under the grate and called out again:  
-Don't worry, I'll catch you.  
Han's frown deepened when he saw he blank eyes, they weren't like that before. Something was wrong and she wanted him to jump? Han wasn't sure that was playing it safe but he was anything but a coward and he'd never let anyone assume him as one. He jumped.  
It took quite a bit of strength but Alana managed to catch the kid and safely set him down. She ignored the fact that he'd accidentally whacked her across the shoulder with the hydrospanner upon impact despite the fact that it did hurt. As soon as his feet touched solid ground Han breathed a sigh of relief before noting that all three beings surrounding him were looking at him. He put his hands on his hips to his his discomfort and asked:  
-What?  
The Jedi girl crouched down so she could be on eye level with him, something that Han found both nice of her and a little embarrassing for him. She looked at him kindly:  
-You ok, Han?  
-Yes. I'm fine. They didn't count on me being so small when they made those restraints. I told you he'd catch me when black holes shine!  
Alana nodded with a small smile, deciding not to point out the fact that the psycho had in fact caught him. Jayden glanced down at the boy with soft brown hair and brown eyes with a hydrospanner, who was that kid? Alana and TK seemed to recognise him.   
-Hey, Alana, care to introduce me to the kid?  
The boy whirled on him and protested hotly:  
-I'm not a kid!  
Before shrinking back slightly. Jayden sighed inwardly: great, little kids were scared of him now. Well, he did have a reputation as one of the most dangerous bounty hunters in the galaxy so maybe it was his fault the kid was afraid of him. He frowned slightly when he saw the kid whisper somethings in Alana's ear which caused her to smile. Probably was asking her how a goody goody Jedi like her ended up walking around with a terrifying bounty hunter like him, though Alana was probably anything but a goody two shoes. Han had I fact asked Alana exactly that. In answer to his question, Alana stood up and waved a hand between the two of them:  
-Han Solo this is Jayden Callen more commonly recognised as Shadow and while I don't doubt he's earned his scary reputation, I can guarantee that he won't eat you. Jayden Callen this is Han Solo, who claims he's not a kid so please don't address him as such.  
Jayden could barely hold back a laugh. Both Alana's formal tone and her introductions had amused him quite a bit. Nevertheless Jayden held out a hand for the kid to shake:  
-Nice to meet you, Solo.  
The kid frowned but took his hand and hesitantly replied:  
-You too...  
Alana also pointed to TK and herself:  
-Oh right, I forgot this the first time. The astromech beside me is TK-26 and I'm Alana Sheelan.   
Han nodded his head. Jayden crossed his arms as he spoke:  
\- Getting back to the problem at hand - we need to find the elevator. Any ideas?  
Jayden glanced at Alana and TK before sliding his gaze to the kid. There was another problem now too. The source of that problem suddenly piped up:  
\- I saw elevator cables running in that direction.  
The kid pointed to the left of the intersection. Jayden shrugged:  
-Left it is.   
The small group turned left and while Han moved forward to walk with TK, Jayden fell back to be able to quietly talk to Alana. Making sure that the kid didn't overhear he softly inquired:   
-What are we going to do with him? We can't take him with us - you can't protect him with the state you're in and TK and I are going to have our hands full dealing with whatever that crazy doctor throws at us. He should go back to the surface.   
Alana nodded before quietly responding:  
\- I know, but how? If the elevator also went up that'd solve a lot of our problems.  
\- Yeah.  
They rounded another corner and stopped in front of a rayshield in front of the elevator doors, there was no interface into the system. TK chirped in annoyance and Jayden rolled his eyes in exasperation, only Alana and the kid remained calm. The Jedi moved forward and removed a panel from the wall below which a dozen wires ran, Han moved forward to stand beside her. He pointed at the red and blue wires:  
-We should cut those two - that should disable any alarms. Also we could try to fuse the green and yellow ones together - that may short out the whole thing.  
Alana nodded:  
-You're right, - she turned to Jayden,- do you have a vibroknife by any chance?  
Jayden removed one from his belt and carefully handed it to Alana:  
-Here.  
-Thanks.  
Alana carefully cut the red and blue wires before moving onto the green and yellow ones. She was about to cut them when abruptly lowered her hand and turned to Jayden who was standing behind her:  
-Jayden, could you do this for me? I'm seeing spots and I'd rather not cut something that could cause a lockdown of the whole facility.  
He easily agreed and took the vibroknife she was handing back to him, Alana stepped back to give him more space. He paused just before cutting the wires and glanced down at the kid:  
-So all I need to do is cut these wires, right?  
Han corrected him:  
-You need to cut them and then clench the wires together in the following 5 seconds - that should cause the power grid for the Ray shield to overload and for it to short out. See, we need to do this since that madman rayshielded the door while he's off somewhere.  
Jayden nodded:  
-Alright. Hey, assassin, I don't suppose you have--  
TK pulled out two small metal braces that could clip the wires together. Jayden sighed:  
-Thought so. Keep them ready.  
-Bee-reet.  
The astromech gave his unwilling consent. Jayden turned back to the wires and frowned behind his mask:  
-Right, let's hope this works.  
In one practiced and swift move Jayden cut across the wires and quickly exchanged the vibroknife for the braces. However he dropped one of them as soon as he clipped on the other, but before he could bend down to reach it he saw it floating right next to his hand. Realising Alana had caught it with the Force and was now using it to hold it there instead of seeing, Jayden grabbed it and hurriedly clipped the wires together. And just in time. Jayden let go of the wires to see quite a big electric spark pass through them and the whole group saw the rayshield fade. Alana smiled:  
-Looks like we managed to cut across a bunch of wires and not lockdown the whole facility.  
Jayden groaned and sarcastically retorted:  
-Yeah, I felt no pressure whatsoever.  
Alana shook her head in amusement and slight exasperation:  
-Thanks, Jayden.

==SW:LB==

Doctor Vandar couldn't help marvelling at the technological wonder that was the planetary repulsor. Many believed it to be just an urban myth but now he would prove them wrong. Once he too had doubted the existence of such a thing- preferring to deal with facts rather than suppositions as a scientist, but now he was slightly ashamed of ever disbelieving the rumours. And here it was - the planetary repulsor. It was composed of a central cone with six smaller ones around it and they all were at least 34 meters tall, how anyone could have missed this beneath the surface of the planet was surprising. It was truly a technological marvel and now it would become one of the key instruments to the Republic's triumph over the Separatists. Just a little more time and the planet would become a shipbuilding fortress.   
Anora frowned - Vandar's plan was nearing fruition but there were a few key elements in play that the Doctor wasn't aware of. Like the fact that one of his specimens had escaped and with the help of the Hand of Death no less as well as a very peculiar astromech. She wondered how this would all play out. She was leaning towards the theory that Vandar would probably not be able to pull this off. In any case the outcome didn't matter too much to her - the Chiss Ascendancy was simply curious what kind of scientist the Republic had and she had her mission from them to investigate. After this was all over "Anora Revel" will have never even existed. She was a spy and she was her to do her job. End of story, plain and simple.

==SW:LB==

As they rode the elevator down Jayden suddenly pulled out a small hold-out blaster and tossed it to the kid who easily caught it. Han glanced up at the bounty hunter quizzically, not really sure why he had a hold-out blaster in his hands:  
-Why--  
-You need to get to the surface. This elevator can take you there but if I'm correct you'll probably end up coming out next a droid operated mag-lev train station and it'll probably be dangerous, so this should help you defend yourself. You know how to use the thing?  
Han blinked once, surprised that the infamous bounty hunter that many feared of all people was treating him more or less like...well, like not a helpless kid. He hastily nodded his head:  
-Yes. So I'm not coming with you?  
Alana spoke up from the back of the elevator:  
-We'd take you along but even though you can operate a blaster well, you'd most likely get hurt. And there are rakghouls down there.  
-I'll go up.  
Han hastily agreed. He held onto the hold out blaster and shot the Mando a thankful glance. Jayden smiled - this kid reminded him quite a bit of himself at that age. Though Han was living in slightly more favourable circumstances than Jayden had at that age. The elevator doors slid open and Jayden glanced at his teammates, Alana stood up straighter and followed him out with TK. As he watched them walk away and just before pressing the button that'd take him to the top, Han couldn't resist and called after them:  
-Good luck!

==SW:LB==

Alana looked around herself and held back a sigh. This place was even more like a maze. Just once couldn't anything be ever easy? Alana suppressed a grin as she imagined a signpost standing in front of her with an inscribed arrow that read: "This way to Doctor Vandar". A girl could dream, huh?  
For a second part of Alana's Force sight went fuzzy before that part returned but it was hazy, like she wasn't seeing it with the Force. Not daring to hope, Alana lifted a hand to her eyes - she saw slight movement in the hazy part. It was! Her sight was slowly returning. Alana turned to the Mando beside her:  
-Um, Jayden, random question, but what colour are my eyes right now?  
Jayden glanced at her eyes and was surprised to see that they had shifted colours from pale grey-blue to an ocean blue colour, but they weren't back to normal yet. He answered:  
-They've darkened. Ocean blue, I'd say. Why?  
-I knew it. My sight is returning.  
-That's very good news.   
TK who was rolling in front of them unexpectedly interjected with some alarm, stating that he was picking up numerous life forms moving towards them. A voice came over the PA speakers:  
-Well, well, what's this I spy with my little eye? An escaped specimen, an interesting machine and the supposed Death's Hand himself. Welcome, I must commend you for coming this far. To those who are just meeting me I'm Doctor Vandar Kimble, formerly chief scientist of the Republic's weapons development program now retired. Glory to the Republic!  
Alana facepalmed, somethings she'd desperately wanted to do since meeting that crazy. Jayden cast a glance at Alana to see her shaking her head tiredly, however he'd spotted the tamed fury in her eyes. He could acts as friendly as he wanted but, Jayden still remembered Kalleg and what would happen to the inhabitants of the agricultural as well as the urban parts of the planet if this madman activated the planetary repulsor. Feeling emboldened by his anger,Jayden called:  
-Hey, Doc, how's the repulsor coming along?  
-The repulsor? Hey, assistant -- Huh, that's odd: she's gone...Well, that's too bad. Anyway, I suppose you'll be trying to foil my grand idea?   
Alana nodded:  
-Pretty much.  
-Ah, alright. Well, to be fair you have half an hour left so best of luck to you.  
The PA system cut off and Alana sighed. What was this place anyway? Some kind of underground bunker? She wasn't sure. Jayden spoke up over the confused silence that had settled around them:  
-Let's keep going.  
They hadn't gone further than a few meters when suddenly they had to duck under a bunch of blaster fire. Recalling Alana's warning about her inability to fight, Jayden pushed her behind him and she, despite severely disliking being useless, didn't protest. The trio turned to see a platoon of heavily armed beings off different creatures steadily heading for them. Jayden frowned - this wasn't good, an odd rakghoul or two he could handle but killing these heavily armoured and cybernatically augmented soldiers? That was going to be very difficult. Not to mention they were all like Kalleg, innocent but made to do the maniac's bidding. Doctor Vandar's voice sounded again, this time very proud:  
-Like my newest creation? Well, it wasn't my idea originally. You'd be surprised with what the great minds during the Cold War came up with. These boys are my improvement upon the sadly shutdown Power Guard project. They're soldiers who can kill even Jedi! And they're all under my direct control - they'll also be one of the keys to defeating those Seperatists! I call them Power Guard 2.0. Power Guard 2.0?  
The soldiers turned to the PA speakers obediently. Doctor Vandar chuckled:  
-Destroy these intruders who seek to bring harm to our glorious republic!  
The soldiers unleashed a torrent of blaster fire and Jayden barely had time to switch on his energy shield and dive out of the way before it hit him and TK. The blasterfire stopped as soon as he disappeared and the marching resumed. Alana looked at Jayden, her eyes betraying her inner turmoil:  
-What are we going to do?  
Jayden frowned:  
\- We'll have to kill them.   
-What?! No!  
-Do you have a better idea? Because I'd love to hear it.  
-Couldn't we knock them out somehow?  
Alana looked desperate, she didn't want to kill them but she couldn't see any other way for them to get out of this alive. Jayden sighed:  
-Alana, even if we did knock them out and we manage to wrangle control of them from Vandar what next? Do you think they can go back to their normal lives the way they are? Do you think everyone will accept them being what they are? You told me what happened with Mikal but he was just a baby with no emotional connections and no recollection of that, but these are grown people. They will hurt. This is mercy killing, Alana.  
Alana bit her lip. Jayden made a good point - they would never be able to be normal again. Vandar had stolen their lives and now their future from them and that infuriated Alana. She was at war inside herself, theJedi teachings clashing with the brutal reality that Jayden had made her face. If Jayden and TK spent too much time knocking them out they could all die and then in any case all of Corellia would be doomed. Brutal reality won out. Alana closed her eyes and shut off her Force sight:  
-Alright, do it. Give them an honourable death.  
She saw Jayden nod through the haze but just before leaving her put a hand on her shoulder and sternly said:  
\- Never avert your eyes from the dead, Alana. It dishonours them.  
And with those words he disappeared and blasterfire ensued. With a heavy heart Alana used the Force to see again and though it pained her she didn't avert her eyes from the battle.

==SW:LB==

Alana felt like she was drowning amidst all the pained cries, blood, groans and deaths. The battle raged on but she was suffocating. All this agony in the Force...she had been unprepared to deal with that and it stung brutally. She hadn't even noticed that she'd started to hyperventilate. Her vision was also swimming and something pushed from behind the clouds of amnesia in her mind. Unexpectedly a hand grabbed Alana by the wrist and dragged her down the corridor and into a room. Alana was too out of it to resist. The door hissed shut behind them and the lights switched on. Alana found herself looking at Anora. With a soft gasp, Alana tied to wrench her hands free from the grip of that woman but she stopped when she heard her speak. Anora spoke calmly in Chenuh:  
-Stop. I'm not here to harm you.  
-I don't believe that. And why are you talking to me in your native tongue?  
-Good, so you do understand the language of my people. That is rare among humans. If you would please switch to it right now I would be very grateful, I'd rather no one understood. And I really am not here to inflict you any harm.   
-Last time I saw you you put a Force suppression collar on me which resulted in me nearly dying!  
The Chiss woman blinked calmly and replied in a slightly apologetic tone:  
-A miscalculation on my part. I needed a guarantee that I could speak with you calmly and with no violent reactions from you. I wanted to enlist your help.  
-You what?  
Alana stared at the Chiss woman. She felt no deceit from her in the Firce and was forced to come to the conclusion that Anora Revel or whoever she was, was in fact telling the truth. "Anora" sighed and pushed Alana into a nearby chair:   
-I will explain, but first do you have any after effects of the collar?  
Alana subconsciously lifted a hand to her eyes and mentally kicked herself when she realised what she'd done. The Chiss woman nodded and pulled out a small spray vial:  
-I expected as much. Your sight is impaired, is it not?  
Grudgingly Alana nodded, she didn't trust the woman in the least but who was she to refuse help if it was offered:  
-Yes, I'm partially blind.   
-Then as a show of good faith let me fix that. This may sting a little but do not close your eyes.  
Alana winced as the liquid came in contact with her eyes and it stung, but she resisted the urge to close them. "Anora's" soft voice continued in Chenuh:  
-Now, close your eyes and count to ten.  
Alana complied and just before opening her eyes she dropped the Force sight. With great trepidation Alana slowly opened her eyes and to her shock she could see perfectly. She quietly breathed out:  
-Thank you...  
-It was my mistake that caused you harm and it was my duty to correct it. Now, will you hear me out?  
-Yes, but my friends--  
-Will be fine. I sent in a few drones to assist them. Vandar has no idea it was me.   
-Alright, but please be brief just in case.  
"Anora" nodded:  
-I will be. First of all my name is not Anora Revel, you would find it hard to pronounce and for the sake of being brief call me Nirra. I am a spy from the Chiss Ascendancy, sent to investigate the greatest minds the Republic has and compare them to our own. For a while I believed Doctor Vandar Kimble to be one of them however now his mind is chaotic and so are his plans and actions. I have been ordered by my superiors to remove him from the equation and I wished to enlist your help for that. I have been given my orders just recently and I am not one to question them.  
Alana frowned as she listened to Nirra talk. She wasn't too surprised now, Nirra was a Chiss and their loyalty was always first and foremost to the Ascendancy so to expect herself to have a profound love for the Republic was absurd. She should have noticed. It seemed she had been slipping up more and more lately.  
-But why would you need my help? Can't you stab him in the back or something?  
Nirra shook her head:  
-No, the Doctor posses an object, an artefact of great power. I cannot hope to combat it. You on the other hand are a Jedi, correct?  
Alana shrugged one shoulder:  
-Padawan - trainee Jedi, but I am a member of the Order, yes.  
-I believe you can combat it with the Force. Please do.  
Alana stood up and crossed her arms, still frowning:  
-You know what you did undercover to all those people is despicable, right?  
-Whatever is necessary for the mission to be a success.  
Alana glared at her:  
-That's no excuse! Whatever. I will take down Vandar, but not because you asked me - because I am a Jedi and it is my duty to protect innocents. Vandar has crossed the line and he will be brought to justice.  
She turned around and started to walk out of the room before adding:  
-And thank you. For healing my eyes and for telling me about the artefact.  
Nirra nodded:  
-Go. Know that you must kill Vandar, not arrest him.  
Alana opened the door and as she stepped out, she quietly responded:  
-I know.

==SW:LB==

Jayden sucked under a vibroblade of one of the Power Guards, a Rodian. These men were very difficult to combat and he almost wished he had a lightsaber right about now. He shot once and his twin blasters hit a human man in the temple and he fell down dead, not even cybernetics could repair that. However his triumph was fleeting as in the next moment he found himself surrounded by 5 Power Guards and pressed against the wall with his blasters knocked away. The Power Guards angled their cannons and rifles to shoot and Jayden mentally cursed the rakghouls for making his jet pack inoperable. He kicked at the nearest Power Guard but only made him go back one step. Damn. These five were especially heavily armed and had strong defensive armour as well as energy shield enabled. He was more or less screwed and from what he could see TK wasn't doing much better.  
However before he could even blink two of the Power Guards had holes where their hearts should have been, and two blinding plasma blades were protruding from them. Quickly the blades extracted themselves from the corpses and slashed the remaining three across the neck, head and slashed one across her whole torso. At Jayden's feet lay 5 corpses and before him stood a certain Jedi with burning midnight blue eyes.   
-Seems like I made it in time. I had a feeling Nirra's drones wouldn't be too much help.  
Jayden quickly snapped out from his shock and grabbed the blasters Alana had floating in front of him. One word came out his mouth:  
-How?  
Alana didn't have the chance to answer as another torrent of blaster fire ensued and sighing Alana tossed her green blade in an arc as she decapitated another Power Guard, saving TK. She hated having to kill these innocents. Over her shoulder she shouted:  
-Tell you once this is over.  
Alana summoned her green lightsaber back into her hand using the Force and deftly caught it, blocking the attack of a wookie Power Guard. Jayden nodded and launched himself back into the fray as well. He soon ended up standing back to back with his partner. She smiled slightly as she deflected blaster bolts:  
-Remind you of anything?  
Jayden smirked behind his mask:  
-The Atlantida?  
-Yep, I saved your skin that time too.  
-Yeah, yeah, but I saved you after that so we're even.  
-Sure. Watch my back and I'll watch yours?  
-Done deal.  
Alana launched herself at an especially aggressive twi'lek Power Guard and stabbed him in the chest. Inwardly Alana apologised to him an all the others she had to kill. If she could she would've liked to save them, but that wasn't an option. Alana heard a shuffle behind her and turned around to see two dead trandoshans. Jayden was indeed watching her back. She glanced at TK to see him rolling around excitedly and putting blaster marks on everything in sight and even torching a few people with his advanced flamethrower. He even added a little dazzle to his fight by using his thrusters. Alana rolled her eyes at TK's antics, show off. The young Jedi tuned back into the fighting with the tree of them working as a team rather than each of them doing their own thing the fight was over fairly quickly.   
But time was ticking and they only had 5 minutes left to find the Doctor before the primary systems became operational. As they each struggled to regain their bearings after such afight Alana told them what had happened with Nirra. Jayden cocked his head to the side:  
-So she's as spy and she wants us to defeat a psycho with a crazy powerful artefact and save the planet, but no pressure?  
-Pretty much.  
Jayden sighed:  
-When did my life become so insane?  
Alana suppressed a grin:  
-When TK and I joined you.  
-Knew it was someone!  
Alana rolled her eyes before shifting back into a serious expression:  
-Let's go, guys. There are only 4 minutes left.

==SW:LB==

Vandar rubbed his hands in glee. Everything was proceeding according to plan: there were only a couple minutes left until the repulsor went online and those intruders were being taken care of by his Power Guards. His assistant had run off somewhere but that didn't matter - he was on the verge of creating the first moving planet-fortress! With this the Republic's chances of winning were almost absolute! As he watched the clock tick down excitedly, he didn't notice the doors slide open and three beings come in. However he did hear the sound of two lightsabers being ignited and he turned to see the source.  
Vandar had to admit that he was slightly surprised and disappointed to see the intruders alive. However he also felt a bit of fear trickle in, he was after all faced with a droid of strange capabilities, a Jedi proficient with the Force and Jar'Kai and Death's Hand himself. And none of them looked friendly. The Jedi raised one of her lightsabers as she spoke:  
-Now I know that you're probably going to decline my offer but the tropes demand I do this: Shut down the repulsor and come quietly in the name of the Jedi Order and the Republic! You are under arrest Doctor Vandar Kimble!  
The Doctor frowned - so she was going to take him to the loony bin? No way. As he reached into the pocket of his lab coat he answered:  
-No, Master Jedi. I am afraid I must decline.  
The Jedi girl sighed and a remorseful expression flashed across her face before she looked at him again, tamed rage burning bright in her dark blue eyes:  
-Then this will be your final experiment, Doctor.  
Vandar shook his head as he pulled out a golden object:  
-We shall see, Master Jedi.  
He turned a knob and suddenly dozens upon dozens of rakghoul rushed in from the overhead tunnels, surrounding the Jedi and her friends but not attacking. Alana's eyes widened in shock as she finally recognised the object the Doctor was holding. It was golden and shaped like a desert beetle with red jewels embedded in it, Alana could feel the darkness radiating from it. She took a half-step back before speaking in surprise and numb shock:  
-That can't be... The Muur Talisman!   
The Doctor's grin widened as a loud rumble sounded: the repulsor was online. He nodded proudly:  
-The one and only, my dear. And now you lose.


	28. Goodbye, Corellia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I'm back. Okay, this took a little longer but this is the final chapter of Corellia and we're moving onto our next destination. What is it? You'll have to wait for the next chapter to see. A certain person also pointed out that I've left characters like Alana's master alone for far too long and don't worry I'll have a chapter where I bring you up to speed on what happened with them soon enough. I think this is all I wanted to say so yeah - Enjoy!
> 
> Oh and sorry if there are any typos.

Alana looked at the talisman in utter shock, one word echoing in her mind: How? How in the universe had this psycho acquired the Muur Talisman?! Hadn't it been buried ages ago so none could be possessed by the spirit of Karness Murr who resided in that talisman to this day?   
The Murr Talisman was a powerful dark side artefact that could control rakghouls and in the hands of a Force-sensitive it could even turn other's into rakghouls. But using one of the three great amulets had an enormous risk attached to it for in the amulet the spirit of it's first master was sealed - Darth Muur. The amulet had been created by a woman named Sorzus Syn - one of the founders of the Sith Order during the Hundred year darkness. She had created it for Muur so he could cheat death, but staying a spirit for eternity didn't sound appealing to Muur so he constantly searched for a host body and had claimed a few before.   
Alana glared at the triumphant Doctor:  
-How did you get it? It was supposed to be buried!  
The doctor showed her a small self-satisfied smile:  
\- You don't know much of what goes in this galaxy, Jedi. How foolish. Do excuse me I have a repulsor to operate. Now, my pets, rip them to pieces!  
The rakghouls charged. They were different, much more powerful and deadly than before. It was almost as though they could think and plan. Alana had trouble blocking the claws and the blows she kept receiving from the rakghouls even with the Force and she could see that both Jayden and TK weren't doing too hot either.  
As she sliced one over the head and it dropped dead Alana finally understood what was going on - Muur was truly controlling the rakghouls and as long as he was doing that they had no hope of winning. But how could they stop him?! Alana had gotten a bit too distracted by the revelation, so much so that she didn't even notice a rakghoul coming at her from behind until it was almost too late. Alana had no time to react however she had TK on her side, who decided to torch the creature with his flamethrower after which he whistled gleefully. Alana shot him a grateful look and decided to pay more attention. Seriously, this wasn't going to do anyone any good if she got herself killed.  
How in the universe were they supposed to stop Muur though? Destroying the Talisman using weapons and the Force was apparently impossible according to the archives so that was a no, but how? Suddenly a particularly smug voice spoke up from beside Alana:  
-Having trouble, young Jedi?  
Alana whirled around and just narrowly dodged the sharp teeth of a rakghoul who was coming at her from the left. She lifted her head to see an old man with shining orange eyes, grey hair on his head that was bald at the top, pointy ears, dressed in Sith robes and with a golden curved lightsaber hilt on his belt. That was none other than Karness Muur, the inhabitant of the talisman and of course he looked perfectly solid to Alana . Remembering Revan's warning and how Muur was desperate for a host body Alana took a step back. Muur grinned:  
-Ah, afraid,are we?  
Alana shook her head, keeping her eyes on Muur, but making sure that no rakghouls came too close for comfort:  
-No, just cautious. I'd rather not get possessed thank you very much.   
Muur's smug smile didn't fade:  
\- Yes, I doubt you'd like that too much. You claim to be a Jedi? Your Masters are still as foolish as they were eons ago I see. Stifled and rigid, blind to what was transpiring right under their noses. And yet you don't bear their mark... There is darkness inside you, a powerful darkness. It is suppressed yes and slumbering but... I can almost taste it's power. It thrives within you, burns.  
Alana took a few more steps back as Muur started coming closer to her, reaching out a hand. She couldn't let him find out that he could physically touch her, hurt her or this whole mess got a whole lot more complicated. Unexpectly the ground beneath Alana's feet shook violently and she could barely keep herself from falling over. She winced when she felt someone slam into her - it was Jayden, who's battle with the rakghouls had been interrupted by the ground shaking. A jubilant voice cried over all the shaking and ruckus:  
-This new weapon is now fully operational.  
For a spilt second Muur looked slightly surprised before his usual smug smile came back:  
-Well, well, the force-blind one pulled through.  
Jayden whirled around at the sound of the voice. He saw a smoky red shape of a man. His presence felt dark and foreboding. Was this a Force ghost of a Sith? Alana quietly explained:  
-That is the disembodied spirit of Karness Muur, the original owner of the talisman and the spirit conatained within it. As long as he's inside it he controls the rakghouls and we're screwed. Don't let him try to touch you or he will use that talisman to possess your body.  
Jayden gave her a barely perceptible nod. Muur looked between the two of them and his grin suddenly grew broader:  
-My, my, what fun. A Jedi with darkness sleeping within her and a Mandolorian who embodies a big part of his own darkness. How unexpected. Hmm, the two of you have given me a bit of a dilemma- whose body should I take over?  
The spirits voice was nearly teasing, sing-song and it was clear to both Alana and Jayden that the Sith Lord was merely toying with them. However Alana noticed something out of the corner of her eye: whenever Muur was talking the rakghouls halted their attack slightly. He couldn't do both things too effectively at once! That was his weakness but he was still far too focused.Jayden was also seemingly thinking along the same lines as spoke through their bond:  
-Can I shoot him?  
-It won't work. Attacking him that is. Not for you or TK anyway. But...  
The ground beneath their feet shook once more and Alana suddenly felt a pressure start to build on top of her head and she barely suppressed a small cry of pain from tumbling from her lips. Inwardly she somehow knew that Corellia had begun to move from it's orbit. The young Jedi nearly felt herself falling but Jayden grabbed her by the elbow and held her up with a firm grip. Muur suddenly declared:  
-I've decided! Gender changes are too uncomfortable so it'll be the Mandolorian! Congratulations!  
Before Alana and Jayden could do anything a pair of rakghouls pushed both of them down and they both cried out in pain as they hit the floor. Alana's lightsabers rolled out of her hands from the impact and flickered out. TK saw that and tried to hurry toward them but Muur raised a hand and the droid froze in his tracks. The rakghouls too stopped. Alana glared at the doctor who had the talisman - she had to do something!  
Jayden was probably in the red on energy reserves from all the fighting he'd done and the way he's protected her when she couldn't defend herself. TK was frozen and Vandar wouldn't care even if they were the last people in the galaxy. Alana herself didn't have the physical strength to push off the rakghouls and what's worse that if she struggled she was likely to get scratched by them and turn into one herself and she didn't have the power necessary to attack Muur with the Force from such a distance! But she also knew that Jayden, even though he was proficient at defending his mind, he couldn't stop someone like Muur from taking over her body just like she couldn't. She had to do something! Anything! She heard the tapping of small metal legs and saw the talisman scuttling across the floor towards Jayden. The Mandolorian struggled, but he couldn't prevent the beetle-shaped talisman from latching onto his chest. He gave the first scream Alana had ever heard him elicit and as soon as Muur disappeared and a red cloud surrounded the body of Jayden Alana knew she had failed.   
The rakghouls let him up but kept her pinned. Muur now inhabiting Jayden's body, flexed the limbs and using Jayden's voice with a tinge of his own accent spoke:  
-Hmm, the boy was Force-sensitive too? Impressive. I like this body a lot. He's resisting but not for long now.  
Alana stared up at what had been Jayden's body in numb shock. No... No... Please let this be a nightmare. She couldn't fail him and TK, not when they'd come so far to save her! Alana suddenly felt the ground rumble again and felt the pressure on her head increase - the planet had begun to pick up speed and as the doctor whooped for joy, ignoring all of them completely, she heard millions of voice cry out in pain. The people in the orbiting shipyards and on Corellia were suffering and she couldn't do anything to help them. She was a failure as a Jedi, as a partner and a friend. Alana felt despair starting to overwhelm her. Muur grinned using Jayden's body. He raised one of his blasters to Alana's head and she didn't flinch, just looked up at him with calmness and great sadness in her eyes but hidden there was tamed fury:  
-Go on, Muur, shoot me.  
Muur tried to pull the trigger but found that his finger wouldn't obey. Jayden refused to shoot her and pushed at Muur's presence, trying to expel him from his body. He knew he was helpless but he wouldn't shoot Alana. Even Shadow was protesting though it was mainly because their body had been invaded. Shadow was practical and although he felt nothing when killing and had no bonds, he never killed unnecessarily and killing their partner would not only be unnecessary but wasteful to his mind. Muur hissed:  
-He's resisting violently but no matter. I know what to do to make him stop.  
Alana watched in horror as Muur raised Jayden's free hand and shot lightning from it towards TK, short-circuiting the droid. Alana froze. No! Not again. I her mind she could hear the people of Corellia screaming, she felt the darkness envelop Jayden's presence and she saw TK crackle with electricity- shut down. Something sparked within her. Something she had only felt once before, on Duro when Desolous had broken her.  
Suddenly a blinding blue glow enveloped Alana and her eyes were replaced with bright glowing blue lights. She easily got up and spoke in a voice that was both her's and wasn't:  
-Karness Muur.  
Muur took a step back in Jayden's body. The power the girl was radiating right now was terrifying, Muur felt like this body would turn to ash by even being near that whirlwind. He tried to feel out her alignment but instead of light or darkness he felt the raw Force. He retreated even further back from her, beginning to feel the long forgotten emotion of fear creeping up on him. Alana meanwhile Force-pulled both of her lightsabers into her hand and they flickered on brighter than ever before. She slowly began moving towards Jayden's body and once again her strange voice rang out:  
-Muur, you have gone far enough. Trying to cheat death and enslaving others to your will is unacceptable.  
Muur tried to speak firmly but even his voice shook slightly as he spoke:  
-W-what are you?  
The girl raised her lightsabers and a small but dangerous smile formed on her face:  
-What am I? You know perfectly well what I am.  
Muur finally froze in his tracks. Whatever was the girl was right - he knew. And that knowledge terrified him. He tried to reason that the girl couldn't touch him as he was dead and could only harm this body, but that didn't bring him any comfort. He knew. Muur whispered:  
-Y-you...  
Whatever was Alana responded simply:  
-Us.  
And unexpectedly it rushed at him and hit him with a flurry of lightsaber strikes. Muur stumbled back still in shock, he couldn't fight. He tried to shoot but before he could the blaster was sliced in two by Alana's green blade. He dropped it. Muur could only start walking farther back. He watched as the light around Alana dimmed and the girl came back again but she had a blue glow around her and the Force whirling with incredible power around her. She rushed at him. Muur tried to use the rakghouls but she sent out a wave from her hands that vaporised them all. Force destruction, a powerful dark side power. Had he been in his own body maybe he would have felt more in control. Jayden and Shadow also decided to take advantage of Muur in his body and continued pushing him out. As Alana hit him (most of her lightsaber hits didn't even make a dent in Jayden's armour.Damn beskar) she spoke with each strike, that Muur was trying to counter with a vibroblade:  
-Get-out-of-Jayden's-body!  
With one last forceful blow, Alana saw Muur's shadow exit Jayden and the talisman scuttle off him. Muur decided that he was safer in his own body and he forced the talisman to scuttle back into the doctor's pocket. Alana could still hear all the cries of pain and she knew what had to be done. However for just a moment she crouched down next to Jayden who was kneeling on the floor:  
-I'm not going to ask if you're ok, because you obviously aren't, but will you be able to move?  
Jayden coughed before choking out:  
-Move? I'm going to fight, princess.  
Alana sighed in relief:  
-You'll be fine. Excuse me, please.  
Jayden grinned and waved a hand:  
-That psycho's all yours. I'll check on TK.  
Alana nodded and stood up. She glared at Muur who took a step back. She couldn't harm him, right? He was dead after all. Alana contemplated just going after Vandar and the talisman off the bat but had a better idea...just to be safe. She suddenly threw her lightsaber and it stuck itself in the top half of Muur's torso. Alana force-pulled it out and Muur looked between the girl and the gaping wound in his chest. He should have known, it was her after all with that thought in mind the spirit faded from view. Not wasting another moment, Alana rushed at the doctor , fighting off the couple of rakghouls that got in her way. As the last one fell, Alana raised a blade against the Doctor's neck, making him pause what he was doing:  
-Surrender, Vandar.   
The Doctor was stubborn:  
-I won't. Never.  
Alana sighed:  
-Then you leave me no choice.  
The Doctor harrumphed:  
-You won't kill me, you Jedi don't have the guts.  
Alana shook her head:  
-You're wrong but first...  
She used the Force to grab the talisman that was trying to crawl up to the Doctors neck and glared at it:  
-Oh no, you don't! This time you won't cause anyone any harm!  
The talisman fumbled helplessly in the air as the Alana glared at it with fury and disdain and the Doctor watched it in shock. Alana used the Force to chuck it into the beam that the repulsor was emitting. She sighed in relief but stumbled back clutching the spot just over her heart a moment later. Doctor Vandar had shot her. Alana glared at the Doctor who shouted:  
-I will win this! I am correct! I will scrap you like all those failed projects upstairs! Die!  
He shot again but Alana dodged it. He had chosen the wrong words. The images of Kalleg bleeding to death and all those Power Guards she'd been forced to kill flashed through in Alana's mind. He was responsible, he was making all those people suffer on Corellia. Accepting the shot at her neck Alana plunged her lightsabers in the Doctor's chest and through his lungs. The doctor coughed up blood and dropped down dead as soon as Alana pulled out her lightsabers. Blood pooled around him and Alana sighed tiredly, one problem down - one left . She turned to the repulsor and pulled down the lever which would shut down the repulsor completely. It rumbled and then the beam stopped.  
The young Jedi turned around and stumbled her way towards Jayden and TK, utterly exhausted. She slid down onto her knees beside them and mumbled tiredly:  
-It's finally over...  
Jayden, who had taken off his helmet, mirrored her smile and gave her a soft pat on the head:  
-Yeah, it is. Thank you.  
Alana looked up at him, in surprise:  
-What for?  
Jayden took his hand off her head and continued fixing TK as he explained:  
-For saving me from Muur. When he was possessing me, well - I was terrified.  
Alana sighed:  
-I'm sorry I had to cut you like that. It must've been scary.  
Jayden shook his head:  
-That wasn't want scared me - I knew you wouldn't kill me. What scared me was when Muur pointed my blaster at you and wanted to shoot you. I was terrified that he would and I would regret it forever later, I would regret doing something I had no choice in. However much you may irk me I do NOT want to kill you, okay?  
Jayden couldn't look at her when he said those words. It wasn't the kind of thing he normally said so it was quite uncomfortable. However Alana just smiled and softly  
answered:  
-Okay. Same here. Thanks, Jayden.  
-You don't have anything to thank me for.  
Alana hummed an non-committal note. She glanced at her partner who nodded and flipped TK's circuit breaker. The droid came to life and after assessing the situation grumbled about why he always had to miss the fun. Alana and Jayden laughed, glad to finally put this mess behind them.

==SW:LB==

Alana sat up slowly and swung her legs off the bed, yawning. It had been two days since they had defeated Vandar and Muur, Corellia's orbit had thankfully been shifted only by a few inches so there was truly no need for them to activate the repulsor and set it back in orbit.   
When they had returned to the surface (they had been pleasantly surprised to see that Han had managed to clear a path through the droids) they had almost instantly run into members of CorSec (Corellian Security) and after explaining what the recent shaking had been about to the slightly disbelieving soldiers, Alana and Jayden had pointed out the entrance to the doctor's lair so they could investigate if they wanted to but asked them to keep what they found a secret from the general public. The commander of the unit had graciously agreed and only stated that they would just inform the rulers of the planet of the situation, he had even made a few of their soldiers take Alana and Jayden to the hospital and (a slightly unhappy but not unwilling) TK to the droid repair shop. The medical droids and medics were appalled at the extremes Jayden and Alana had subjected themselves too and had instantly shoved the two into kolto tanks for half a day, refusing to listen to any objections. When they had gotten out and had thanked the medics as well as asked them to keep their faces and identities a secret (to which they had agreed since they recognised Jayden's armour and had noticed Alana's lightsabers) they saw a newly repaired and oddly happy TK waiting for them in the lobby. The medics had also made them promise to take at least a day to rest so after Alana had fixed them some simple food, both of them had slept for nearly 24 hours which brought them up to the present.   
Alana stretched as she stood up. While her usual clothes were being mended (another thing a certain person had agreed to do in thanks of stopping the planet and Alana had been forced to accept) Alana pulled on a simple navy dress with a white sash and a pair of flats. She was surprised and relieved that Jayden's friend had even included a spare change of shoes. Alana left her hair loose and clipped the belt back around her waist. Finished getting presentable Alana left her room. She decided to spend some time meditating in the cockpit while Jayden was still resting and TK was off doing his own thing. Alana sat down in the co-pilots chair with a smile, she'd gotten so used to this ship already. She simply folded her hands on her lap and closed her eyes, delving into the Force. Alana remembered to draw it's energy in since she had nearly exhausted her entire Force reservoir during the previous battle and slowly it was refilling. Speaking of the Force... What exactly had happened to her during that battle? She remembered feeling a spark within herself and then something rushed through her, the next thing she knew Muur was acting like she was something utterly terrifying and with that blue glow she was beating him out of Jayden's body. Weird.   
Alana was jerked out of her thoughts when a hand held out a cup of steaming liquid right in front of her. Snapping out of her daze, Alana accepted it gratefully and turned to look at the person who had handed her it. Jayden Callen was wearing his usual casual clothes with the exception of his sleeveless jacket missing and the shirt being black in colour, he slumped in his seat and took a long sip of his drink. Alana inhaled the sweet aroma of her own beverage and with slight surprise noticed that Jayden had handed her hot chocolate not Caf, she'd always preferred the former. Huh, he'd actually noticed. She smiled behind her cup:  
-Thanks, Jayden. You don't normally bring me drinks so this was a pleasant surprise.  
Jayden shrugged, but nevertheless a small smile still graced his lips:  
-I was in the galley making myself Caf anyhow and I sensed your presence so why not.   
Alana took a careful sip so as not to burn her tongue and raised an eyebrow:  
-You're acting like a gentleman this morning.  
-I'm always nice to ladies.  
Alana rolled her eyes disbelievingly:  
-Yeah, right. Tell that to someone who hasn't had you nearly kill her on top of the Senate building.  
Jayden sighed in mock exasperation:  
-You are never going to let that go, are you?  
Alana shook her head and cheerfully announced:  
-Never.  
Jayden rolled his eyes but he was grinning. It was true that most women found him attractive and he had to constantly fend off a certain individuals advances, but Alana could see right through him. Just like he'd noticed that she was in no way a proper Jedi. It took him a moment to try and imagine Alana all stiff and proper before he snorted into his cup. Alana cast him a curious look:  
-What is it?  
-Oh, nothing just trying to imagine you as a stiff and proper Jedi. I actually realised that's impossible. Alana Sheelan and proper just don't go together.  
-Well, you're honest.  
-It's one of my charms.  
Alana laughed:  
-Shut it, cap'n. You'll only be charming in a million years.  
-Ouch, that was harsh even for you, princess.  
-"It's one of my charms.". I win!  
\- Whatever, Master Jedi.  
Alana chuckled and went back to silently drinking her drink. As she looked at the sun that was slowly climbing up the sky, Alana wondered how her Master was doing. She glanced at her chrono to see that it read 8:36 am. The old man must have finished eating by now and was doing who knows what. Alana hoped he hadn't gotten any sort of backlash from her defying the High Jedi Council. In hindsight Alana thought that she could have conducted herself a bit better but she still stood by her decision. When she'd voiced her refusal Alana remembered feeling something faint clawing behind the clouds of amnesia in her mind. In any case she hoped the old man was okay and her actions hadn't caused him grief. She could check in with him of course, but something told her it was better not to get in contact with any of the Jedi right about now.  
Speaking of contacting Jedi...Alana drained the last of her drink and out the cup aside, turning to face Jayden:  
-Jayden?  
-Hm?  
-Can you tell me what you and Eren talked about? What he was like? You said he knew me before I lost my memory but he was dead.  
Jayden finished of his own cup and swivelled to face Alana, crossing his arms.  
-Yeah, I did. But first let me ask you this directly: how long have you had amnesia for now?  
Alana started a bit at the question but without missing a beat answered:  
-Six years. I was 10 when I lost my memory.  
-Alright then. Eren had spiky-ish caramel-brown hair like yours and vibrant icy blue eyes. A very odd colour. Eren wore dark clothes and he had twin lightsabers, the hilt was a weathered silver colour and the blades were silver-pale blue. We talked about you and your parents.  
Alana's bright dark blue eyes grew wide and she breathed:  
-My parents?  
Jayden nodded, keeping his face carefully neutral:  
-He told me that you were a lot like your mother. She was also stubborn and very sarcastic apparently. Though he also mentioned that you inherited some qualities and looks from your father too as much as he wished you didn't.  
-Why?  
-I asked that too. He told me about the way he saw your father. According to Eren he was and is a powerful but powerless man, a difficult person who loved the people who were close to him but hurt them. Apparently he always considered himself a failure as a father and he still can't forgive himself for hurting them. That's how Eren saw him, he sounded disappointed.  
Jayden fell silent and looked at Alana with concealed worry - this was a lot to suddenly drop on a person who couldn't even recall the two most important people in her life. Alana's jagged fringe covered her eyes as she bent forward and her hands were clenching her knees. Her hands were shaking. Lip reading her Jayden realised she had uttered two names - "Mum" and "Dad". Jayden kept his face neutral as he asked:  
-Alana?  
She shook her head and muttered:  
-Please just give me a moment. This is the first time I've ever heard anything about my parents in my whole life. Just... Just please wait.  
Jayden nodded. Alana's voice had been trembling and thick with emotion as she spoke. Jayden was in a way glad that he had actually been able to give her at least this small puzzle piece to her identity. The Mando turned to look back out of the viewport at the clear blue sky in which the sun shone. A brand new day had arrived. Alana exhaled loudly, she had finally managed to get a grip on the storm of emotions that Jayden's words had awakened within her. She quietly asked:  
-Did Eren say how he knew them? Why was he even helping you find me? Who was Eren?  
Jayden turned back to look at her:  
-I don't know really. And now that you mention it Eren never told me how he knew them. He said that he blamed himself for failing to protect you while he was still alive and that he believed that it was partially his fault that you have amnesia right now.  
Alana shook her head, still refusing to look up:  
-It's not. I don't know what caused me to lose my memory, but somehow I know that Eren wasn't involved in it. I wonder who Eren was to the old me. The name and the way you described him... I think I knew this person. I knew him well. He was important.  
Jayden raised an eyebrow:  
-How do you figure that?  
Alana clenched her knees tighter, so hard that her knuckles turned white:  
-Every time I come across something that I seem to have known something about there's this weird sensation as if somethings is banging beyond the wall of amnesia in my mind. Like an important memory is trying to break out.  
-Eren did mention that you'd probably encountered a few triggers already but you dismissed what you saw. You didn't believe them to be memories.  
Alana froze before quietly whispering:  
-So I wasn't hallucinating then? That really happened.   
-What do you mean?  
-Whatever I saw, well, it was horrible. Could that really have been a memory? My memory? No way, it can't be.  
Jayden shrugged in response to her words. He didn't quite know what to say. There were a few moments of silence before Alana finally looked up. Her eyes were only slightly moist and Jayden pretended not to notice the faint trail a tear had left behind on her face. She sent him a small smile:  
-Thank you, Jayden. Thank you for telling me all this when you had no obligation to.  
Jayden shook his head and held out something:  
-I wanted to. I believe it will be better if you remember rather than you don't. Also Eren wanted me to give you this.  
Alana took the small datachip and with no small amount of curiosity inserted it into her datapad. A message popped up asking for voice recognition:  
-Um...  
The locked sign disappeared and Alana saw files and files of data organised neatly. Much neater than even in the Jedi archives. A small message also materialised, it read:  
"This datachip contains information from a self-updating archive in a remote location. It also contains the information currently missing from the Jedi Archives. Use it wisely."  
Alana frowned and exchanged a look with Jayden who had read the message over her shoulder. He shrugged and Alana sighed. She removed the datachip and securely stored it in one of her belt pouches, once more placing the datapad in a compartment under the controls.   
Alana stood up and stretched, before holding her hand out to Jayden:  
-Give me your mug, I'll rinse it with mine. We should find TK and try to get something solid to eat in the cantina here.  
Jayden didn't protest and handed over his mug. Alana also picked up her own and disappeared into the galley. Jayden merely sat still in his chair, processing everything that had just happened. Analysing it. No use, he couldn't exactly sort out the jumble in his head easily.   
Meanwhile a certain droid rolled into the cockpit and whistled a cheerful greeting. Alana's voice responded over from the galley and Jayden absentmindedly answered:  
-Morning to you too, walking scrap heap.  
-Bzzt-dee-whop!  
Jayden finally snapped out of it and shot TK a challenging grin:  
-Bantha fodder? Really? You're losing your edge, bud.  
-Dee-bloop-beep-whee.  
-Mandolorian speeder scrap? That's a little more original.  
-Ree-Dee-woo!  
-Nerfherding moof-milker? See that's really good. Great.  
Alana who had finished washing up spoke up from the doorway:  
-Are you trying out TK's insults?  
-Yeah, we still can't find that sticks. Tut tut, bud, time's ticking.  
-Dee-whop!  
Alana rolled her eyes as she followed her two arguing teammates out of the ship. Jayden suddenly called back over his shoulder:  
-By the way, Alana, you owe me a blaster!  
She hurried after him, exasperated:  
-I thought you had forgotten!  
He laughed:  
-Never!

==SW:LB==

Alana, Jayden and TK exited the cantina having had a good meal. Alana had even gotten so enthusiastic about it that she had asked the wookie bartender-slash-cook to teach her how to make it. He had seemed amused but nevertheless had told her the recipe while the young Jedi listened eagerly. Jayden had to say she had looked so different from that fearsome Jedi warrior that had beaten the living daylights out of Muur that Jayden had to stifle a laugh. The glare that she shot him helped. As they left Alana spoke up:  
-That wookie was one awesome cook! His technique...wow.  
Jayden smiled:  
-You're really getting into the whole cooking thing, huh?  
Alana nodded enthusiastically:  
-Yep. Might as well, after I get back to the Jedi who knows if I'll have the chance ever again. It's actually really fun.  
TK from her left piped up and reminded her to not put the engine ahead of the speeder , she still had 7 planets and and a moon left to go and a lot could happen in between. Alana conceded:  
-You're right, TK. I have a feeling this whole trip is just beginning.  
Jayden groaned:  
-Stars,no.  
Alana sighed and with a smile teased:  
-Don't act like you don't enjoy having us around, jerk. You know we're what makes your life interesting.  
-More like overly complicated.  
-Admit it, Callen, you like having TK and me along.  
Alana pointed a finger and narrowed her eyes slightly in a challenging way. Jayden refused to give up easily:  
-You two bring trouble. I'm a solo player.  
Neither one of his teammates bought that for a second. TK decided to join Alana's side:  
-Dee-beep-woo! Bzzt-whop-whop!  
-My mood doesn't improve when I'm with the two of you. Your sensors must be faulty, droid.  
Alana shook her head, beaming:  
-Nope. He's right - you definitely have more fun with us along for the ride.  
Jayden sighed:  
-You're not going to give up until I confess?  
Alana nodded. Stubborn woman. Jayden decided to throw in the towel:  
-Sure, whatever.   
Alana clapped her hands and shot him a triumphant look:  
-I win again. Well, TK and I do that is. High five?  
TK extended a metal appendage and hit Alana on her palm. The girl blinked the pain away and smiled. Jayden looked at the two of them in exasperation:  
-So now you're going to gang up on me as a team?  
Alana nodded, adding a bounce to her step:  
-Essentially.  
-Why oh why.  
-Tsk,tsk, Jayden.  
Suddenly TK stopped and chirped that he saw a gun vendor up ahead. Alana cast a glance at her Mandolorian partner:  
-You know what you need?  
Jayden nodded:  
-Let's hope they have what I want.  
Jayden and his companions approached the vendor and the Mando described the blaster he needed, deciding against pulling out his other blaster so as not to cause a commotion. The vendor, a tortuga man, dug around and handed him a standard DL-44 heavy blaster. Alana cast a sceptical glance at the weapon and whispered:  
-That doesn't seem like your other one.  
Jayden hid a small grin and muttered his reply.  
-Not yet it doesn't. This is just the base.  
-If you say so. Anyway, how much?  
The vendor claimed that DL-44's were 750 credits each and Alana handed the appropriate amount over. When Jayden seemed like he wanted to protest Alana shot him a look and added in a low voice:  
-I slashed your blaster, I can at least buy the base. Deal?  
Jayden shrugged:  
-Deal.  
He wasn't going to stop her if she wanted to do this, but there was no way he would force her either. The vendor thanked them for their purchase and Alana handed the blaster over to Jayden with a smile on her face, he easily slipped it into his empty holster. Jayden used the DL-44 as a base but his own blasters were very heavily modified, just like the Crimson Storm was. Truth be told he had no idea what model the Crimson Storm had originally been. It seemed that modifying that ship had been a tradition passed down from owner to owner. Alana turned to her two companions:  
-So are we heading back to the ship or what? We need to get moving sometime.  
TK whistled that he had somethings to do so they should go on ahead. Alana and Jayden cast him suspicious looks but didn't object. TK had a right to his own secrets. Alana paused for a moment and searched the Force, looking for someone and she smiled when she felt peaceful emotions from him. Han Solo was fine and she had every faith that he would remain that way. He was a strong kid and he's pull through, something told her a bright destiny awaited him. She smiled to herself, he didn't need her or anyone to protect him - he could stand on his own two feet. He of course still had the hold-out blaster that Jayden had given him, so if worse came to worst - he could defend himself with that. This was where their paths parted.  
As they headed back to the Storm Jayden watched Alana carefully. Alana had her familiar peaceful smile on her face and there was a light spring in her step, Jayden could have also sworn he heard her humming something. Even after everything that had happened below were they were standing she hadn't changed, still as cheerful as ever. He couldn't stop himself from asking:  
-How are you always so cheerful?  
Alana shrugged:  
-What's the point of being down all the time? It's bad for your health and you can't get anything done.   
They passed a square with a fountain in it when Alana suddenly stopped and decided to sit down near it. Jayden followed her. The sound of rushing water was soothing, but still didn't stop Jayden from probing once more:  
\- So you everything that happened, that didn't affect you one bit? You killed someone and yet you can act like everything is alright.  
Alana wasn't looking at him when she answered, playing with the water:  
-Don't get me wrong everything that I saw down there - it left a mark, but what do you want me to do? It's not the first time I've killed a living being, Jayden. I had no other choice.  
-And you're not going to cry? Or be sad about that? Normal girls would.  
Alana looked up at the sky and replying in a soft voice:  
-Normal girls aren't Jedi with amnesia. I'm not normal. Besides what's the point in crying? Even if I did it's not like anything will happen. Crying doesn't bring the dead back to life.  
She looked at Jayden and behind the tiny sad smile he could see a meaningful look. He nodded, clasping his hands together:  
-I know. Better than anyone, I know. The people you've lost won't come back just because you cry. Sorry, I asked you that.   
-Don't be. You're not the first person to be surprised at the way I act. The first time I had to kill... I was shocked, I told you this. Later on my Master found me in our quarters crying my eyes out. So the first time I did cry, but it's useless: once a life is taken it can never return. It's not like I don't feel remorse for killing him but I don't feel particularly affected either. That's what happens to you after some time. I still feel but I squash that down. I'm not innocent, Jayden. I may not be Shadow but I'm not harmless.  
Jayden nodded mutely. They were only teenagers, just becoming adults but this war and this life had totally screwed them over. He understood what Alana said perfectly and he knew that the lightsabers in those carriers weren't just for show. He'd seen her kill Vandar and those Power Guards, but it was still hard to remember that when she was smiling cheerfully. It was true then, that brightness was Alana's defence against whatever life launched at her. Jayden knew how that felt but he still couldn't help thinking that what she was doing to herself wasn't going to end well. Alana stood up and stretched:  
-So we going to the Storm or what?  
-You're the one who stopped here, your highness.  
-Would you stop with that?!  
-Nope, it's fun.  
Alana huffed:  
-What am I? Your personal entertainment system?  
-Exactly that.  
Alana gave him a light elbow in the ribs and Jayden pretended to be hurt:  
-Ow! Why are all you Jedi women so violent?!  
-Only when we're with Mandos who annoy us.  
-There must be a lot of Mandolorians then.  
-Oh, shut up.

==SW:LB==

Alana and Jayden entered the docking bay a short while after their talk beside the fountain. They made their way over to their landing pad and stopped dead when they saw who was hanging about in front of it. Alana sighed and ran a hand down her face:  
-Oh Sithspit...  
-My sentiments exactly.  
In front of the Crimson Storm stood a group of Rodians, 6 Rodians to be exact. And they bore the mark of the group that was determined to blast Jayden into cosmic dust. A hollow blue circle with a turquoise arrow across it. One of the head Rodians, a blue one, pointed at Jayden and screeched in Huttese:  
-Jeejee manpanh maee Acdha! Kuna kee tee wahpiha ten ateema! [T: We meet again Shadow! You will not escape us this time!]  
Alana and Jayden sighed, they both understood Huttese perfectly and therefore they understood that these guys weren't about to give up the chase. Crossing his arms, Jayden calmly replied:  
-Kankahuesa mee boua?! Doth tee fa vehpobaee tee-tocky uba spastika kushunkoo? [T: Really, guys?! Isn't it about time you gave up?]  
The Rodian shook his fist at the Mando angrily and cried:  
-Tanee! Uba katka wamma che mee kantiuka! [T: Never! You will pay for this insult!]  
And with that the Rodians began firing upon them, making Jayden and Alana duck behind a supply crate. Jayden peeked out and muttered, milady annoyed:  
-Ugh, here we go again...  
-You said it. Why can't we ever leave anywhere peacefully?  
Alana mumbled, exasperated. Jayden shrugged:  
-What can I say? Trouble and I are like best friends.  
-Then unfriend it!  
Alana shot back before leaping out of the cover and at the Rodians with both of her lightsabers blazing. She used it to deflect the blaster bolts easily, for many Jedi it was like second nature nowadays - having spent so much time with training probes. Heaving a tiny sigh, Jayden also jumped out of their cover using his remaining blaster to stun the annoying pests. Suddenly, just as Alana had rendered one of the Rodians weaponless, she felt a strange current run up her body to her arms and a second later both of her lightsabers flickered out. Alana instinctually knew that something was wrong: lightsabers didn't go out of commission for no apparent reason. Realising she was in a vulnerable position and after putting away her lightsabers, Alana made to duck behind the pile of crates again but stopped when she caught the newly bought DL-44 blaster in her hands and heard Jayden shout:  
-Got the blaster? Use it, I set it to stun!   
Alana froze. Damn it. She couldn't do this! Vibroblades, knives, lightsabers even crossbows she could use, but blasters? Nope - total failure. She ducked behind the crate as 2 of the remaining 4 Rodians started shooting at her. Over her shoulder she yelled back:  
-Um, Jayden this may be a bad time to tell you, but I can't make a shot to save my life!  
-What?!   
Just as his indignant explanation resonated throughout the landing pad a small grey blur rushed in and a slew of blaster fire ensues. A moment later all the Rodians were stunned on the ground and TK was standing amidst the "carnage". If possible the droid was looking panicked and with frantic beeps he urged his two teammates to get aboard the ship, even going as to nudge Alana towards it. At the same time Jayden felt a shiver run down his spine and alarms bells blared in the Force to Alana. Jayden grabbed her by the wrist and shouted:  
-Run!  
TK who had already made his way aboard the ship shrieked a sharp note of alarm. A second after they had moved from the spot they had been standing on the whole are started to collapse and the ground shook violently. Alana nearly tripped but for Jayden whose hand steadied her. The ripple in Force Alana felt from the attack was ginormous and the newly appeared presence nearby was shadowy but powerful. As soon as they had made it onboard and the landing ramp closed behind them, Jayden let go of her hand and sprinted to the cockpit where TK was already firing up the engines. Jayden sat down in his seat and his hands flew over the panels. Alana stood behind him silently, reaching out into the Force trying to get a read on their attacker. Suddenly Alana's eyes snapped open:  
-Guys! We got to go now! Like right now! There's a building collapsing towards us!  
-We're going, we're going! TK set the sublight output to maximum!  
-Dee-woo-bzzt-frotz!  
-I know, but we'll switch back when we're in realspace.   
The droid complied and Jayden pushed one of the levers, signalling Alana to flip a certain switch. As she did that and the ship took off, Alana muttered:  
-I have a very bad feeling about this...  
-You're not the only one...  
The ship lifted off the ground and soared into the atmosphere just as a tower collapsed on top of their landing pad, confirming Alana's suspicions that someone was targeting them directly. As soon as they had left the planet's orbit and had passed by the floating shipyards TK whistled in alarm once more. Alana and Jayden whipped around at the sound:  
-TK, what is it?  
Instead of replying the droid rushed over and plugged into the ship's main systems. Lights and symbols flashed across the panels and a loud beeping sound resonated through the cockpit. Unexpectedly all the lights within the ship shut off. Alana looked around herself bewildered but worried since the bad feeling was intensifying. Jayden must have realised what TK was doing since he moved to stop the droid:  
-No, TK the output is still--  
Before he could finish however the ship lurched and stars turned into parallel streaks of light before the blue tunnel of hyperspace engulfed them. An alarm blared in the ship.


	29. Trapped in Hyperspace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I'm back and with chapter 29. So close to 30! Oh well, at least I completed my summer goal for this year (it was be on chapter 30 in September). Anyway, not sure I can say too much on this chapter. Hmm, give me a moment... Oh yeah! Note time:  
> 1) This chapter and the next are close to being filler chapters. More like give-the-author-time-to-catch-her-breath chapters, because I need some time to brainstorm what happens on the next planet. These type of chapters are probably going to be useful for me exposing more of different characters backstory - there's going to be a bit of that in the next.  
> 2) Thank you so much everyone! My view count has really exploded lately, it's amazing!  
> 3) Um, this chapter is 5600+ words so it's a medium one.  
> 4) Oh and I hope I kept Palpatine in character. That part here worries me.   
> 5) Sorry for any unnoticed typos, I did proofread.  
> 6) Enjoy!

The blue tunnel of hyperspace swirled outside the viewport as the Crimson Storm sped through the galaxy at light speed. Where to? That was the problem. As Jayden and Alana picked themselves up of the floor, an alarm blared. Alana turned to Jayden:  
-What's that?  
He quickly got to his feet and gave a short reply:  
-Something's wrong with the hyperdrive!  
-What? But Ayyshiri just fixed it!  
-I thoughts so too.   
Jayden called back over his shoulder as he hastily made his way towards the area of the ship where the hyperdrive was located. Alana hesitated for a moment before following him with TK tagging along. TK had a fairly good idea of what had happened but there were still pieces missing, he knew one thing: he'd done this to save their lives.   
As soon as Jayden reached the hyperdrive's location the first thing he did was to cut off the alarm. While he was checking the diagnostics Alana and TK caught up to him. Without tearing his eyes off the screen Jayden instructed the other two:  
-TK, go check the status of the Inertial dampers or we're all going to be turned into slabs of Uj cake, make sure they're at full capacity. Alana, check on the null quantum field generator - if it's not online we may be dead in a matter of minutes. After that one of you make sure to check on how much fuel we have left!  
-Sir, yes, sir!  
The two rushed to follow his orders. Jayden frowned as he looked at the read outs: there was some damage in one of the internal components of the hyperdrive, most probably because TK had launched them into hyperspace with the power still routed to the sublight engines so the hyperdrive motivator had to compensate for the lack of gamma radiation by boosting the power of the fusion generator using the energy from the horizontal boosters which in turn caused the ship to lurch so uncontrollably. Ugh, they were in a fine mess now. From his left Alana reported:  
-Um, okay, the null quantum field generator is online and working but there seems to be a slight glitch. Oh and the antimatter fuel pods are mostly full so we're good on that end.  
TK also checked in, stating that the inertial dampers were fully online but they needed to boost the power a bit for them to stay that way. Jayden rubbed his temple as he suggested:  
-Try routing the extra power from the Medbay life support, we don't need it right now.  
TK chirped an affirmative note and did as Jayden suggested, a moment later all lights on the ship flickered on and it became a lot easier to breathe. Nodding his approval and thanks, Jayden made his way over to the display panel beside which Alana was standing. He scanned the message displayed on the panel and frowned:  
-This is a problem...  
-No joke. Because of the glitch the null quantum field won't jerk us out of hyperspace until we're two seconds away from crashing into an object larger than us. Also the navicomputer is on the blink too.   
-That's definitely not good. The hyperdrive had a damaged internal component from the jump while power was still routed to the sublight engines. So,- Jayden turned to look at TK,- why did you do it? It is basically you're fault we're stuck in hyperspace.  
Before TK could respond Alana cut in:  
-Woah, woah hold up! We're stuck in hyperspace?!   
Jayden nodded:  
-Yeah.   
-For how long?!  
-I have no clue. The best thing that we can hope for is that we manage to come close enough to an object and manage to steer away two seconds before crashing into it.   
-So we're basically screwed?  
-Pretty much.

==SW:LB==

A couple of hours later while the trio was sitting around in the common room and TK and Jayden were playing a competitive match of Pazaak, Alana asked:  
-So let me get this straight: we're currently hurtling through hyperspace at uncontrollable speeds to who knows where?   
-That's the gist of it.  
Jayden replied, placing a +4 card down. TK looked over his own cards, piping up and saying that there were also a tonne of dangers to this whole scenario. Alana watched the two with a slight frown, crossing her arms:  
-Like?  
-Well, there's the wandering black holes. Planets, supernovas and nebulas that we can crash into with the navicomputer and the null quantum field on the blink. Also with the hyperdrive damaged we could get stuck in the "crossroads" of space, though that's unlikely.  
Alana furrowed her brows in confusion:  
-The "crossroads" of space?  
Jayden gave TK the win of this match and while the droid prepared for the second match of the three, he turned to Alana and nodded seriously:  
-Yeah. Some people believe it to be a myth but I'm not so sure. Basically the crossroad is when you're stuck halfway in hyperspace and halfway in realspace - that cause fluctuations and in turn those fluctuations can send you into the future or the past.  
-You're kidding?  
-No. Ever heard of the Sith dreadnought - the Harbringer? Well, it disappeared and it hasn't reappeared ever since. Most believe it to have been swallowed by the black holes but I have a feeling that it's actually passed through that crossroad.  
Alana leaned back with a sigh:  
-Let's hope we don't have that happen to us then. I'd rather not get stuck in a void with no time. Well, that's the way we'd be right now without the stasis field.  
Something about what Jayden had said nagged at Alana's mind, what she'd said stirred something beyond the clouds of amnesia. What was it? Something to do with a timeless void? Ugh, so much was unclear. Still, their little trio was surprisingly calm considering.  
As TK won another match, Jayden suddenly shot the droid a look:  
-Hey, why'd you launch us into hyperspace anyway?  
At those words Alana's wandering gaze also snapped to the astromech. The droid seemingly froze before looking down, uncertain. It took a moment of oppressive silence before he finally explained. When he did Jayden ran a hand through his hair dazedly:  
-You saw someone? Someone familiar and you knew that that person was dangerous so you moved us away?  
-Beep.  
Alana's soft voice sounded:  
-You were afraid...of what?  
The droid shook his metallic head and looked away, TK couldn't answer anymore. He knew that the person who blew up the landing pad and the owner of the starship he'd seen were two different people but he had a theory that there was a certain linking thread between them. Alana sighed:  
-So in this whole mess there's no good news?  
-Depends what you see as good news.  
Alana whipped around to face her Mandolorian teammate:  
-You know something?  
-Not exactly sure it's good news, but even with our hyperdrive and navicomputer problem I have a guess where we may end up. Or at least the general direction we're going in.  
-That is good news! Why didn't you tell us sooner?!   
Jayden shrugged:  
-I just realised it a couple of minutes ago. TK, can you display the galaxy map?  
The droid buzzed in annoyance at being interrupted mid-move but nevertheless enabled his projector and a holographic map of the galaxy lit up in the middle of the common room. Jayden stood up and pointed to one planet:  
-This is Corellia. And this, - he swept his hand down in a diagonal line,- is the Corellian Trade spine - a well known hyperspace route. Now every hyperspace route is slightly different, but for us, since we're hurtling to who knows where,being near the Corellian Trade Spine is advantageous. Think about it: most people prefer the well-trodden path against the barely explored one , right? Same situation here. Simply put we're being drawn towards the Corellian Trade Spine, so we have a good chance to end up on one of its systems. However....  
Alana also stood up and pointed to a planet:  
-The problem is Yag'Dhul, right?  
Jayden nodded:  
-Yeah. We have the Corellian Trade Spine but beside it we also have the Rimma Trade route and both of them go through the Yag'Dhul system. Meaning that that's another problem.  
The common room was silent for a while before Alana, who had been examining the map, suddenly turned to TK:  
-Hey, TK, you had to input some basic coordinates for the hyperdrive to work, right?  
-Beep.  
-So what were they? Jayden is right, being near the Corellian Trade Spine is an advantage in more ways than one, but we also could have been drawn towards the Corellian Run and then it's a whole other story.  
-Beep-bzzt-bloop-dee-reet-whee.  
-So we're definitely running beside the Corellian Trade Spine?  
-Beep.  
-Well, at least that's something. I know we're good on food supplies--  
Jayden raised an eyebrow in surprise as he sat back down:  
-You stocked up?  
-Why wouldn't I? I asked TK to get the produce before we went to rest up. Thanks, TK.  
-Dee-bwooo.  
Jayden closed his eyes and was silent for a moment before smiling:  
-You know I'm really glad to have you two aboard.  
Alana stared at him. Jayden wasn't the type of guy to admit something so easily, something was definitely wrong. Alana glanced at him suspiciously:  
-Are you that exhausted? If so you should go to bed.  
He opened one eye:  
-I'm trying to be grateful here, princess. That's not easy even without you acting like you think I've sustained brain damage. And, no, I haven't just for your information.  
Alana had the grace to look slightly ashamed:  
-Sorry. It's just weird to hear you say something like that.  
-Hm. You know what, maybe we should call this a night. And TK, you can shut off the map now.  
The droid instantly did as he was told. Alana glanced at her chrono:  
-You sure? It's only 7:32 pm. Ok, wow, time flew today.  
-Well, we did spend half a day on Corellia and then the last couple of hours trying to get the ship back in more or less habitable order plus dinner.  
-I see your point. Let's call it a night then. TK, you okay on night watch? You can always power down if you want.  
-Bee-dwoo-Dee? Bzzt-dee-reet.  
-Yeah, we're in hyperspace so you tin can can relax.  
Alana sighed and cut in before a fight could break out:  
-Jayden, give it a rest. TK, stop insulting Jayden. We need to get along or we're going to end up killing each other before we manage to get out of hyperspace. So play nice!  
Both of her companions froze before meekly nodding, having noticed that Alana was on the brink of snapping at them and having seen what her Force powers could do, neither wanted to be on the receiving end. Seeing that the possibility of a fight had been averted Alana relaxed slightly:  
-Good. Now, TK, you can go and power down in the cargo hold - heaven knows you need it. Jayden, go to your quarters and get some rest or whatever - I can't have you and TK in the same room without a fight breaking out.  
-Yes, Mum.  
-Shut it.  
Both of the boys went off to do as they were told and Alana sat back down with a sigh. Under her breath she muttered:  
-Honestly, it's like the younglings are more mature than these two...But maybe Jayden's right and I should get some rest...

==SW:LB==

-Your excellency, we have reports of Corellia moving from orbit but then stopping.  
-What do you mean moving from orbit? How can a planet move from orbit?  
-Exactly that, sir. We'll investigate.  
-Have a report ready for me as soon as possible.  
-Yes, your excellency!  
The transmission cut off and Supreme Chancellor Palpatine suppressed a sigh. It was another incredibly busy evening on Coruscant and on top of that Palpatine was still recovering from the injuries he had sustained from when Tenebris had brought the Dark Temple crashing down on them. He knew what that meant - it meant that Tenebris was marking them both as an enemy and declaring war upon them. But for what purpose? What was this Sith's endgame plan? Whatever it was Palpatine had no intention of letting him succeed in executing it, he had already sent some of his best agents to scour the galaxy for Tenebris but given the fact that he had managed to remain hidden for all these years it was obvious that this challenge may be a little too much for them to handle. Nevertheless Palpatine had always insisted on having a backup plan for his backup plan.  
There was a knock on the door and a voice spoke:  
-Your Excellency, there's a Jedi here to see you?  
Palpatine plastered his friendly smile on his face and once again assumed the role of the enigmatic chancellor before telling his guards to send him in. A relatively young man with dark brown hair and green eyes entered the room. He was dressed in typical monotone Jedi robes and had a lightsaber hanging off his belt. That man was Kai Lionis, the Master of a certain padawan that was causing Sidious trouble. However where was that padawan? Sidious knew that she apparently wasn't on Coruscant any longer but he wanted to be certain and for that he needed a Jedi. He smiled amiably at the Jedi:  
-Ah, Master Lionis, a pleasure to see you.  
The Jedi bowed:  
-It's an honour to be summoned, your excellency. Now, how may I be of assistance?  
Palpatine gave a fake pleasant laugh:  
-Straight to business I see. But where is your lovely padawan?  
In his mind Sidious substituted the word lovely for the word troublesome, for him Alana Sheelan had been nothing but trouble since the moment he'd first met her. Focusing back on the Jedi he heard him say:  
-My padawan is offworld right now on a mission from the high Jedi Council.  
-And you did not accompany her?  
-The Council believed that she was ready to take on a mission like this on her own. We Jedi are spread thin enough as it is.  
Palpatine frowned inwardly - so this confirmed his theory that the one who had engaged Grievous was indeed Sheelan. Well, this put a definite wrench in his plans to keep a close eye on her, though maybe....   
-And where is Alana now?  
Kai shrugged, inwardly disappointed that he couldn't give the chancellor an answer:  
-Nobody knows, your excellency. My padawan tends to use very...unorthodox means of getting things done. We have had no contact with her in nearly two weeks.  
-I see. Well, I hope she is well. And what of that Sith you mentioned? Any luck?  
At those words Palpatine's force illusion momentarily faded and his eyes flickered to gold before he pulled it back up again and watched Kai Lionis shake his head:  
-No, sir. He hasn't appeared since a week before we lost all contact with my padawan.  
-Wasn't that when the Atlantida blew up over us?  
-Yes, your excellency. He was involved.   
-He was. How curious. And what are his motives for attacking you?  
Kai hesitated, a large part of him wanted to tell Palpatine the truth but another part felt uncertain. He squashed the latter down and replied:  
-He seemed to be targeting my padawan.  
Palpatine wordlessly turned around and as he watched the traffic of Coruscant fly by, bathed in the evening sunset, he softly asked:  
-And why would he do such a thing, Master Lionis? What makes your padawan special?  
Kai shifted from one foot to another, he didn't exactly know what to say. There was a moment of silence before Kai hesitantly said:  
-I'm not a hundred percent sure, but I believe Alana has a special gift within the Force.  
There! That was his answer! Or at least the first clue to unraveling why Tenebris considered the girl dangerous. Palpatine turned around and with the setting sun behind him, his eyes glinted gold. Kai blinked twice and when he saw the Chancellor's normal blue eyes and he wrote what he saw off as a trick of the light. Palpatine smiled inwardly: Jedi were so gullible, especially those who were devoted to him. Devotion was a powerful thing and perhaps he could use it to his advantage... Palpatine put on his best "trustworthy" face and spoke to Kai Lionis in perhaps a slightly secretive tone:  
-Master Lionis, I must ask you for a very important favour.  
-Say the word, your excellency and I will do my best to help you for the good of the Republic.  
Palpatine felt like grinning but stopped himself in time. He finally had a person who had a much higher chance of finding Tenebris and being killed at the same time in his hands. He needed both Tenebris and Lionis out of the picture so he could get to the girl and remove her permanently himself once he had exhausted her gift, and the best part was that to get rid of the two he wouldn't even have to lift a finger. He smiled kindly at the Jedi, concealing his true thoughts:  
-Master Lionis, amongst the Jedi I can only entrust you with this - find that Sith and kill him. He is a menace to the Republic. I fear it was him who trained the zabrak who killed Master Qui-gon and it was him who caused those twenty Jedi to fall to the dark side. If this continues who knows what havoc he will wreak across the galaxy?   
Kai Lionis bowed in reverence and spoke firmly:  
-It will be my greatest honour to do so, your excellency.  
He never saw the look on Palpatine's face, the look that could very well seal his fate.

==SW:LB== 

Tenebris decided that he definitely hated hot planets like Tatooine. Well, at least his business here would soon be concluded and he could go to the next planet to retrieve a certain item, just like the one he was having smugglers transport off this overheated rock to a specific location. As he leaned against one of the buildings in the spaceport of Mos Ila, watching the smugglers load a 17 by 31 metres long object into their especially large cargo ship, Tenebris sensed a presence.  
A presence that was light and Jedi-like, no - it did belong to a Jedi. Tenebris's lips curled up as her realised who it was. Well, well, a pawn of his own game was coming to the same planet as him and saving him the trouble of looking for her? How considerate of that pawn, but then again he had taken care to leave a good trail of breadcrumbs for that pawn to follow as she searched for her little sister. The half-blood daughter of two Hapans and one of his prey's weak spots - Emira Leeta. She seemed to be staying on the path he had set her on so she hadn't realised that she was walking into a trap yet? Perfect, but in any case the girl was secondary to his main objective. Tenebris switched his gaze back to the large crate the smugglers were pushing onto the ship.  
Once, over 4000 years ago, the republic had designed a weapon which they named the Shock Drum. It was supposed to be used only for weakening the Sith Empire's defences but the scientists soon learned that when it had been used for prolonged periods of time the Shock Drum would cause the planet's core to destabilise and once it reached critical mass the planet would explode. The Shock Drum was made for destroying things on a molecular level even living organisms. The Hero of Tython was said to have buried it here and it had remained inoperable, forgotten until Phase I of Tenebris's startup plan went into effect. The superweapon was his and as usual the Jedi knew nothing.  
As the smugglers vessel took off, Tenebris stood up straighter just as angroup passed him by. Two were half-Hapans and one was a pure Hapan. As they passed him, his unknowing pawn, Emira Leeta asked:  
-Why do I get the feeling that it's not the Leetas that are being targeted by Ayume's kidnapping, but me?  
The young man beside her raised an eyebrow:  
-What makes you think that?  
-I don't know, just a feeling. Like it's not even me...its someone else and Ayume is the bait to lure me in...  
Tenebris smiled: well, well, she seemed to be smarter than he had originally anticipated. He waved a hand and suddenly all three of them (his pawn, the boy and the guard captain) froze with a light purple glow surrounding their still bodies. Not moving an inch Tenebris spoke:  
-You're all currently frozen in Force stasis and therefore my prisoners. Don't worry, I don't intend to keep you - just warn you. You, little Jedi, are a bit too smart for your own good so just remember this - the people we love are often what cause our downfall. You still do not see the big picture yet, but sooner or later this galaxy will see. Goodbye and the best of luck in your endeavours to you.  
With those parting words Tenebris left. He had his Shock Drum and now it was finally time to get off this Force-forsaken planet to a nicer one perhaps. Hmm, Alderaan sounded good.

==SW:LB==

The next day Jayden found Alana sitting in co-pilot's seat with a mug of hot chocolate in her hands, wearing her usual clothes and staring absentmindedly into hyperspace. He'd forgotten to tint the viewport. Hoping that she didn't jump, Jayden quietly said:  
-You shouldn't look at hyperspace for so long, you could get hyper-rapture.  
She leaned her head back slightly to see who it was before sending Jayden a small smile:  
-I think I'll be fine, watching it calms me.   
-Be that as it may we still need to tint the viewport. I get queasy watching that for a while.  
Alana gave a shrug and took a sip of her drink:  
-If you say so. Oh and by the way, I made sandwiches- they're in the galley.  
-Thanks.  
Alana nodded as Jayden tinted the viewport and then disappeared into the aforementioned room. Giving a small sigh, she picked up the datapad she had discreetly placed on the floor when Jayden came into the room. She didn't exactly understand herself why she did that - it wasn't like she had anything to hide, but a part of her felt like the information contained on it was somewhat private. The previous evening Alana had spent a good few hours poking around the database and had come up with some curious results. One file in particular had intrigued her: the foundation of the Republic's clone army. This information was indeed missing from the Jedi archives and nobody discussed why. It was said to have been erased and yet nobody knew exactly who - there were speculations of course. Alana now knew for certain.  
A former Jedi Master, most widely known as the leader of the Confederacy of independent systems (Seperatists) - Count Dooku,prior to leaving the Order, had deleted all files on the Kamino cloning project and had also removed Kamino from the galactic map. The file also made a point to outline the fact that Dooku was a Sith and was most probably working with the current Dark Lord. Alana had frowned at the mention of the latter, she had only heard snippets of conversations but apparently Dooku had implied that his Master was imbedded in a high position and was pulling all the strings of the Republic's movement. But what would be the point of that? If it was as the file stated and Dooku was working with a Sith Lord in the Republic why have this war? What was the point? And most importantly why didn't it mention who the Sith Lord was? Could it be the one chasing her? Alana shook her head, no - he didn't act like the matter of the war concerned him one bit and besides why hadn't he come after her earlier if he had been in the Republic's top ranks - no one would have stopped him. It wasn't him, it had to be someone else but how in the galaxy didn't the Jedi notice him or her?! Muur's voice echoed in the back of Alana's mind - "Stifled and rigid, blind to what is transpiring right under their noses...", could he have been onto something? Ugh, this was confusing!  
In any case the Clone army was apparently founded by a Jedi Master named Sifo-Diyas, whose gift of foresight showed him that a Great War was to come and he petitioned his fellow Council members to go and create a army for the republic with him. They refused. Disregarding the council's wishes, Master Sifo-Diyas sought out the clones on Kamino and asked them to make the Republic a clone army, they agreed (for a price of course). Master Sifo-Diyas hid this information from his fellow council members and it was lost when Sifo-Diyas was sent on an very odd and possibly fake mission to the moon called Oba Diah where he was shot down by the Pyke Sindicate. The official speculation was that the Pyke Syndicate was acting on their own accord, however the file had highlighted the fact that he'd been shot down and that he'd been nowhere near the Pyke's territory. Which led Alana to wonder could they have been paid to remove Master Sifo-Diyas from the picture? If so, then by who? Could it have been Dooku? According to Jango Fett, the original DNA donor, had been scouted for this job by a man named Tyrannus. How did this all link up? And more importantly how was all this missing from the archives?!  
Alana closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Worrying about something like this wouldn't help anyone. She felt that there were still pieces missing from this whole story like why would Master Sifo-Diyas be removed from the project permanently? There had also been a footnote stating that the Jedi Master had had an idea for some sort of safeguard but whether it was implemented or not was unclear, what the safeguard was was never stated. This was all strange. Moreover, why had no one investigated Master Sifo-Diyas's death yet?   
Alana flinched when she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. She turned her head to see Jayden in the pilot's seat, looking at her curiously and with slight concern:  
-You ok there? I've been calling your name for the past couple of minutes and you've been spaced out the whole time.  
Alana shook her head:  
-No, nothing. I've just been thinking.   
-Me too, probably on different subject though. I'm just wondering how I'm going to survive however long in here without going stir-crazy.  
Alana switched off her datapad and replaced it back below the control panels, she suggested:  
-Well, I don't know if you'll like this any, but do you have a large space on the ship?  
Jayden cast her an odd look but nodded:  
-Sure. Lower level, physical training room.  
-You have a room like that?!  
-Yeah, I have no idea who built the Storm and why people have modified her so much. No idea what the Storm was originally but I'm pretty sure it didn't have the lower level.  
Jayden said, shrugging one shoulder noncommittally. Alana picked up her mug and as she went into the galley she called back:  
-I have an idea what may stop you from going insane, but I'm not sure if you're willing to do it.  
Jayden whipped his head around so fast he got whiplash:  
-Ow...  
Alana's cheerful voice came from the galley:  
-You do know that there was no need to crane your head around so quickly, right?  
-Shut up. So what's this idea?  
Silence was his answer. Jayden frowned:  
-Alana? Alana, what wrong?  
He stood up and went into the kitchen to find Alana's shoulders shaking from suppressed laughter as she used the sonics to clean her mug. He crossed his arms:  
-Okay, what's gotten into you now?  
She didn't answer, just threw him a look that made him think he was missing something obvious. He lifted his hands in surrender:  
-I give. Tell me what's wrong.  
Alana laughed before chocking out:  
-Well, you did tell me to shut up. But seriously that expression on your face a moment ago was priceless!  
Jayden rolled his eyes, but smiled. Women...he'd never be able to understand them. Leaning against the doorframe, Jayden probed:  
-So what the idea?  
-Oh, that. I thought we could have a sparring match. You in?  
Jayden's eyes lit up at the mention of an activity that required moving, he hated sitting still for too long. The Mando vigorously nodded his head:  
-Definitely. And here I thought I was going to turn into a pillow from just sitting around.  
-Hmm, great! However, I need to lay down a few ground rules first.  
Alana announced as she put away the mug. Jayden waved a hand for her to continue:  
-Do go on.  
-Firstly, today we're only doing hand to hand combat. Secondly, no other weapons and no Force powers allowed that goes for me too. Thirdly, the match ends either after 20 minutes have elapsed or after one of us gives up. Oh and no brutality. Deal?  
Jayden shook her hand:  
-Deal. But we may both want to change into something a little more comfortable to spar in.  
Alana glanced down at her outfit and nodded:  
-You've got a point. See you downstairs in five minutes?  
-Five?! I thought you girls took forever!  
-Are you complaining? I can take an hour if you'd like.  
-Heck no!  
Alana grinned and patted Jayden on the shoulder as she steeped past him:  
-Then five minutes it is. Plus I thought you'd learnt this already - I'm no normal girl.  
Jayden facepalmed, of all people in the universe why did he get Force bonded with her?!

==SW:LB==

Jayden came down into the physical training room a few minutes after his conversation with Alana, changed into a simple grey T-shirt and shorts. Alana was waiting in the training room also looking slightly different than usual. Her caramel brown hair was pulled up into a ponytail and yet she didn't look as Jedi-like as she had with it before, she was wearing a simple blue vest and shorts. In short Jayden had to admit she looked quite pretty. As soon as Jayden came in she straightened up and shot him a smile:  
-You sure you want to go through with this?  
Jayden raised an eyebrow as he took his place across from Alana, at the end of the second mat:  
-Why not?  
-Ok, just don't come crying to me when I win.  
Jayden snorted:  
-That'd be the day. You're on, Princess.  
-Well if you're so sure...Ready?  
-Ready.  
Flashing him a small smile, Alana launched a flying kick at Jayden which he easily dodged. He tried to retaliate by hitting her below her rib cage but the Jedi, placing her hands on his shoulders, flipped over him and landed in a crouched position. She stood up and turned around, hands on her hips:  
-You may have physical strength, but I have heightened agility.  
-Let's see how long that lasts.  
-With pleasure.  
Both of the opponent had a competitive glint in their eyes. It was in their nature to compete, especially when their opponent was the other. Smirking slightly, Jayden launched himself at his sparring partner.

==SW:LB==

TK's systems slowly blinked on and as soon as his photoreceptors activated the droid found himself in the cargo hold, where he'd powered down the night before. He registered odd sound waves coming from the lower levels, but after a minute he realised it was just the idiot captain and Alana sparring. However something felt off to him.   
Unexpectedly his sensors registered a violent spike in first Alana's brainwave activity followed by a strange phenomenon occurring in the idiot captains. It was as though his usual thought pattern was written over and replaced by another more volatile one. TK quickly started moving, this was bad! He recognised that other thought pattern! He'd only seen it twice, but he knew who it was: Shadow. If that was so and the idiot captain had accidentally lost control then the Jedi could be in very serious trouble. TK activated his thrusters and sped up. He flew down the stairs and turned the corner, just as Alana's brainwaves gave a powerful fluctuation...oh no.


	30. Alive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, it's been a while, huh? Two weeks, I think? Well this 9000+ word chapter should be worth the wait and guess what? I actual start answering a few questions here! Yay, for that! Now, I'm mostly happy with this chapter except for the start of both parts between Jayden and Alana and TK. Yeah, they're good towards the end but the start? Nuh-uh. Oh well, you win some you lose some. Now onto the announcements:
> 
> 1) Guys, I'm in my year before last at school and the teachers seem intent on murdering us so sorry for the sparse updates in advance - I'll try to put up as many as I can in a month but as you can see with this one it may take a while.
> 
> 2) I doubt any of you have noticed but Light's Brink is going to be one year old very soon! On the 17th of September I will be having a mini-party by myself and I WILL post something as a celebration note so look forward to that. Might as well have a little fun!
> 
> 3) We're on CHAPTER 30, people! Oh my gosh, you have no idea how much that means to me. I'm really really grateful for everyone who gave me so much support whether you're a silent reader or if you dropped me a line. Thank you for helping me reach my 6th milestone!
> 
> 4) I will probably never write an interlude like this again since it was kinda a train wreck but at least I know what's going to happen on the next planet. Fair warning it will be pretty peaceful planet (and by peaceful I mean we'll have to settle for assassination attempts, hostage situations and Jayden, Alana and TK beating up bad guys in their hideouts :D ) 
> 
> 5) Lots of character story development in this one, at least I think so. Alana and Jayden definitely get some and for those of you who are curious about TK and Tenebris - don't worry there's still a lot more to come, same with our Jedi and Mando.
> 
> 6) As per usual sorry about any typos or autocorrect that I haven't spotted.
> 
> 7) And of course - Enjoy!

Chapter 30 - Alive

Kai pressed a button on the panel and the door to a small dim room slid open, letting Kai enter. As soon as he did so it slid silently closed behind him. As his eyes adjusted to the dimness, Kai heard the voice of Grandmaster Yoda speak:  
-Leaving are you?  
Kai nodded and sat down on the round seat across from the one Master Yoda was sitting on. The Grandmaster of the Jedi Order had been meditating, but when Kai came in per his summons he opened his eyes. Kai elaborated:  
-There are many things I must do, but none of them can be done here.   
-Going to join the war, are you? Hmm?  
-No, Master. Though I wish I could aid my friends and drive back the Seperatist threat I must go and deal with a separate threat - the Sith Lord. He has committed many atrocities and must stand trial for them. I do not know whether I will return, but this is something I must do.  
Master Yoda closed his eyes and chided the younger Jedi:  
-Not the way of the Jedi defeatism is.  
-Master, with all due respect, I'm merely being realistic. I have no qualms about facing him, but I do not know whether I will come out of it alive.  
Kai sighed before continuing to explain:  
-I do not fear becoming one with the Force as there is no death and yet if that was to be my fate I will have some regrets.  
The green Jedi Master opened one eye:  
-Oh, regrets, you say?  
-Yes. My padawan, Alana, I worry about her.  
Yoda closed his eyes and righted his meditative sitting position, asking sternly:  
\- Attached you are. Afraid of loosing her?  
Kai gave a semi-shrug:  
-Not exactly, Master. I know I am ready to let her go if need be, but she is like a family member to me to be honest and if I am to die - what will become of her? Alana is stubborn,wilful, reckless and she can disobey orders, but she is also compassionate, kind , thoughtful and strategic at times, courageous - she embodies what a Jedi should be in my eyes and I am not sure what else I can teach her. She lacks patience but that will come with time as will her recklessness pass.   
Yoda opened both eyes and looked Kai square in the face:  
-Saying what are you?  
Kai ran a hand through his spiky deep brown hair:  
-Master, what do you think of Alana's progress since she came to the temple? What do you think of her as a Jedi?  
Yoda was silent for a moment, pondering Kai's question, before speaking again:  
-Agree with you on her qualities I do, but young and powerful she is. Not yet a Jedi.  
Kai steepled his fingers as he gazed at the Grandmaster. Yoda was the only other person who had been on Aroko when they'd found a little girl wandering around the abandoned planet. He probably was the only other person who knew Alana as well as he did - after warming up to them the child had poured out her little heart to them after all, he was certain that even Emira and Ayla didn't know Alana as well as the grandmaster and he did. Kai looked down as he spoke:  
-Alana is powerful in the Force - yes, but she is far more adept at controlling her abilities than even I am. Whether you say she is ready or not the fact remains - there is nothing more I can teach her. The mission you sent her on is likely to open her eyes to many things and if when she returns she still holds the ideals of the Jedi in the right, she will be ready. Master, I beg you, if I am not here when she returns and even if I am - let her take the trials.  
Yoda's eyes widened a fraction in surprise:  
-The Jedi Knight trials you speak of? Believe she is ready, do you?  
\- Yes, Master. I trust my padawan, just as you trusted her when she went against the councils's word on Duro. She will learn what she needs to with time, experience will teach her. Master?  
Yoda heaved a sigh and looked at Kai seriously:  
-Very well, if a Jedi she is upon her return - take the trials she shall. Worry I do, however that the wrong path this may be for her.  
-You mean the Jedi?  
Yoda closed his eyes tiredly and added softly:  
-Not sure I am, her fate clouded is. Not a normal padawan is she and set her down the dark path this rush could.  
Kai stood up and replied simply:  
-She will not fail us, Master. Of that I am certain. I must leave now. May the Force be with you.  
Yoda nodded:  
-May the Force be with you.  
Kai nodded and left the room silently. As he walked down the temple halls, he drew up the hood of his cloak. Several Jedi masters passed him by and he nodded to them. As he reached the landing platforms his thoughts drifted to his dark blue eyed cheerful padawan. He stood by what he had said to Master Yoda and yet he had neglected to mention one last thing: when Alana's emotional and mental state was highly unstable after an event that had shaken her, if she was to get frustrated or experience any extremely strong negative emotion she was likely to accidentally lash out with her powers. This had happened before, with Kai being the one she'd accidentally force pushed into a wall when he'd come in to talk to her after she'd killed someone for the first time and she had been crying. He worried that it may happen again and that it would have consequences. Nevertheless he would trust her and her judgement.  
Kai turned to the quirky red R2 unit sitting in his blue Jedi Starfighter:  
-Yes, Jaytoo, we're going. It's about time I left. I'm glad I managed to avoid seeing Ayla, I'm not sure I could say goodbye. Come on, let's go.  
The droid whistled an affirmative note from his perch and Kai smiled. He jumped into the ship and as the cockpit slid closed as the launch sequence initiated Kai glanced back at the Temple. He hoped he could see it once more.

==SW: LB==

-Alana, we need to talk.  
-There's nothing to talk about so go away.  
-Alana.  
-Jayden.   
-Alana, please.  
-No, just leave me alone. That incident was all my fault and I'm sorry. There. Now, go away.  
-I won't. Not until you come out.  
-Then you're wasting your time.  
-Fine.   
Alana gave a soft groan and buried her face in her pillow at Jayden's stubborn response. She had managed to avoid speaking to him over the past two days (which was quite a feat considering they were stuck in the same ship) and though it was a dumb idea as an afterthought Alana wasn't about to start talking to him now.  
Ever since the accident that had taken place in the training room, Alana had refused to speak to him. It had been her own fault and she knew that. That's why she didn't want to speak to him, she was sorry for what she had done and she was afraid. Afraid of herself.   
She had lashed out at him in frustration and used Force lightning, even though it wasn't strong it had still knocked Jayden into a short stupor and the next thing she knew that dark presence was smothering Jayden's light again and he had her by the throat. She'd triggered Shadow and if TK hadn't knocked Shadow out in time he might have killed her. She didn't blame him for that in the least, she felt guilty for hurting him because she couldn't control her own powers. This had happened once before when she'd hurt her Master. If her mental state had recently been unstable and she got very frustrated or afraid and lost focus - she had a tendency to accidentally lash out with the Force.   
From behind the door she heard Jayden say:  
-For what it's worth, I'm sorry.  
-What in the galaxy are you sorry for? This whole thing was my fault.  
-I nearly killed you! And now you're afraid of me.  
Alana sat up and stared at the door incredulously - he had gotten the completely wrong idea.That idiot! It would only be a little later that Alana would realise that the Mando had drawn a very logical conclusion.  
Alana sighed - so much for not talking to him. She pulled on her boots and unlocked the door to her room before stepping out. Jayden was sitting against the wall with TK close beside him, she bent down and with a small smile reached out her hand to pull him up. He looked at her with concern and a trace of apprehension in his eyes and when she rolled her eyes in response he took it. With a single burst of strength Alana pulled Jayden up. Looking him seriously in the eyes, Alana carefully and softly enunciated:  
-Let's get one thing straight: I am not afraid of you or of anyone else. You should know that by now, if my problem is a person I confront them head on.  
-The Sith Lord?  
-He's no exception. I'll confront him...when I'm sure I can face him or when I have no choice. Now, I seem to recall you wanting to talk?  
Jayden raised an eyebrow:  
-I thought there was nothing to talk about?  
-It seems we both have some explaining to do.

==SW: LB==

-Master, I have actively investigated both Alana Sheelan and Darth Tenebris through every channel available in the galaxy but I have turned up nought. It seems to be as Tenebris said - there is no record of them. While Alana Sheelan is registered as a member of the Jedi Order it seems like Tenebris has never existed at all.  
Sidious frowned as he looked at his apprentice, the shadow his drawn up hood cast covering his eyes. He had made sure to try and uncover any information possible about the pesky Jedi and that upstart Sith and yet even the members of the underworld knew nought. He hated admitting this even to himself, but Tenebris had won on the informational front. Could the young Sith have destroyed all the information? No, to destroy every shred of information about himself in the galaxy was impossible. So why did no one know anything about them? Perhaps he had sent Kai Lionis on a mission a little too soon.  
Dooku continued, treading carefully as his Master's silence could mean many things:  
-However, Master, after having one of my special droids interrogate the former leader of a section in the Red Hand Syndicate - Kiznyd Jarkalis, I have uncovered a small piece of information that may please you.  
Sidious's frown faded:  
-Oh?  
Dooku bowed his head as he elaborated:  
-Master, when Kiznnyd Jarkalis, the fallen Jedi, struck the killing blow against the girl he could not pierce a previously nonexistent shield that had materialised and solidified of thin air and the strangest thing was that the girl couldn't have done it - she was being protected by the Force, also she was surrounded by a blue glow and the Force around her was like a whirlwind. Master, I believe this blue glow and that whirlwind of power may be connected to the gift her Master mentioned.  
-I see. Well done, apprentice. Continue as you have, I will attempt to address our little security leak on my end.  
-As you wish, Master.  
The blue hologram of Darth Tyrannus faded and Sidious sat back in his chair, throwing off his hood. This was most peculiar... As far as he remembered Kiznyd Jarkalis was now under custody of the Jedi Order for "rehabilitation". Maybe he should get one of his shadow agents to take care of him. As for the girl's gift... Well, Sidious was very curious to find out what it was, if it was as detrimental to his plans as Sifo-diyas's gift had been he would rather remove her from the picture faster. He was already having trouble clouding her senses from beneath the Temple and with her gift (whatever it was) she was all the more dangerous to him. However if that gift could be used to benefit him? All the more reason to unravel the mystery as to what it was, in any case he would not let his plans go to ruin.  
A quiet voice that seemed to come out of nowhere hissed:  
-Do you want to know?  
Palpatine stood up and looked around his office. He was alone and it was late daytime. Who had said that? Could he have imagined it? No, the ripple in the Force had indeed been present. It spoke again:  
-Tell me, Dark Lord, do you want to know the truth? Do you want to know where Tenebris and Sheelan came from? Do you want to know what her gift is?  
There it was again - that ripple in the Force. There was something odd going on. Palpatine looked up and spoke firmly and calmly:  
-Show yourself.   
The disembodied voice chuckled before a shape, at first red and shadowy and then a solid form of a man appeared on the other side of the Chancellor's desk. He had black and red armor with a grey-black cloak and he wore a mask of the same colours. On his belt hung two weathered silver lightsabers. Palpatine could feel his power, the dark side was very strong with him. Before Palpatine stood another Dark Lord. The Dark Lord crossed his arms:  
\- Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic Sheev Palpatine or should I say Darth Sidious, the current Dark Lord.  
Palpatine narrowed his eyes as he looked at the masked figure that had materialised out of thin air:  
-It appears you have me at a disadvantage. You know who I am but I do knot know your identity.  
The figure made an amused sound before he spoke again:  
-I am Darth Karred, also a Dark Lord once.  
Palpatine hid his displeasure behind a polite smile. Another Sith that he knew nothing about. Something was definitely going on.  
Darth Karred was thoroughly amused by the fued between Tenebris and Sidious, this man was clever and perhaps he was worth giving a hint or two to. Karred suddenly reached up to his face and with a hiss his mask came off. Palpatine saw a man with red eyes, a nasty scar that ran down the right side of his face and looked like a nexu had ran it's claws down it, somehow a dulled colour of smoky-brown hair and a beard with a contemptuous smile on his face. In answer to Palpatine's unvoiced question the man casually replied:  
-I prefer to be on even terms. Call it a flaw of mine.  
Palpatine gave a curt nod and while keeping his gaze on Karred used the Force to summon his lightsaber to his hand. While he could see Karred clearly his somewhat shadowy presence in the Force bothered him, perhaps he should dispose of him before he could cause any damage. Karred, as though reading his thoughts, raised up an arm:  
-I have answers that you seek, Sidious. Answers that could help you defeat Tenebris.  
-You know of him?  
-Being dead has it's upside.  
Sidious raised an eyebrow involuntarily. So that's what that shadowy feeling meant - the man was dead and yet Sidious could see him as plain as day. Meanwhile Darth Karred continued:  
-I find your feud with my former apprentice...amusing. I know of Tenebris's power and I know what he is plotting, but my flaw compels me to give you at least one hint and there seemed to be a burning question on your mind, Sidious.  
Sidious stopped himself from throwing the man a glare, keeping his political mask firmly in place. These men... And Tenebris had been Karred's apprentice? How had he not sensed the Master? Hmm. Well, two could play this game:  
-You say you have answers?  
-Perhaps. I have an answer to the question of what gift Alana Sheelan possesses. Maybe that could help you get on even footing with my former apprentice.   
-Do not underestimate me.  
-You misunderstand my intention, Sidious, I only seek to fan the flames of this extremely amusing rivalry between you - one of the most powerful men in this galaxy if not the most currently and my former pupil - a true master of the Dark Arts, I must say I'm very proud of him. He is a worthy adversary but at the same time I find your grand plan very intriguing so I have come to give you a hint.  
-By revealing Alana Sheelan's gift?  
-Precisely.  
The former senator of Naboo turned towards the panoramic window of his office. Outside the afternoon light that Coruscant Prime shed over the planet glinted off the windows and lenses of many colourful hovercars and speeders, all flying in an orderly line. A few small droids were in their midst, some running errands, others patrolling the upper levels. In short the ecumonopolis known as Coruscant was bustling with life as usual.   
Everything was as usual and yet, to Sidious, this life and this scene seemed rather bleak in comparison of his Grand Vision, his Grand Plan. It was a plan that would reshape this entire galaxy into the way he desired it - with him ruling as Emperor and the Jedi finally crushed and extinct beneath his boot. It was an intricate plan and indeed a grand one,but one that could shatter as easily as the most fragile glass with one push or one word in the wrong place from Tenebris. Sidious refused to let his decades of work and planning go to waste! He would defeat Tenebris and show the upstart who the true Dark Lord was!  
The Supreme Chancellor turned around to see Darth Karred looking at him with an even more amused countenance. Oh, how he would love to cut that smug Sith down but unfortunately that was now impossible. Damn him...whatever he was now. He cleared his throat and let the illusion he always kept up fade. Karred raised an eyebrow:  
-Have you come to a decision?   
-I do not wish to be indebted to you.  
-I assure you - I have no need for that. Like I said, this is just a manner of amusement for me.  
-Very well then, I accept your generous offer. However a query first?  
-Yes?  
-What connection do you and Tenebris have to Alana Sheelan? There is simply no record of her anywhere and the Jedi couldn't find any of her relatives. Living or otherwise.  
Karred snorted, folding his arms:  
-It's no wonder to me. You can try, Sidious, but even with your power you will not find anything out about her past - even by diving into her mind, though I have found that her mental shields are incredibly strong. There is a certain force restricting her memories but not her gift. As to how we know her? Well, it would be bad form of me to spill that secret of my former pupil's but I... I can tell you how I know her.  
Sidious looked on at the Dark Lord and despite the impassive mask he had on, he'd noticed a flicker of pride and rage in his eyes. He continued calmly:  
-Alana Sheelan is a creature of the light, but despite this she has great potential to flourish in the darkness. She is not a Jedi and she will never be one fully, her genes for one will never allow it - Sith blood runs strong in her veins. She will always feel the pull of the Darkness within her and eventually she will make a choice or she will be torn apart. However despite her siding with the light, her power is incredible and I fully acknowledge her potential.  
-Just how well do you know her? You even know her gift.  
Karred smiled a crooked smile and spoke:  
-Well, of course I know of my granddaughter's gift. My son couldn't conceal all from me... 

==SW: LB==

Tenebris sat beneath a tree on the cold planet named Alderaan, dressed as a mercenary and with a well-concealed lightsaber, he was flipping a small device over in his hands. There was a lively glint in his eyes and a ghost of a smile upon his lips. He had reached his objective.  
Unexpectedly the air in front of him shimmered and a moment later a figure materialised. To most force-sensitives the figure would look like an undefined smoky red shape, but to Tenebris the woman was perfectly solid. A Sith woman, dressed in gold and black with yellow eyes, brown hair and two gold lightsabers at her waist stood before him. Oh, Tenebris knew her well - Vaylin Tirall, an extremely powerful and a very dead Force-user. He could easily pick out her watery presence in the Force. There was a moment of silence before Vaylin sighed in annoyance:  
-I did as you asked. Though with few creative embellishments.  
-I know you did, I felt her emotional spike through the Force. Though collapsing the tower was unnecessary.  
-It was a nice touch. In any case, I don't owe you anything now.  
-Yes.  
Tenebris calmly replied before finally standing up and ending up a head taller than the woman. She peered at the object in his hands:  
-That's the control panel for the Death Mark laser, right?  
-Indeed it is. This superweapon is my newest "toy".  
Tenebris confirmed with an actual tiny smile and rested one of his fingers on the small screen of the control device.  
-So this was the device that that pesky Hero of Tython destroyed before he faced my father? The laser that could kill anyone unexpectedly as soon as they were tagged and within a certain radius?  
Tenebris nodded, but there was a strange glint in his yellow eyes:  
-Those were its base functions until I...improved upon them. Let's just say now the laser is Jedi impervious, self-repairing and mobile. No one is safe on the planet it's located on also.  
Vaylin raised an eyebrow:  
-And you're collecting all these "toys" so you can destroy one little girl? And I thought sending the eternal fleet after the Outlander was overkill.  
Tenebris shook his head and smiled, a full smile now:  
-No, these things are just to create a bit of chaos, blow a few things up. After all it's no fun when it's all just thunder and no lightning.   
The usual manic going had appeared back in Vaylin's eyes:  
-Well, well, this thing might be fun after all. Good luck, Tenebris.  
As she disappeared in a purple flash, Tenebris muttered:  
-Luck is of no consequence when it comes to Sheelan. And neither does fun.   
Tenebris tapped a small orange circle on the pad and just as the laser destroyed a nearby power core, he started walking calmly away. The chaos was alway such a soothing sound.   
It was ironic really that he was so determined to kill Sheelan nowadays, had he met her when Kaeda had been still alive she might have become a very important person to him. It had come to him as no surprise when he learned that it was the granddaughter of the Dark Lord, his Master and the ultimate Master of the Sith on Ceperion who had the extremely rare gift he had sought after so desperately as a young teen. He had been surprised to learn however that Darth Karred had had a son and that son was nothing less than the Jedi Grandmaster. He had sensed Sheelan's immense power right away however, the Force was raging like a whirlwind around her when they had first locked blades that first time, back when she still had her memories. Sheelan possessed a rare gift: she could amplify one's Force powers to their full potential and she could give you so much power that you could crush a dozen large asteroids with a flick of your wrist, she could do that to herself too. However the cost was her life force and for it to work she had to do it of her own volition and not be brainwashed into it. That gift was called Force Enhancement and either it came with a bunch of Side effect or Sheelan was also born incredibly talented.  
In any case, Tenebris thought as he hopped into his starfighter, she will die, I will finish what I began long ago. He glanced back at the flaming roof of the east wing in House Cortess and smiled. The smugglers were loading the laser onto their ship and were transporting it to a very densely populated planet, meanwhile Tenebris had Tund to get to. An electromagnetic bio weapon torpedo awaited him there and then maybe Ruusan would do. He had to have a full arsenal before he started causing chaos after all, otherwise where was the fun in that?

==SW: LB==

Alana looked down at her clasped hands on her lap and released a tiny sigh. She had been dreading this conversation since she had lost control and now it was here. Well, she wasn't one to turn and flee in the face with of a problem and that time on the Atlantida didn't count. Alana took a deep breath before beginning to speak:  
-We both know what happened: I lost control over my powers and you snapped into Shadow as a consequence. However, that whole incident was entirely my fault. I knew that I shouldn't have sparred with the condition my mental state had been in and yet I did.  
Jayden watched her silently, his face now an impassive mask but inside he was in turmoil. He knew she was beating herself up and deciding to take all of the blame when at least half of it was most definitely his. However Jayden knew she probably wanted to get everything off her chest so he didn't interrupt for the moment. Taking another soft shuddering breath, Alana forced herself to continue speaking:  
-I lost control and as a result shot lightning, albeit not full strength but Force lighting in any case. I shouldn't have done that! I'm a Jedi. I'm supposed to at least have a lid on my emotions but I go and lose control of my powers! I'm supposed to be better than this...and yet I...  
Alana drew in another shaky breath and pushed down the emotions that were threatening to rise to the surface. No, she wouldn't show any signs of weakness or any tears before anyone else - she never had, her Master had been the only one who she cried in front of as a child. She wasn't weak, she wouldn't break - even if the guilt and fear were too much for her to bear alone. Alana continued speaking, forcing her voice to remain steady:  
-I failed. It's as simple as that. I can never do anything completely right, can I? I just have to screw up somewhere! And why do I keep hurting the people I don't want to hurt?! My Master, Emira, you... I hate it! Maybe you think I'm being melodramatic but to me this is the honest truth - I failed.   
Alana slowly stood up before whispering words that seemed to resonate throughout the entire ship despite their softness:  
\- I don't want to hurt anyone else and in any case I'm more of a burden than a help to you. Just drop me off at the next star port, I'll leave--  
-No.  
Jayden's words resonated hard and firm across the room, his hand grasped her wrist. He also stood up but she refused to turn and face him. His words weren't gentle as he spoke:  
-You're acting like a coward, Alana.   
She softly choked out and whipped around to face him:  
-What?! I'm doing what's best for all of us!  
Jayden's eyes reflected his controlled anger within him. His voice was cold:  
-No, you're not. Face it - you're running away from the problem. This- this person you are right now isn't the person who made me notice her amongst all my other opponents. She isn't the person who charged at me full force despite knowing she could easily be killed, she isn't the person who made me acknowledge my loss, she isn't the person who made me wonder for the next few days who in the galaxy she was. This person right now isn't the one who didn't flinch when she fought a dark Jedi and cut his arm off, she isn't the one who risked her own life by saving the clones on a doomed ship, she isn't the one who risked her life for a child and she most definitely isn't the one who I accepted as a friend and a partner! The Alana I've traveled with for the past three weeks - nearly a month- isn't the one who's standing before me right now. You're taking the cowards way right now.  
Alana stared at him before snapping back:  
-I am doing this so I can't hurt you or TK! I don't want to be so pathetic!  
-But that's exactly what you're doing! You're running away instead of confronting the problem!  
-I'm a Jedi, I'm not--  
Jayden grabbed her shoulders roughly and glared at her:  
-Excuses! Stop this! Just stop. Face your fears! Stop beating yourself up and taking all this on alone, you idiot! You say teamwork but you still won't let me or TK help you.  
Alana glared back, her hands balled up into fists at her sides:  
-Oh, like you're one to talk! You never explain anything about yourself! For force's sake it's like I don't even know you! Listen, I respect your privacy, but you've got to tell me some things! Shadow is a prime example!  
Jayden instantly retorted, their argument heating up and turning into a fight:  
-You have your own skeletons in the closet - I don't force you to tell me about them!  
Alana shook her head stubbornly and countered, notes of agitation creeping into her voice:  
-I'm not making you - I'm asking you! I just don't want to be abandoned again for a reason I don't know! I don't want to be left all alone without knowing why!  
Alana's last words rang out desperately, almost fearfully but there were no tears. Her emotions were a mess, fluctuating between uncontrollable fear and fierce anger. A small part of her brain was telling her to calm down and recall the Jedi code but Alana brushed it aside. Something flickered in Jayden's eyes, the young Jedi's words had resonated within him:  
-Abandoned?  
His voice was soft like a whisper, but it was haunted by indiscernible emotions. Suddenly,as if all her strength had left her, Alana's knees buckled under her and had Jayden and TK not caught her she would have crumpled to the floor. Leaning against Jayden for support, Alana murmured a soft apology:  
-Sorry...give me a moment...black spots...  
Concern overtaking other emotions Jayden carefully made her sit back down. TK ran a scan over her and upon finding nothing suggested taking a blood sample. Alana raised a hand to stop them, her dark blue eyes once more completely clear:  
-I'm alright. I just haven't eaten in two days that's all.   
As if to prove her words her stomach gave a soft rumble. Jayden and TK chorused an incredulous "What?!" in unison. Alana shrugged:  
-Hey, in my defence I was avoiding you,-Alana paused,- Jayden,I'm sorry...  
He shook his head:  
-Half of the fault is mine. I'm sorry. Truce?  
He held out his hand to her. Alana's slender hand grasped his strong one and with her usual smile she replied:  
-Better yet, Peace?  
Jayden squeezed her hand:  
-Peace.  
With those words spoken it was as if the atmosphere of the entire ship grew warmer, friendlier. TK looked between the two organics and gave a low confused whistle - who in the galaxy had programmed them to be so complex?!   
Alana stood up and headed for the galley, saying:  
-I should probably cook something- Force knows what you've been eating the past two days.  
Jayden suddenly got a panicked expression on his face and called after her:  
-Um, Alana don't--  
-JAYDEN CALLEN, WHAT DID YOU DO?!  
-...go in there yet. I tried to warn you. I was cooking.  
-This is not cooking! This is a disaster zone. Did you end up having a war with the cooking utensils or something?! That's it, I'm definitely staying!  
Jayden sighed and followed her into the kitchen, not forgetting to cast a glare at a chortling TK. In his defence he did tell her at the very start that he couldn't cook. Despite his exasperation he couldn't stop a smile from creeping up onto his face.

==SW: LB==

A clone commander was speaking with Jedi over the holoterminal on board of one of the Republic's capital ships over Rodia. He had red markings and carbon scores on his helmet and armor. Beside him stood another clone trooper with a silver two emblazoned on the right side of his helmet, he however wore armor that had dark red markings. Both clone troopers had their helmets on. The one with red markings spoke:  
-General, we've had no contact with Commander Sheelan since the incident aboard the Atlantida almost a month ago.   
The holoterminal projected five Jedi: Master Obi-wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker with his padawan Ahsoka Tano, Master Yoda and finally Master Mace Windu. Kenobi crossed his arms as he spoke:  
-That is troubling. With the reports we've been getting from Corellia and with us losing contact with Alana after Duros - I'd have to suspect she was there.   
The clone with the silver two on his helmet stepped up:  
-Generals, if I may be so bold: why are you searching for Commander Sheelan?  
Anakin grimaced, he evidently didn't like this whole thing:  
-We aren't exactly looking for her per say, according to your recounts Alana Sheelan and another young man were the last two people left aboard the Atlantida, we have also received a report from her Master, stating that she's travelling with that same guy.  
Mace Windu picked up:  
-According to a certain tip we got from a few Rodians, we have ample reason to believe this may very well be the bounty hunter who nearly assassinated the Supreme Chancellor. We were ordered to investigate. We know his face but not his name, the underworld calls him Shadow or even better - the Death's Hand. In any case, contact us if you see her.  
-Yes, General. Commander Arc out.  
Commander Arc turned to his fellow clone, who had his arms crossed:  
-Well, Twos, what do you think?  
-I don't know, commander. Commander Sheelan saved my life and I doubt she'd forsake her morals so much as to throw in with the "death's hand". I think there's a bigger picture to this whole scenario. In any scenario though, sir, we have a few clankers to finish off on the ground, why don't we get down to it?  
-Right you are, Captain. Let's go.  
The two clones left the bridge and headed for the landing bay, both thinking their own thoughts. Still, they put that problem out of their minds - the Seperatists took priority, whether commander Sheelan would pass through here or not.

==SW:LB==

Quite a few days later the crew of the Crimson Storm was spending some time reading up on different materials and researching their individual topics after lunch. Alana's gaze was focused on her datapad but she had been staring at the same paragraph for over half an hour and she still wasn't comprehending anything since her mind was truly elsewhere.   
It had been two weeks (10 days) since they had gotten stuck in hyperspace and their situation was slowly but surely getting desperate. Their fuel and food supply was steadily running out and they were all in significant danger of going stir-crazy from being cooped up for so long. Even though after their little "talk" (the one that had escalated into a shouting match) Jayden and Alana did resume their sparring matches with TK closely monitoring them, they were so restrained and afraid of seriously hurting each other again that it felt fake. Alana sighed and closed her eyes: this was a disaster, the only upside was that she actually was slowly getting to know Jayden better -baby steps. However danger was fast approaching, most people at this point would have been panicking but Alana simply was tired, so so tired. They had to get out of this vortex and soon otherwise they were going to die.  
Jayden cast a sideways glance at Alana and wasn't surprised when he saw her with her eyes closed: of course she couldn't concentrate. Alana hadn't been able to since the notification about the fuel running out had popped up the day before. As Jayden had learned Alana was quite the worrier but she never worried about herself oddly. He knew that unless a drastic thing happened they would all die. Was he okay with that? Jayden looked up at the ceiling of the cockpit. He didn't know. Before he had gotten mixed up in this whole Force mess on Coruscant he wouldn't have cared, but now he did. Cliche as it was he could finally see the colours that had disappeared when his world had come crashing down and that was just because of the two stubborn travelling companions he had, it was like they had made it a point to prove him wrong on that among many things. Perhaps Alana had been right - he was being unfair. She had trusted him with her amnesia but he hadn't said a word about his past to her, that was wrong. Unable to stop himself in time, Jayden spoke up:  
-Alana?  
She looked up in his direction, clarity back in her eyes:  
-Hm?  
-You were right. I'm being unfair to you. You've trusted me enough to tell me so much about yourself but I haven't said a word.   
-You don't have to--  
-Yes, I do. It's wrong of me to clam up just because it hurts. I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't tell you anything- Mandolorian's don't run away from problems. So I want to tell you - and TK - at least a bit about myself.  
Alana's gaze wavered, that light in her eyes flickering, fading and then again brightening. She knew how hard talking about painful things could be, but holding it in never helped and neither did running away. She didn't trust herself to speak so she merely nodded. Jayden sighed and slumped back in his chair, he closed his eyes and began speaking:  
-I don't really know where to begin. I guess the easiest thing to say is that I'm an orphan, both of my parents are. They've been dead since I was a little boy. However they're something I'm not ready to talk about - the thing I do owe you an explanation for is Shadow.  
As soon as he uttered that name a chill swept through the room and Alana shivered involuntarily. Jayden looked Alana in the eyes with serious look:  
-Now, don't take this the wrong way - I'm not insane and you've felt Shadow in the Force yourself. Correct?  
-Yes.  
-Good, then you might understand. The first thing you need to understand is that Shadow and I are indeed one and the same person. The reason why we feel so different is because of how Shadow was formed. Shadow is a side of me, a darker side and while he has no free will and he isn't a separate sentient being he can take over. Shadow is - in a sense - a self-defence mechanism, but apart from that he's also me - the Death's Hand. That side of me is cruel, cold and merciless but also extremely smart and it takes no pleasure whatsoever in killing. Shadow does what needs to be done and that's all. The hardest part of all this to accept is that Jayden Callen and Shadow are one and the same.  
Alana bit her lip, her eyes clouded over slightly as millions of thoughts and facts flew through her mind. She was trying to compare what Jayden had told her to anything she'd read about before though she had no clue why. This was the first time she'd heard of anything like this. Quietly, she whispered:  
-But what about that time?  
Jayden frowned: he didn't need Alana to clarify to understand what she was talking about. He paused for a moment before speaking:  
-I don't always have enough strength to push that side of me down and if I can't horrible things happen. Your Jedi would probably mutter off some gibberish about the dark side being connected to that. In a way I suppose that's true but Shadow is as much a part of me as is Jayden Callen - one cannot exist without the other, at least not anymore.  
Alana raised an eyebrow:  
-"Not anymore"?  
-Yes. There was a time long ago when I hadn't developed Shadow yet, when I allowed people to step on me but that was long ago. Do you understand now? Who and what Shadow is?  
Alana sighed and lowered her head, her mind racing. She had thought of Shadow as something dark and separate but here was Jayden telling her that her perception of Shadow and who he was was drastically wrong. One question among the thousands burned brightest and despite its childishness Alana found herself asking it:  
-Is Shadow evil?  
Jayden gave her an odd look before countering with a question of his own:  
-Do you see me as evil? You know the things I've done, the things I could and most probably will do - you know what I am and who I am. You've seen the consequences of my actions and yet you haven't run away or told your Jedi. So, Alana Sheelan, do you find me evil?  
His green eyes locked onto Alana's midnight blue ones, mercilessly demanding an answer from her. Alana's breath caught in her throat at the question. Was Jayden evil? She knew that some of the things he did were terrible and dark and all law units would probably throw him in jail for life if they learned who he was, her Jedi side told her that she should damn him too - condemn him for what he was and turn him in. That was what logic told her, but her intuition? She remembered all of the good she'd seen him do, small things - tiny gestures that left big ripples in their wake. She knew the harm and the pain he'd caused and she knew that he'd probably keep causing harm. She felt a wave of fear rising within her and as she looked at the Mando with wide eyes, she didn't even notice that she had latched onto his wrist in a subconscious attempt to keep him from slipping away and leaving her alone with this fear. Fear of what though? Jayden watched her silently and didn't even attempt to make her let go - it was up to her, he was actually surprised she wasn't reaching for her lightsabers right about now.  
Path. A single word rang out in Alana's mind in the artefacts silent voice, a sense of amused curiosity accompanied it. Alana instantly glanced down to the small gem that she had gotten from the dark temple on Duro to see that it was emitting a faint glow and it had changed to a neutral blue colour. It felt...supportive but curious? Alana shook her head but the sensation didn't go away. The artefact was like a nosy good friend right now...Friend...Alana lifted her eyes from it to Jayden who was watching her calmly but with a ghost of a plea in his eyes that Alana was sure only she could notice because of the nature of their Force Bond. The gem vibrated slightly and Alana smiled. The thing was telling her to speak. Taking a deep breath, Alana spoke in a quiet but from voice:  
-You want to know what I think? Fair enough. Even though all logic and all of the Jedi protocol tells me otherwise I don't see you as evil. I know what you've done and what you could do but evil is one of the words that I doubt could ever match you,- a small smile eased its way onto her face-, you're too kind, Jayden.   
Jayden couldn't help staring at her. Alana softly released his hand from her grasp but before she could move it away he for some reason grasped it. Both of them froze when suddenly that faint jolt raced through them as soon as their hands touched, the jolt that had signified their Force Bond and the one that happened whenever the Force within their bodies brushed against the others. Unexpectedly the gem on Alana's jacket pocket began to glow with an extremely bright light and the young Jedi felt something like a tidal wave rip through the Force's current.   
The ship suddenly began to shake violently and TK, who had remained oddly quiet, whistled in alarm. Exchanging a single glance the Jedi and the Mandolorian instantly snapped into an emergency mindset and rushed to check their display screens. Both of them knew what to do. Alana's dark eyes ran over the displays and she grimaced when she heard numerous alarms begin to ring. She turned to TK and, raising her voice, yelled over the chaos:  
-TK, what with the alarm?! We've still got 7% of fuel left!  
-Bee-dwoo! Dee-reet bleep bzzt!  
-I know, I know! Then what is this?!  
Jayden shouted over all the commotion:  
-One of the alarms is the proximity sensor! It just came back online!  
-If it's blaring that means--  
-Yeah. We're about to hit something big! I have no clue what's going on and the nav computer is on the blink! Hey, tracker, can you fix it?  
-Beep-frotz!  
Alana sighed and ran a hand through her bangs - they were going to die unless one of them did something soon. Think,Alana,Think! Think! Suddenly she noticed that the light on the artefact had turned back to white and it was blinking. Her eyes widening Alana grasped it in the palm of her hand and shouted:  
-Guys, I have an idea! Please trust me!  
TK whistled an affirmative and Jayden gave a nod. Alana inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, tightening her hand into a fist around the gem. She pleaded it to give her the strength she lacked and she felt it heat up in her palm. She could do it or they were all doomed! No way in Malachor! She would do it! She would navigate the stars with the Force like only the few masters could - she had no choice.   
Behind her eyelids she could see the blue void and in a single burst of Force power Alana reached into the void, willing herself to find the string of the hyperspace lane and get them out before they died in a fiery explosion by hitting what felt like a star. She searched for it and a moment later she felt the "string", however it turned out that in her current state she wasn't strong enough to reach it. Tightening her grip around the artefact Alana though - please, please, please! Please!   
The palm of her hand began burning from where she was clutching onto the artefact but Alana didn't even wince, she focused all her energy outwards trying to grasp onto the string in the Force that a hyperspace lane left behind. Inside Alana knew that she was doing this whole Force Navigation thing wrong but no one had ever attempted to do this in hyperspace before and she had no time! She refused to fail again! She couldn't! The consequences of failure would be too high! Alana wasn't afraid of death but she wasn't very eager to come face to face with it either just yet and there was no way in the Galaxy she was going to let Jayden or TK do it on her watch! Forgetting all about the Jedi Code, Alana reached in deep within herself and in one last ditch effort she used her emotions - her pain, her fear, her hope, her desperation - to power the Force within her and reach out. Alana thrust one hand forward and reached in struggling to grasp onto the string that would save their lives. The air around her began crackling with immense energy and small lighting zaps formed at her feet. Alana heard TK trill an alarmed query from the background somewhere. One last push! Come on! It didn't matter if she expanded all her energy or how much it hurt - she would grasp that damn string! There! Alana had finally grasped it and using the last of her physical and mental strength Alana pulled on it. The ship lurched forward violently and Alana ended up being thrown back into the wall beside the door. Her mind felt hazy and her body was like lead, however she managed to open her eyes and smile slightly when she heard Jayden shout happily:  
-Alana, you did it! Yes!   
The alarms had shut off and relative silence was music to Alana's ears. The viewport finally showed the blackness of space and a completely blue planet. A planet they were currently hurtling towards...at record speed! TK seemingly had noticed that too as he chirped an alarmed warning and frantically began trying to get the sublight engines back online. Jayden gritted his teeth:  
-Right, we have good news and bad news. Which do you want?  
Alana forced her uncooperative body to stand up and quipped:  
-We're crashing into that planet, right?  
-Great guess, but no. Emergency landing time.  
Jayden grabbed the lever and shouted at TK to initiate the emergency landing procedures as they were pulled into the planets atmosphere. Alana quickly sat down on the copilot's chair and buckled on her crash webbing before grabbing another lever to keep the ship from falling nose-first. She groaned when she saw the planet's surface and whipped around to look at Jayden and TK:  
-I don't suppose you know how to do an emergency crash landing on a ridiculously thin platform on a planet made nearly entirely of water?!  
Jayden grasped the controls tighter and murmured:  
-We're about to find out... TK, boost power to the forward shield and getting ready for landing!   
-Beep.  
Alana flipped the ship sideways to avoid a very very sharp towering island spire as they plummeted. She screwed up her eyes as she felt the engines give out and them begin to drop. At the last moment as they were about to crash into the ocean Jayden pushed the levers forward to full power and the ship flew forward a few meters before coming to screeching, skidding landing on the rocky platform. Alana held her breath before the ship came to a halt in the middle of the pad. Jayden ran a hand through his hair and with a bright grin:  
-Congratulations everyone you just survived your second plunge to a certain death! This is was your captain speaking - have a good life!  
Alana stared at him for a moment before she started laughing and crying at the same time. The nerves had really gotten to her. She was alive! Alana smiled through her tears and shouted with pure joy:  
-We're alive! We made it! WE'RE ALIVE!  
In her utter blinding joy at being alive she tackled Jayden into a tight hug. He froze up for a moment before smiling and returning the embrace. Being alive had never meant so much...to both of them.


	31. Happy Birthday, Light's Brink!

1 year LB anniversary

Um, Hi! I'm not really sure how to start this off but I guess the best thing to say first is thank you. So everyone who read this whether you're a silent reader or if you're someone who told me what they thought - Thank you! 

I never thought I could actually write 30 chapters or I could continue writing for a year, so to me it's nothing short of a miracle. Over this year I've actually gotten very attached to this story and to Alana and Jayden so I'm sure that unless something drastic happens I WILL finish Light's Brink. I love that story too much not to.

Now, that I've said that I'm going to say what this is going to be about. It's not going to be a chapter (I'm working on Chapter 31 actively so it should be out sooner or later) but something more like me talking about how I even dreamt up Light's Brink (I probably should do this at the end of the fanfic but I can be a bit of a rebel) and at the end there WILL be a preview for CHAPTER 31. If you just want the preview skip to the end until you see my normal page breaks.

So for those who haven't skipped onwards!

Let's start with Alana...  
Well, Alana was a character that hadn't even fully formed until somewhere near chapter 7 - not until Jayden showed up.  
Alana's name wasn't something I randomly picked out though. Those of you who have read the EU will know the name Allana Solo, right? Well when I was poking through Wookiepedia I came across that little girl's name and I thought it was beautiful. So when I was randomly fooling around on my PC one evening, drawing characters out of anime bases, I randomly drew a girl with midnight blue eyes and caramel-brown hair in something resembling Jedi robes - I thought "Hmm, she looks like she's out of a Star Wars story why not give her a lightsaber to match?" So I did. I encountered a problem when saving the image as I had no idea what to name the girl. I suddenly remembered the name Allana but I made a mistake and misspelled it, turning it into Alana. Her last name was actually just something that fit and Sheelan did so...yeah. Alana didn't become a fanfic character until the next day though (read on to where I discuss Light's Brink)  
You can actually see the character's rapid change if you reread chapters 1-8 and even more if you compare chapter 8 Alana to chapter 30 Alana. She's really changed. But the thing with those first 8 chapters was that I had no idea what sort of character Alana was. I even had no clue she had amnesia until chapter 5 - that's me and my no planning ahead rule.  
Since I'm not done with the fanfic I can't speak too much of the characters and their back stories but wow is Alana's story something that surprised me. You see after a few chapters it's almost like the story and my characters have free will and I'm just there to write it all down - that's the beauty of not planning, you don't plan out life do you? So when Alana told me the basics of her backstory I ,with the help of my little sister (who I've mentioned quite a few times and she's really my greatest helper), reconstructed the whole thing from there. It'll be worth the wait when I can actually tell you the whole thing, guys, trust me on this.  
Alana's parents were something that I oddly didn't even think about until chapter 11 or something. Most of you have probably guessed who they are but you have no clue as to why they haven't talked to her, have you? That's staying a secret for now. I actually have dropped their names in the story at the same time before for those of you who notice details and Alana has read them out.  
Now as of Chapter 30 you know what that blue glow is but you still don't know what happens when Alana starts acting oddly when a powerful blue light rages all around her - the Force ghosts all seem terrified of that (well, the Sith ones do). A certain person has suggested a very curious theory of it being a Force ghost secretly inhabiting Alana's body and to that I say... You're thinking along the right lines but you're not entirely correct. Yes, Alana is not herself when that happens and yes something else is controlling her but that all ties into her past so I'm keeping my mouth shut. Let's just say both Revan and the other ghosts that have appeared before her know what that is.  
Actually Alana unlike all my other female characters doesn't resemble me in the least - only personality wise maybe. I do not have blue eyes or blonde-brown hair, I have chestnut brown hair and hazel eyes which is about as opposite from Alana's appearance as you can get. Like I said before Alana's looks was something that was randomly developed. If you're curious about that picture go on to Google images and type in "Alana Sheelan", then scroll down until you see a picture of a girl in between an image of a purple lightsaber and a stormtrooper helmet - that's the one that gave birth to Alana. And, yes, nearly all those pictures are mine (with exceptions of ones that make no sense when thinking about Light's Brink) - the ones you see as soon as you search Alana Sheelan up on google.  
That's about all I can say without giving the whole thing away. Let's just say I have a lot more planned with this girl.

Now onto Jayden...  
Jayden was a character that showed up out of the blue in Chapter 7 as you all know. Unlike Alana I had a bit more of a firm grip of what Jayden's personality was going to be like, but again Jayden was something I developed gradually.  
Jayden's name also went through a few changes. I was in the middle of Chapter 8 when I realised that the Mandolorian bounty hunter didn't even have a name (back then Jayden wasn't even a relevant part of the story) so I spent all of history class mulling that over. My first idea was the name Jayd but it sounded a bit too feminine so I randomly added the letters "e" and "n" at the end - thus turning him into Jayden. The last name Callen was like Alana's last name - something that fit.  
Jayden's character also has developed quite a bit if you compare the Chapter 30 him to the Chapter 9-10 him. However unlike Alana his backstory has barely been exposed and that's because Jayden still doesn't trust Alana or TK enough to talk about it. So I have to drag other characters in to make him talk even a bit. Jayden is a true Mandolorian though when push comes to shove as you can see concepts of honor and a fair fight engraved in his mind already. However Jayden is also Shadow a truly ruthless bounty hunter - like the person he is when you first meet him in Chapter 7, however there Shadow had been slightly knocked off balance by Alana being the way she was. Shadow's cruelty has also barely been shown in the past chapters but you can see some of it, for example the rakghoul incident and the thing with choking Alana - though the last thing is tame compared to most of the rest. You may have noticed that I tend to switch between calling Jayden Jayden and Shadow - if I call him Shadow that means he's slipped into Shadow and is no longer the guy he usually is. Shadow like every other character is also still only developing but I have a very clear idea of who he is.  
Jayden's family also had barely come up in the story. All you know so far is that both of his parents are dead, his grandma is alive and the ringleader of a true Mandolorian remnant - nothing more. You also know that he used to be with the Red Hand Syndicate and that he was treated like a slave with them (another thing that went toward his bitterness and into developing Shadow), but that's about all. Oh and I have mentioned the crest on Jayden's sleeve and in the middle of his armor's chestplate saying that was somethings that he had left from his family and it is. Jayden's backstory is also something that hurts me to think about since I love the character so much - I have to force myself to remember that I'm responsible for it. Ah, well his story will come up sooner or later (actually just take a look at the preview for a clue). Also I'm really looking forward to explaining why Jayden became a bounty hunter, hehe.  
Jayden's appearance was also something decided on a whim, I guess. I just thought that jet black messy-ish hair and green eyes fit the name Jayden and so it stuck. Oh and Jayden's usual clothes just like Alana's ones were inspired by a certain character - you get a virtual cookie if you can guess who. However Jayden's armour colours mean something, just like any Mandolorian's do:  
Green= duty, Jayden has a lot of that colour in his armour  
Grey= mourning a lost parent, love, family member - yes, as you know Jayden is an orphan but that's not everything that made him paint his armour grey.  
Orange= a lust for life - the crest that Jayden has is always in that colour, it's something he decided - he actually tortures himself by using that colour. Survivors guilt and that's all I'm saying.  
That's about all I wanted to say for Jayden without going into spoiler territory.

Alana and Jayden's...relationship (can I call it that?) is something that I have a clear idea where it's going and I'm sure a few people have guessed (because I'm lousy at stuff like that) but the conclusion? That's up to you to speculate and for me to know. I'm taking this Star Wars trope and putting a serious spin on it, since the usual Jedi thing has been used a few too many times. Come on - why does it have to always be a guy who's the Jedi and a girl who's normally a politician? Why not a female teenage Jedi and a Mando? That's more intriguing in my opinion, especially given the two cultures history. Sorry, if you didn't guess but I thought that was pretty obvious as to where I was going but as of Chapter 30 they're just becoming friends so there's a long way to go yet.

Now onto Tenebris (you can skip if you're bored)...

Tenebris is a character that half the time I hate and half the time I love. He's just awesome that way. My younger sister lovingly calls him Darky and for the sake of keeping things short I'm going to call him that here too because his name is way too easily misspelled (trust me I know from experience). So Darth Tenebris=Darky here, okay?  
Darky first appeared in Chapter 3 which apart from Kai Lionis is the earliest another character has ever appeared. To tell you the truth I wasn't even sure whether that Sith was a man or a woman until I found myself writing that Alana identified him as a guy. So he ended up being male. If you were to reread Chapter 3 and Chapter 30 now you would see a slight discrepancy between Darky's goals because as I said and will repeat - I had no clue as to where the story was going until Chapter 9 - me and my hatred of planning strike again. Anyway, he's something that also came up out of the blue and I had to have a major brainstorming session (with some help from my sister) so he would make sense.  
Darky's Sith name Tenebris was not so random. I like using Latin and so I went on google translate to find a word in Latin that:  
A) Would sound like a Sith Title  
B) Had at least a Sithy meaning  
And so Tenebris came to be, and I know that this is very cliche but it means darkness in Latin. Funnily enough in one of my original storied Tenebris is the name of an ancient evil black dragon (blame Acnologia - cookie to anyone who got that reference). Back to Darky though his real name Valoren was something that I only came up with as I was writing Chapter 25 and so was his backstory- hatred of planning strikes again. More like Darky is just very uncooperative and hates talking about himself even to me - the author. Stingy dude.  
To my eyes Tenebris is a bit different from a normal Sith (just like Alana is in no way a normal Jedi) by the way he acts. His goal is Alana and like I said in the summary - he will not stop at anything to get to her even employing long ancient ghost and taking over people's minds. However just chasing a teenager through the galaxy is no fun so Darky has a big big surprise planned for the galaxy - well done if you've guessed it! Hehe...Mwahaha!  
Like I said I had no clue that Darky was even Alana's Sith grandfather's student until last chapter. The same story was with Darky's appearance - I really wing a lot of things.  
That's about all I can and want to say so far on him.

The last character I'll talk about in depth is TK-26...  
TK is a character that in no way or shape I was planning on involving in the story until he popped up Chapter 16 and ok, maybe I did want a third character on the Crimson Storm because to be honest having those two alone on one ship is a recipe for disaster.  
TK-26 was a name and a character that I had to think over for quite a bit. I have a profound love for HK droids (Mwahaha...that evil laugh does mean something, you'll see) and I just couldn't resist putting at least one trait into this droid. TK was inspired by four droids: R2-D2, Chopper from Rebels (you know where the grumpiness comes from), HK-47 from KOTOR and T7-O1 from TOR. You can see bits of their personalities in his as well as something totally original - the last part was my doing. TK is very mature for a droid, if you can put it that way. He's been around in the galaxy far longer than R2 or Threepio have and he's seen nearly every corner of it but he's still exploring. TK can be quite loyal to the people he accepts but the only person he would truly refer to as his Master is the little girl who saved him from the scrap heap and he became her first friend. I'm sure quite a few people have guessed who she was but TK himself can't be sure. There are a lot of different people in the galaxy and by his estimates the child who saved him should be long dead by now and he's right. I really should shut up or I'll spoil everything.  
TK is a character that I really love despite how hard he is to write. I especially love writing his interactions with Jayden because those two butt heads so often. Jayden is the "idiot captain" to TK while Alana is either Alana or the Jedi girl. TK is a character that despite being an unexpected addition is a very welcome one now.  
His appearance was also something that I WANTED (note that this wasn't on a whim) to be original because R2 droids are overused and T models are adorable but very old so I came up with a hybrid. There's a reason for the way he looks but again spoilers. TK is a tracker killer droid that is also very effective as a spy (*cough*holograms*cough*) and I really hope you like him.  
Mm, that seems to be all I can say without going into spoiler territory.

Now the last thing and this is probably going to be rather short : Light's Brink itself.

Light's Brink is actually my first Star Wars story ever and I'm really really proud of it but nervous about how it's received too. I'm overjoyed at how many reads it's gotten and whenever I see that I have a new comment or review it makes me really ecstatic. My parents don't really support my love of writing or of Star Wars (they tolerate it) so whatever outside support I get makes me really happy. Everyone need some encouragement even if it's in the form of one word, I do my best to encourage others like that especially since OC stories don't get much support.

Anyway, Light's Brink was born a year ago from today - on the 17th of September 2015. I was super bored in math class the day after drawing that picture of Alana and before I could stop myself I picked up my pencil and words started forming themselves on the margins of my exercise book - that was how Light's Brink's first chapter came to be. There was no planning, no grand scheme, no nothing - just a boring math lesson and a pencil. My hatred for planning has always been present so those people who've been with me since day 1 will have noticed that the summary has changed 3 times and that's because the story initially was supposed to take a very different direction. 

The original story was supposed to be about Alana rapidly passing the Jedi Knight trials and going off to fight in the clone wars however...Jayden Callen just had to come barrelling into the story and make all my previous ideas seem worthless. And to make matters worse the Jedi Council just HAD to send Alana on a mission across the kriffing galaxy to make my life easier! Yeah, that was a huge change of direction - that's why my story is so shaky up till Chapter 9. But, hey, I'm not complaining I'm actually glad that this whole change came about since this story seems way more interesting and original than the Clone Wars idea. 

Also if you look up right now in the summary you should see a line saying "Book 1 of Legacy of the Lost" and it's true. This Legacy of the Lost thing happened when I posted my story on AO3 and it asked me whether it was going to be part of a series and since I was a novice on AO3 I said yes and I had to give it a name. It became book 1 of Legacy of the Lost and yes, if life permits I have a very good idea in mind to continue past Light's Brink but let's not put the cart before the horse. I'd rather finish school and this fanfic before doing anything else. And, yes, I post on three sites - Wattpad, Fanfiction-dot-net and AO3 just as a precaution.

That's about it, thanks for reading this in depth discussion of the story. And now... THE PREVIEW! This is just going to be a few cut out scenes from Chapter 31, they may change a bit in the complete chapter.

==SW: LB==

-Alana, the Jedi have reason to believe that you are travelling with one of the people who nearly assassinated the Chancellor and you are ordered to report to them within the next twelve hours.

\--SW--

-Well, well, never thought I'd run into you this side of the galaxy, Callen.  
-Zeth Ordo.

\--SW--  
-Alana, is that you?!  
-Senator Amidala?! What are you doing here?!

\--SW--

As TK watched them be dragged off he sighed inwardly, why did he feel like this was just the beginning of another problem. Good thing droids didn't get headaches like organics.

Yeah, yeah it's a sucky preview but I don't want to spoil anything. It's hopefully going to be a good chapter. Lots of moral decisions and possibly a hint of action (just a tiny bit but for you action-lovers the chapter after the next will probably be more appealing). 

Anyway I just wanted to say two things:

1) THANK YOU, EVERYONE!

2) HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY, LIGHT'S BRINK!!

See you in Chapter 31 everyone!


	32. Deadly Water Planet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya! I'm back! And it only took me what? 3 days? Yes. Now I know I did a preview on the anniversary thingy but I have to warn you that most of the stuff on the preview isn't in this chapter despite it being over 7400+ words long - a major chunk of the chapter is occupied by a certain event which you'll see below so I'm sorry but that's the way it is - don't worry everything should continue according to plan in the next chapter. This chapter was very...interesting to write as I had no clue where it was going after the third section so I sincerely apologise of it seems less realistic than normal. I do make it a point to keep things realistic and do research for that very purpose. I actually remembered how to do CPR while writing this, huh. I'm still slightly sick but I should be going back to school soon so I will have a little less time for writing but that's not going to stop me. Anyway, as always - Enjoy!

Chapter 31 - Deadly Water Planet

-So where exactly are we?  
Jayden questioned without looking up from one of the panels he was working with. TK projected a holographic map of the galaxy with a single system blinking red. Alana crossed her arms:  
-According to TK's data we're in the Bestine System, more accurately we're on Bestine IV. From what I can recall Bestine IV is a world covered by a planet-wide ocean with cities being built on small island formations that dot the globe. According to the data the archives in the Temple had the main cities are supposedly Gasha and Jahnae. Since we seem to have landed on rock I bet we're not too far from Jahnae, Gasha is built on a different surface. The standard day here is 26 hours and the main language is Basic. The planet is formally republic, however most consider it to be neutral ground as it had no value in the long run. The population consists of mainly and H'kigs, however numerous other races are noted.   
Jayden turned around for a second and raised an eyebrow:  
-H'kigs?  
Alana shrugged:  
-They're a peaceful, religious race, from what I can tell they're hard workers and they are kind to outsiders - which is more than I can say for a lot of humans. Anyway, they look something like a cross between a weequay and Duros to me, apparently they were originally called Galands. We shouldn't have any problems with them. Thanks, TK.  
The droid deactivated his projector and grumbled something about the fact that they should probably go and scout out their cra-ahem, landing- site. Alana nodded:  
-TK's right, we should go and look around.  
Jayden held up a hand:  
-Wait 30 seconds and I promise we'll go together. Safety in numbers and all that.  
Alana leaned her head to the side, a teasing smile on her lips and a spark of amusement in her eyes:  
-Don't give me that gibberish, Jayden. Admit it - you want off the ship, right?  
Jayden shot her a quick glare before returning to the diagnostic he was running:  
-Why is it that you use every possible opportunity to irk me?  
Alana grinned and shot back:  
-Why is it that you call me princess?  
Jayden rolled his eyes and swiped down on the screen, while Alana grinned triumphantly:  
-Just what I thought.  
Suddenly Alana's holocommunicator started beeping. Frowning, she pulled it out and her expression darkened when she saw who it was. TK piped up from beside her:  
-Bee-deet?  
-Yeah, looks like them. I better take this - I've been gone from the grid for 3 weeks now. Sorry, Jayden, I'll step outside.  
-Sure, I'll meet you there in a bit.  
Alana nodded and made her way out of the ship, TK hot on her heels. As soon as she started down the ramp she felt cool fresh ocean air assault her skin and barely suppressed a smile. When her gaze caught the first patch of the flawlessly blue sky above Alana couldn't restrain herself - her lips turned up and formed a bright smile. The sunlight, the wind, the sound of tiny waves crashing against the landing pad - it was all so ordinary and yet so amazing at the same time to Alana. Her happiness was interrupted by the insistent beeping of her holocommunicator- the Jedi were adamant. Alana bit her lip before turning to TK, the only other being who had been there last time:  
-Should I...  
-Bee-dwoo.  
-You're right. It's not like they'll let up. Still, I have a bad feeling about this. We're in the middle of the inner rim, but just in case can you boost the signal?  
-Beep.  
TK's projector did a 180° and two translucent holographic figures of certain Jedi appeared. Alana gave a sigh of relief when instead of the council she was met with two familiar faces - Master Lunas and Emira. The two Jedi seemed relieved upon seeing her, the older woman spoke first:  
-Oh, Alana! Thank the Force, you're safe!  
-Master Lunas? Emira? What's going on? I thought the Council was calling.  
Emira sighed before smiling:  
\- The Council's kinda busy. Master is calling from Coruscant and I'm on Tatooine actually.  
-What in the galaxy are you doing there?  
Emira's expression darkened:  
-Searching for Ayume. It's not good, Alana, something much bigger is going on. I have the feeling that this whole business with my half-sister is a trap for me.  
-And...  
-Yeah, I'm going right into it. She's my sister, Alana.  
Master Lunas shook her head as she glanced at her padawan:  
-I don't agree with Emira's decision, but I will respect it. Though Emira--  
-I know, I know, attachments....  
Alana frowned slightly and averted her eyes at the mention of the words attachments. Her mind drifted to her two teammates - was she getting attached? She probably didn't want to know the answer to that. Alana looked up:  
-Master Lunas, tell me the truth: is the Council mad at me for what happened when we last spoke?  
Master Lunas's expression hardened and she spoke softly, carefully choosing her words:  
-Alana, I'll be honest with you - the council was very unhappy with your refusal and there were a few Masters who wanted you out of the Order, but with words from both Master Yoda and Master Kenobi the situation calmed down. Even Master Windu said that expulsion was too hasty of a decision. What you did--  
Alana shook her head furiously as she cut across the white-haired Master:  
-Was right. Master, they wanted me to bring him there so he would be in less danger of turning to the Dark Side but don't they see that taking him by force would only do what they wanted to avoid? I still stand by my decision and if I could go back in time and do it all over again I'd say the same things.   
-Alana, what you're saying right now goes against our principles. The wellbeing of many is more important than the wellbeing of a few.  
Alana furiously swiped her hand through the air:  
-No! Master, those few are what make up the many! Besides what they asked me to do was basically kidnap a child - that's not what Jedi are supposed to do! If that is truly what we are supposed to be like then the Order needs to change!  
Emira looked up at her best friend, sadness in her eyes:  
-Alana, are you saying you are walking away from the Order?  
Alana froze before sighing and running a hand down her face:  
-No...I just don't see that as what Jedi should do. It's wrong. I'm not a mindless puppet that the Masters can exert control over - I won't blindly do what they say if it goes against what I believe is right.  
Master Lunas's hologram crossed her arms:  
-The Masters know best, Alana.  
-Master, I beg to differ - everyone makes mistakes. I feel as if the Order... Well, it refuses to change - but the world is changing and if we don't we'll get crushed. I just have a feeling that the Order was meant to be different when it was created.  
As soon as she finished speaking the last words Alana's vision swam and suddenly images flitted before her mind's eye: A large crowd, a man talking in front of them with 11 others behind him - he was making a speech and in the end he ignited his lightsaber - a silver-blue colour. She staggered back as she tried to catch her breath. Emira looked at her in concern and TK chirped a worried query. Alana smiled as she straightened up again:  
-I'm fine, guys. Sorry, just a headache.Anyway, I doubt you two called to discuss the principles of our order - what happened?  
Emira glanced at her Master:  
-May I go first?  
-Of course.  
Emira nodded and ,folding her arms behind her back, spoke:  
-Alana, I ran into your Sith.  
Alana's eyes widened instantly:  
-What?! How do you know it was him?!  
Emira sighed, her sky blue eyes serious:  
-Well, who else hides in the shadows and uses Force stasis to freeze people and is a master at hiding his presence? He also says weird creepy things. And he has a weird lightsaber with a black slightly bent hilt.  
Alana slowly nodded:  
-That sounds like him. What did he say to you?  
Emira's lip formed a thin line before she exhaled and said:  
-I'm going to quote him: "You, little Jedi, are a bit too smart for your own good so just remember this - the people we love are often what cause our downfall. You still do not see the big picture but sooner or later this galaxy will see". He's planning something.  
Alana nodded:  
-It seems like it, but why contact me?  
Master Lunas explained:  
-Because Kai had gone off looking for him per the chancellor's orders.  
-WHAT?! Why would Master be so foolish?!  
-Do you see any other choice? He's the only one apart from you who can track down the Sith Lord.  
Alana shook her head:  
-No! He's an idiot! The Sith Lord will kill him! I'm the one he's searching for! The rest of this galaxy's inhabitants are just pawns to him! Master, you idiot!  
-Alana...  
-How could the Jedi let him go?!  
Master Lunas looked down:  
-It was the Chancellor's orders - we couldn't stop Kai. He spoke to Master Yoda before leaving though and he must know...  
Alana crossed her arms, one gripping the other tightly, she asked:  
-How long ago did he leave?  
-Two days ago... He'll be fine. Trust in the Force.  
-How could you let this happen... And since when does the Chancellor have the power to give us orders?!  
Emira was the one who responded, frowning:  
-Since last week - something like a bill was passed. Not major orders but yeah, more like personal requests that we can't refuse...  
Master Lunas picked up from there:  
-Which brings us to what the Council wanted me to ask you. The Chancellor has told us to investigate into the people who nearly killed him and the Jedi have reasons to believe that you are traveling with one of them. A man known as the Death's Hand or Shadow? Alana, are you travelling with this man?  
Alana's breath caught in her throat. She struggled to keep her face impassive as she felt as though all the air had been knocked out of her lungs. Alana could feel Jayden standing a few paces behind her, apprehension emanating from him. She knew the answer to the question but she was lost as to what to do. Swallowing, Alana asked in a slightly quieter voice:  
-What grounds does the Council have to believe this?  
Master Lunas frowned:  
-A trio of Rodians came up and described the man's face to us, his description matches that of the man Commander Arc last saw you with. Alana, you've been given twelve hours - the Council expects a report by then, search the man's mind if you have to. Ayla Lunas out.  
The hologram of Ayla Lunas faded and Alana was left staring blankly at Emira, one fist clenched at her side. Her best friend sighed:  
-Alana, I know what you're thinking but Master is just doing what the council is asking her to do. She doesn't like this any better than you do.   
Alana shook her head and barely audibly whispered:  
-I doubt it... She hasn't seen what I have, she doesn't know what she's asking me to do.  
Emira gave her a sympathetic look:  
-Alana, you know what the right thing to do is. But your choice is yours. May the Force be with you.  
With those parting words Emira too faded and the transmission cut off. Alana closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, her holocommunicator clenched in her hand. Jayden took a step forward when Alana spoke up:  
-No, don't.  
He sighed but stopped:  
-Alana...  
She turned around to look at him and he was surprised to see the resolve in her eyes. He crossed his arms and leaned against the ramp, watching her carefully. There was a moment of silence before TK piped up from beside the young Jedi:  
-Dee-rwoo? Bee-bzot?  
Jayden nodded:  
-Yeah, it most likely was them. I'm surprised they went to the Jedi though considering their track record. But, Alana, what are you going to do? You only have 12 hours to think it over.  
Alana's voice was quiet but firm as she spoke:  
-I don't need that time - I know my answer.  
-Is that so...?  
-Yes.  
She looked him in the eyes and in their midnight blue depth he could see a strong light burning. He ran a hand through his hair, his right hand dropping to his blaster holster:  
-So...   
Alana turned away and looked up into the sky. She was silent for a moment before speaking:  
-The sky is so blue. Makes you feel like it's endless, doesn't it? It makes me feel so free...,-Alana sighed,- but the reality is that I'm not. The Council, the creepy Chancellor - I answer to them and until they deem me trustworthy I'm like an akk dog on a chain. The Jedi? This mission is the first time they've entrusted anything to me - I've always been that little girl found abandoned on a planet with no memory, powerful in the Force - sure but very dangerous too. The Chancellor? He's a creep and he most definitely doesn't trust me so that's a dead end. I hate that. I hate being confined so I could never... Not...  
Her voice was faltering at the last sentence which was highly unusual. Jayden took a step forward and placed a hand on her shoulder:  
-Alana? This is up to you.  
She finally turned around, her dark blue eyes shining:  
-I won't. I'll lie.  
His eyes widened in shock:  
-What?! But you hate lying!  
She gave him a small smile:  
-I'm not lying - just not telling the full truth. After all I'm just travelling with Jayden Callen and TK however Shadow was the one who tried to kill that creep. I don't know Shadow as far as the Jedi are concerned.  
She spun on her heel and with that small bright smile started walking towards the settlement that was up ahead. Jayden and TK looked at each other before following her silently. Alana suddenly stopped and added:  
-Besides... I couldn't live with myself if I did tell them and they locked you up.  
-You know I'd escape, right? And you'd just be doing your job.  
-I wouldn't be able to forgive myself.  
Jayden looked at her back in confusion:  
-Why?  
There was a moment of silence before Alana softly replied:  
-Because I'd betray you and I'd lose your trust. I couldn't forgive myself for that. That's not what friends do!  
-Alana...  
She turned around and gave him a bright but a somewhat fake in his eyes smile, a smile that concealed her pain:  
-You're my friend, Jayden and I will never betray you - I promise.  
He smiled wryly:  
-You're a weirdo, you know that?  
Her fake smile turned to a real one as she faked indignation:  
-Hey! I'm trying to be nice and there you go calling me names!  
-What? It's true. Besides I'm not saying that I'm completely normal either.  
-Aha! So you admit it?  
Jayden shrugged:  
-Well, I don't have much choice. What kind of normal Mandolorian is friends with a crazy droid and a Jedi of all people?  
Alana grinned and surprisingly even TK chortled:  
-The best kind: a Jayden.  
The Mando rolled his green eyes:  
-Oh, so I'm a whole separate class now, am I?  
-Yep.  
-Beep.  
He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, hiding a genuine smile:  
-What am I going to do with the two of you crazies?  
-Join our crazy club, Cap'n?  
-Alana!

==SW:LB==

A local man with a scraggly brown beard scratched his head as he listened to Alana and Jayden's explanation of what had happened to them:  
-So you say your hyperdrive had most likely been damaged?  
Alana nodded:  
-Yeah, the navicomputer has been on the blink too. Honestly it's a miracle we managed to crash-land in one piece.  
The man nodded:  
-Well, I'll give you this - you,boy, must be one gifted pilot to manage something like that. Either that or you have a devaronian's luck.  
Jayden shrugged:  
-I'd say it's a bit of both actually.  
Alana rolled her eyes as she glanced back at him:  
-My, how modest.  
-Hey, I'm just stating the facts.  
The man chuckled at the exchange:  
-You two make a cute pair. Tell you what, my boys and I'll take a look at it and we'll tell you if there's anything that needs to be replaced.  
-Really?  
-Sure, why not? It wouldn't be very manly of me to refuse a beautiful young lady when she asks for help.  
Alana smiled brightly and gave a quick bow of her head:  
-Thank you so much! The two of us are no experts in that specific area and we'd probably just muck up.   
-It's no problem, Miss--  
-Oh, I'm Alana. That's my partner Jayden and this is TK-26.  
Jayden gave a curt nod and TK raised one mechanical appendage as some sort of a salute. The man grinned and held out a hand:  
-I'm Bruno. So do we have a deal?  
Alana shook his hand:  
-Sure. When should I pay?  
-Ah,kid, we'll take a look and then we'll talk price,'k?  
-Um, alright.  
Alana suddenly heard Jayden's voice over their bond:  
-We should leave the tin can behind just in case.  
-He seems trustworthy.  
-Your naïveté never fails to amaze me. How have you survived this long? Look, just trust me on this.  
-Alright.  
Alana tapped the man on the arm:  
-Um, can we leave our droid behind just in case? The ship is a bit...,- Alana paused searching for an appropriate word,- unique and he knows how to handle it.  
TK gave a surprised whistle but trilled a reluctant affirmative note when he noticed the pleading look Alana was giving him. How was it that he gave in when she asked him? Probably just his protective programming kicking in. Satisfied with that explanation TK set his systems on major awareness mode. The Jedi girl gave him a small smile and mouthed "thanks". Bruno shrugged:  
-Sure, not a problem. Anything else I can help you kids with?  
Alana paused for a moment and Jayden took that as his opportunity to speak:  
-Yeah, we need to know two things. One: how do we get to Jahnae and two- heard any rumours lately?  
Bruno tapped his chin thoughtfully:  
-Well, I can tell you how to get to Jahnae and it's not that far from here but as for rumours? Hmm, oh yes! Have you heard the one about the Phantom's eye?!  
Alana and TK shook their heads in unison while Jayden stiffened. He suddenly burst out:  
-Are you sure that you heard that name correctly?!  
-Yeah, saw him too. All red and orange-like, nearly shot me too. But ol' Bruno's too fast for him though. Why?  
Alana felt waves of distress and anger radiating from Jayden, she concentrated and could feel Shadow slowly creeping up. Frowning, she placed an hand on Jayden's arm and looked into his eyes, concerned:  
-Jayden? Jayden, look at me.  
The last sentence was firm and when green finally met vibrant dark blue the darkness quickly receded. Alana felt the small shock that shot up her arm when Jayden's Force presence momentarily brushed against hers but she ignored it and didn't let go. He nodded and rubbed his forehead tiredly with his hand:  
-Sorry, I'm fine. Thanks.  
Alana smiled and stepped back, giving him his personal space:  
-No problem.   
Bruno chuckled:  
-Heh, seems like I was right with my earlier statement: you two youngsters make a good pair.  
Jayden shrugged:  
-We make a good team, right, Alana?  
She smiled brighter and nodded:  
-When we're not arguing we sure do. Now, Bruno, how exactly do we get to Jahnae?

==SW: LB==

Alana and Jayden walked along the lower section of the underground tunnel leading to Jahnae in relative silence. The air in the tunnel was humid and chilly, much colder than the way it was outside but this was the only way to Jahnae from their landing spot and it wasn't as if either of the teenagers noticed any of this. No, they were far too lost in their own musings to notice either of the aforementioned things. Finally, fed up with those questions crowding her mind, Alana stopped and burst out:  
-Jayden, how do you know the Phantom's Eye?  
Jayden looked in her direction to see a serious expression on her face, he sighed. This was one conversation he did not want to have anytime soon but it was obvious there was no avoiding it. Not when he'd basically dug his own grave by reacting that way to the name in front of her of all people. Of course she'd sensed his emotions through their odd bond. There was a pause before he finally replied:  
-I'll tell you that if you--  
Suddenly Alana held up a hand, the expression on her face was one of confusion and worry. She scanned the tunnel before muttering:  
-Something is wrong...  
Jayden reached out with all of his senses and tried to figure out what exactly she was talking about when he too heard it and felt it: the sound of rushing water. Oh no. Just as he thought that the tunnel entrances closed by themselves blocking the exits. He looked to his right to see a large gash in the wall from which water was spilling in - this was becoming quite a problem. He glanced at Alana who for some reason had closed her eyes and had reached out her right hand towards the gash, a moment later he realised she was using the Force to try and hold the water back. Through gritted teeth the young Jedi squeezed out:  
-Jayden, unlock the doors. Hurry.  
The Mando nodded:  
-On it.  
Alana opened her eyes but kept the resistance against the water's force up. They were more than 500 meters under the water's surface and unless Jayden managed to unlock the doors to the next section pronto this section would detach as a precaution and sink to the ocean floor - taking them along with it. Alana groaned as the water's force against her block gradually increased - she knew she couldn't hold it off for much longer, launching the ship out of hyperspace had taken an enormous toll on her body. She turned to Jayden:  
-Hurry. I can't do this much longer!  
-I am but--  
He was cut off by a loud clang and a moment later both of the teenagers registered the fact that they and this section were sinking. Alana's hold against the gash finally broke and water started rapidly pouring into the tunnel. Uh oh. In seconds the water level had reached to Alana's ankles and started climbing higher. She was breathing heavily, the remaining vestiges of her Force Power drained by holding back that enormous mass of water. Through her laboured breathing she shouted:  
-Hey, we seem to be drowning.  
Jayden, who was still trying to get the panels to work, voiced his agreement:  
-I noticed. On a scale of one to ten how screwed do you think we are?  
Alana tilted her head, pretending to think about it, as she waded through the now knee-deep water:  
-If we were to add in the fact that I'm totally drained of my Force powers and that the doors are jammed, oh and let's not forget the giant sink-crabs and the armoured fish in the oceans - I'd say about 11 and a half give or take. But isn't that always the way it is? 11 and half is actually pretty tame compared to the 17 and three quarters we faced on Corellia.  
Jayden shot her a grin before returning to furiously trying to unlock the doors or at least activate a ray shield around the sinking part of the tunnel:  
-Heh, what's life without a few situations where you are inches away from death,right?  
Alana smiled wryly as she stood beside him, looking at the rapidly rising water level apprehensively:  
-I'd prefer it if they weren't so frequent. Who do you think wants you dead?  
Jayden raised an eyebrow:  
-Maybe it's you and not me - your Sith did drop a tower on us.  
-Mm, this doesn't seem like his style, besides I sensed no dark presences.  
-Then maybe your Jedi senses need a tune up since we seem to be in danger of drowning.  
Alana huffed:  
-How about a little less attitude and a little more switching on the Ray shield?  
-Hey, you want to operate this thing while waist-deep in water?  
-I am waist-deep in water, hunter.  
-Then you know what I'm talking about. Either help or be quiet, Jedi.  
Alana rolled her eyes:  
-This is seriously not the time for one of our famous arguments.  
Jayden sighed and giving up, straightened up:  
-True. Any last words?  
-Yeah, can you open up that gash with anything?  
Jayden shot her an are-you-insane look and Alana sighed:  
-Look, even if we did get the rayshield operational and managed to send out a distress beacon we'd probably suffocate before anyone found us - someone did this and I'm betting anything they're jamming all communications. Look.  
Alana waded over to the spot beside the gash and dived under water for a few seconds before coming up again with a pointy metal object in her hand. The water level was now up to the base of her neck so Alana swam back over to Jayden and held out whatever she'd noticed. Jayden took it and his face darkened when he saw what it was:  
-A harpoon.  
-A piercing harpoon with a heat sensor and look.  
She turned it over in his hand and pointed at a tiny logo on the side. Anger emanated from Jayden as soon as he spotted it: a barely visible hollow blue circle with a turquoise arrow running through it - however the inner part of the circle was now coloured in orange. Balling up his free hand into a fist Jayden squeezed out:  
-The Rodians.  
Alana nodded:  
-Seems like them. What exactly did you do to piss them off so much?  
-I'll tell you when we're not about to drown. And to answer your earlier question - no, I don't have anything to open that gash but what's your plan? We must be about 800 meters below water level - I doubt we can swim up without suffocating or being crushed by the enormous pressure. Well, we could try.  
Alana made a motion with her shoulders which Jayden couldn't fully see as the water level had reached her chin now:  
-We don't have another option. It's either sink or swim and we better choose fast because lightsabers don't work in water. How good are you at holding your breath and swimming?  
-I'm decent, I was trained. Can you swim?  
-Yes, seems I learned as a kid. I'm bad at holding my breath though but thankfully I have an Ayyshiri upgraded aquata breather. It's actually a standard item for Jedi. So,sink or swim?  
Jayden gave a grim smile and echoed her own words back to her:  
-That better not be a question.  
-Sure. Here we go.  
Alana put the rebreather in her mouth and Force pulled her green lightsaber to her hand, with a final nod at Jayden she raised it above the water level which covered her mouth by now and ignited it. The lightsaber sputtered before igniting fully and Alana cut a human sized hole in the ceiling. Instantly the tunnel was completely submerged in water and the lightsaber shut off. It's owner haphazardly attached it back to her belt before refocusing.  
       Alana forced herself to keep her eyes open and climbed out of the tunnel through hole. Jayden followed after her. The salty water stung her eyes but she forced herself to keep them open, Alana breathed in using the rebreather and pushed off the now fully submerged tunnel - flying towards the ocean surface as the water sought to expel her from it's depths and as gravity struggled to keep her down. Alana had to use her arms soon enough to propel herself upwards somewhat like a jellyfish but that was becoming increasingly difficult as the the water pressure was so immense it took all her strength just to move and the surface was still so far away. Knowing that her heavy boots were only dragging her down Alana paused for a second and kicked them off, feeling little remorse as she saw them drift toward the ocean floor, life was a little more important than shoes in her opinion. Her will to survive and her stubborn streak forced her to keep swimming - to keep fighting for her life. Nearly two minutes had passed and yet they still hadn't reached the surface even with their insistent swimming. Alana felt her respect for Jayden increase as he was still managing to swim just by holding his breath - she hadn't known that was possible. Suddenly she heard him shout at her over their bond:  
-ALANA, LOOK OUT!  
The young Jedi whirled around to see a giant sink crab swiping at her with its pincer. Instinctively she forced her body to spiral away from it and just in time - a moment later the crabs claw clamped down on where she had been. Alana's eyes widened despite the pain the salt water was causing them: she had no idea these crabs were carnivorous! The crab reached for her again and Alana found herself frozen in shock, she couldn't move. A  mere second before the claw would have pierced her Jayden launched himself at her and pushed her out of the way, earning himself a serious gash on his leg for his efforts. He shook her by the shoulders to snap her out of her shock and Alana finally snapped back. Jayden hurriedly pulled one of his blasters from his holster and relying solely on his intuition shot at the one of the bubble-like things on the sink crab's back. His intuition proved to be correct as the crab began sinking and a moment later stopped moving entirely. He felt relief and guilt flood over from Alana over their Force bond. He holstered his blaster and pointed upwards, she gave him a thumbs up - they continued swimming upwards, Jayden knew he couldn't hold his breath for much longer.  
    Feeling that he was starting to suffocate, Jayden gave a powerful kick and that was the moment when a sharp jolt of pain ran up his leg which caused him to gasp and release his breath - drawing in water. Alana, who was above him, felt the jolt of panic and the bond cut off only a moment later. She instantly turned around only to see Jayden starting to drown, tiny bubbles of air escaping from his mouth and his eyes closed. Fear surging through her she forced herself to dive back after him even though the water pressure was getting immense. Fortunately she managed to grab his arm before he fell too deep. Pulling it around her shoulders, Alana brought him up to level with her.   
    She knew he was suffocating and unless she got to the water surface in ten seconds flat from this moment he would die without any oxygen but that was just physically impossible- there were at least 90 more metres to go. Logic overpowering emotion and sentimentality, Alana drew in one last breath from the rebreather before pulling it out and making Jayden's mouth close around it. She knew that this wouldn't sustain him for long as he was unconscious and this rebreather required conscious use but with a certain twi'lek's upgrades in place this would give her a little more time. She couldn't let him die - not when he'd just saved her life! Sure, she sucked at holding her breath but Jayden needed the aquata-breather more than she did right now. Making sure that the thing's emergency functions had activated, Alana tightened her grip on Jayden and kicked her legs to propel them both upwards. It was much harder than it had been with Jayden's weight added on and her arms unusable, but Alana refused to surrender. Her Master had always said that the word "quit" wasn't even in her vocabulary and she had no desire to add it there, still her strength was running out and she knew she couldn't hold her breath for long. However it wasn't her stubbornness that made her keep pushing- it was her guilt and fear for Jayden's life. She owed him too much to let him die like this! Besides a watery grave like this wouldn't suit him in any case.   
    She was nearly there...60 meters...55....50...45...40.. At around 20 Alana began to suffocate and she'd accidentally drawn water in through her nose. At 15 she could feel her lungs begin to burn. At 10 she ran out of strength to keep moving. No! She was so close! Alana gathered up the remaining vestiges of her strength in one final burst and propelled both of them towards the surface. Only two meters were left and Alana's vision started dimming both from the pain the salt water caused and from the lack of oxygen...One last kick! Alana pushed herself one last time.   
    Alana finally broke out to the surface of the water along with the unconscious Jayden. She spat out the water in her lungs and finally closed her eyes, drawing in deep much-needed breaths of precious air. Thankfully the sea surface was still and calm and Alana was able to catch her breath without fighting off any waves. The weight around her shoulders forced herself to open her eyes and check on Jayden.   
     The aquata-breather had shut off the moment Alana had broken through to the oceans surface and that meant whatever last machine that had been sustaining his life had also been turned off and she couldn't push the water out of his lungs here. Alana carefully extracted the rebreather from his mouth and somehow shoved it back into her belt pouch. Worriedly, she scanned the horizon through the partings of her extremely wet hair and to her relief she saw a giant city standing on a rocky surface not far from where they had come up - Jahnae. Sighing with relief, Alana gripped Jayden tighter and ignoring the protest her bare legs were giving her she made herself swim to the shoreline, pulling Jayden along. Force, she had never felt her muscles in so much pain before. Praying that this worked, Alana called on the Force to increase her spread and give her strength as she could feel Jayden's force presence rapidly fading. It worked and Alana's speed increased and using it she finally reached the shoreline. However there were railings around the city and Alana in no way could climb up that high with an unconscious Jayden on her back. Thankfully for both of them a young togruta couple was passing by and the woman spotted them. She turned to her partner and he nodded. Crouching down she addressed Alana in gentle accented Basic:  
-Do you need help?!  
The young Jedi mutely nodded a frantic yes, she was too tired to speak - her fear for her partner's life was the only thing sustaining her and keeping her from passing out. In one fell swoop the male togruta bent the railing and reached down to Alana, the woman did the same.   
-Hand your friend over to my husband and I'll pull you up.  
Realising that that was the only rational thing to do, Alana did as she was told and carefully handed Jayden over to their other rescuer. She grabbed onto the woman's hand with both arms and with a burst of strength the togruta woman pulled her up. Upon ending up in a sitting position Alana crawled over to Jayden's side. His Force presence was nearly gone and he wasn't breathing. The couple looked between each other and the gathered onlookers, the woman worriedly inquired:  
-Does anyone here know how to do CPR?! This man is dying!  
A quiet and slightly hoarse from water intake girl's voice came:  
-Don't worry, I can do it. There's no need to trouble anyone else.  
The woman turned around to see the young girl with startling midnight blue eyes push a lock of wet brown hair out of her face. The girl was completely exhausted, she was drenched and was shivering from the cold and yet the fire of determination in her eyes burned brighter than ever. The woman's eyes slid down to her belt and she spotted what looked like a lightsaber hanging on her belt beside a cylindrical carrier. A Jedi? She wanted to ask, but the young woman was no longer paying attention to any of them.   
    Alana pressed her fingers to the spot beside Jayden's windpipe on his neck and tried to find his pulse - it wasn't there. Squashing down her panic, Alana made herself go through the motions she'd been taught. She'd seen her Master do this before and since her emotional side was numbed already she could do this. Alana placed the heel of her hand at the centre of Jayden's chest and started pressing down with both of her hands at a steady rate. Okay, Alana reminded herself, press down 5 to 6 centimetres and at a steady rate of 100 to 120 compressions per a minute, no panicking. She had tuned everybody out and her mind was solely focused on this.   
   At the 30th chest compression Alana checked to see if he was breathing - Jayden wasn't. Steeling herself, Alana tilted his head up gently as she'd been trained and opened his mouth to quickly check that nothing was obstructing his airway - there was nothing. Alana pinched his nose shut and gently covered his mouth with hers. She blew into his mouth for a second and checked to see if his chest rose - to her great relief it did. She lifted her head from his and inhaled before sealing his mouth with hers again and proceeding to blow into it twice, giving two rescue breaths before resuming her kneeling position and proceeding with the chest compressions. She was emotionally numb as she repeated the same thing for the second time and her emotions only flared up when she heard Jayden give a cough at about the 90th chest compression. He rolled over to his side and began coughing up water and taking ragged breaths. Alana could finally feel the beating of his heart beneath her hands and she sat back on her heels, removing her hands. Before she knew why she was doing it Alana found that she was crying, she wasn't sure if it was from relief or from the stress she'd gone through- probably both.   
     Jayden slowly opened his eyes and the first thing he registered was how bright it was which meant he wasn't underwater anymore, the second thing he registered was a certain Jedi sitting at his side and quite honestly crying in front of him for the first time. Her normally soft-caramel brown hair was wet and in clumps, she didn't have her shoes - he remembered her kicking them off, she was soaked through and sobs were wracking her body. Tears streamed down from her bright midnight blue eyes, he wondered why she was letting herself cry in front of others. He tried to speak:  
-A-Alana?  
She covered her mouth with her hands and through her tears she chocked out:  
-Oh, thanks the Force! Jayden, you're alive.  
He furrowed his brows in confusion and mumbled hoarsely:  
-Don't remember dying...,-he coughed-,Why are you crying?  
Alana just shook her head and the tears intensified. A togruta woman wrapped an arm around the young Jedi's shoulders and rubbed soothing circles on her back, letting her cry all she needed, as she explained:  
-She rescued you when you'd apparently drowned. My husband and I found her exhausted beside the railing and yet she was still carrying you. When we pulled both of you up - you weren't breathing, despite her exhaustion she managed to give you CPR and bring you back. You owe her your life, young man. And I suspect she's crying because of nerves.  
The woman's voice was gentle but firm, Jayden could see the respect that Alana had gained from her. His eyes turned back to the young Jedi who was crying on the woman's shoulder, letting herself be weak and human for once. Jayden smiled and reached out to touch her ice cold and wet hand with his. She instantly turned around, dark eyes wide and lips parted in surprise, tears streaming down her cheeks. Jayden squeezed her fingertips:  
-Thank you, Alana. I really do owe you one.  
She shook her head and suddenly started hiccuping. Probably because her nerves were shot. Alana spoke through her hiccups, she was shivering too:  
-N-no... You saved my life before that...I owe you and I--  
He shook his head and smiled, interrupting her. It was a kind, gentle smile, one that he rarely brought out - he was truly grateful to Alana. She didn't seem to realise what she had done, always undervaluing her achievements and blaming herself - that was Alana alright. He knew though that she wouldn't accept a debt from him so he did the next best thing:  
-Let's call this a tie.  
Finally, finally, that familiar gentle smile returned upon her face and she nodded. She had done it, she had managed to somehow save him and now she could finally rest. Overcome with exhaustion, Alana suddenly collapsed making Jayden rapidly sit up and worriedly shake her shoulder, panicking slightly:  
-Alana?!  
What if she had gotten hurt somehow while he was nearly dead? The togruta woman shook her head with a small smile, stopping him:  
-Calm down, she's just exhausted. See? She's merely fast asleep. She must really be exhausted - poor girl. Why don't the two of you come with my husband and I to the hospital before resting up? I promise we mean no harm.  
Jayden glanced down at his drenched in water and exhausted female teammate and at the couple before nodding:  
-Thank you, we'd love to.  
The man nodded:  
-That's good, kid. Welcome to Jahnae, the informal capital of this watery planet named Bestine IV.

==SW: LB==

A figure sat on one of the rooftops, observing the whole scene with a detached interest. It was a young man, dressed in red and orange Mandolorian armour with his helmet off revealing his face. He had tanned skin, strikingly blonde spiky hair that had been buzzed off at the sides, blue eyes and small black tattoos on the right side of his face. He was tossing a disabled thermal detonator up in the air and catching it again. As the person who'd drowned opened his eyes, the young man's eyes widened and he chuckled:  
-Heh, what'd you know - weird coincidences do happen. Never thought I'd see you on this side of the galaxy, Callen.  
He smirked and picking up his mask stood up. Replacing his mask on his head, the red armoured Mandolorian frowned:  
-It is absolutely lovely to see you, but I wonder if Jahnae has room for both Shadow and Phantom's Eye. What do you say, arue'tal ?


	33. Familiar Faces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'm back and with the longest chapter to date. Yeah, I have no clue how this happened. Most of it is as per usual dialogue driven but still. I'm very excited to introduce a certain character here despite him being a total a-hole. Anyone remember Canderous Ordo? Yeah, well remember that last name. Also I'm so excited to start writing the next chapter despite how odd it will be. Let's just say I've been looking forward to it since Chapter 28. So 12000+ words, hehe... I'm sorry for going overboard again. Note time:  
> 1) While most of this is proofread there are probably a few mistakes  
> 2) I think I finally have a grip on Alana and Jayden again!  
> 3) Lots of character backstory hints!  
> 4) Sorry about the Jedi bashing I'm trying to tone it down, in any case rest assured that Alana will NOT leave the Order otherwise this story may just fall flat on it's face.  
> 5) As per usual - Enjoy!

Chapter 32 - Familiar faces

It was late evening on Coruscant and glittering lights dotted the landscape, neon holograms shone brightly, speeders flew by in a neat and orderly fashion with their headlights shining. Despite the lateness creatures of multiple races wandered around on the ecumonopolis's streets. At the heart of the city stood the Galactic Senate and on its top floor, in the Supreme Chancellor's office a certain meeting was taking place.   
A young woman kneeled before the chancellor as she delivered her report, her face obscured by the shadow the Chancellor cast as he stood looking out of the panoramic window:  
-Master, there have been multiple disturbances across certain planets - all of them marked by the arrival of a certain ship beforehand.  
The Chancellor turned around, his eyes glowing yellow and traces of Dark Side corruption evident on his face:  
-Oh?  
-Yes, Master. It is a ship of unknown model but I have asked around and it is called the Crimson Storm.  
Palpatine paused an image flitting before his mind's eye: a strange ship, painted dark grey and crimson, blood red. Could it be the same ship from that time? He turned back to his agent:  
-Are you certain?  
-Yes, Master. Do you wish to know of the disturbances?  
-Yes.  
-The first one happened right here on Coruscant with an attempt on your life, the second one occurred when the Crimson Storm was docked with the Atlantida as it blew up, the third one occurred on Alderaan's moon with a landing bay being nearly blown up after a group of Rodians chased after a group of three, the fourth one was on Bburru station over Duro and I have reason to believe one of its crew is responsible for general Grievous failing his mission. After Duro the Crimson Storm landed on Corellia and while it was there as you know the planet's orbit was shifted, also as the members of the crew were apparently leaving they got into a firefight with those same Rodians and after which the ground suddenly began to crumble and a tower collapsed but the Storm got away. It then vanished off the grid for almost two weeks before reappearing a day ago and crash-landing on Bestine IV, where on that same day a section of an underwater tunnel leading to Jahnae sunk but there were two survivors- I suspect that was those Rodian's doing. That is all, Master.  
Palpatine crossed his arms and was silent. The young woman watched nervously, hoping her report had satisfied her Master. She had gone to great trouble to track down the crew and the ship and learn of their identities. They seemed to cause trouble wherever they went and if there happened to be ruckus on Bestine IV that would prove her theory of their power level. After a moment Palpatine finally spoke again:  
-Who are these crew members?  
-One of them is a girl - a Jedi with dark blue eyes, the other is a young man and he is none other than the infamous Shadow and with them is a very odd droid. From what I have been able to sense both of the humans are Force-sensitive, especially the Jedi.  
Palpatine frowned before murmuring thoughtfully:  
-Alana Sheelan... Apprentice, have you located the leader of the Rodians?  
-Of course, Master.  
-Contact him and tell him to get in contact with me for a very special job.  
-As you say, My lord.  
-Very well, continue your mission. Dismissed.  
-Yes, Master.  
The young woman stood up and slowly left the office her yellow eyes slowly shifting to a cool silver colour. She swept up her loose red hair into a ponytail and pulled up her face mask before blending into the shadows of the halls in the Senate. Had a Jedi passed by her they would have sensed the immense dark power she was radiating. She was Kyrisiel Skirata, she was a Sith acolyte and she had mission. Kyrisiel would not loose.

==SW: LB==

For the umpteenth time Alana turned over in bed, trying to get comfortable but alas sleep seemed fly further and further from her grasp. Alana sighed in defeat and sat up in bed - these sleepless night had been happening more and more often lately and if she did get to sleep she'd find herself waking up in the middle of the night. During the first moment when she just woke up Alana would feel weird like she almost could remember something from before she got amnesia but the moment that thought formed the sensation would slip away. Alana pulled her knees closer to her chest and leaned her forehead on them tiredly.  
It had been a day since the whole drowning incident and they had spent it in the hospital with numerous droids and medics running tests on them. Alana didn't stop them - she didn't want to catch pneumonia or worse and they obviously knew better than her. After all the tests were done Kaara and Vadak Phirash (the togruta couple that had rescued them) offered to let them stay a while with them while they were in Jahnae and while the tunnel to the settlement where they had landed was being fixed. Jayden was hesitant to accept their offer but he gave in when Kaara said that the only thing they would need from them is Alana to talk to their kids. The two had exchanged a glance but Alana had ultimately agreed, it couldn't hurt to just talk to the kids, could it? Togruta's were in general a very hospitable and gentle race but in times of war they were strong warriors too and their sense of unity only made them even more deadly as foes. Alana was grateful for Kaara's offer but the situation with their kids made her feel conflicted.   
Kaara and Vadak had three kids: a twin boy and girl and a baby girl. The twins were named Cobri and Meka and the baby was called Dala, the moment Alana and Jayden walked into the house the young Jedi had instantly sensed the ripples in the Force. They were small, barely noticeable but they were there. As soon as she laid eyes on the twins Alana was certain- those two were incredibly Force-sensitive but they were already 7 years old. So how... Alana shook her head, she still had yet to report to the council despite the time being well over the deadline they had given her and the last thing she needed was the council searching her mind and finding something like this. Alana couldn't help but feel so lost.  
The young Jedi was abruptly jerked out of her thoughts by a strong amount of fear that was most definitely not her own. That fear was accompanied by great pain and sadness, one that almost made Alana want to cry. She closed her eyes and concentrated on who the fear was emanating from. Both of the parents and the kids were all fast asleep, their lights in the Force flickering calmly, glowing a calm blue colour with the twins being a little more defined. However there was one light in the house that was flickering violently, constantly shifting between red and blue in Alana's mind, it was the presence of the same person who was emanating all that fear and pain - Jayden.   
Alana sighed as that fear and pain washed over her again, he was experiencing another nightmare. She managed to tone down the bond a bit when that happened, but she could still feel his terror and despite knowing that she really couldn't do anything to stop those dreams from plaguing him every night Alana felt sad.   
Their bond was another thing that puzzled her: it seemed whatever sensation whether pain or fear he was experiencing was translated to her and vice versa, if any end of the bond was to be closed of the person who was experiencing it received it in a doubled dose. Why in the universe had the two of them even ended up bonded? She had t preformed any act that would have tied his spirit to hers, all she had done was come at him full force that night after the blue glow... The blue glow! Could it have anything to do with it? Alana was unsure. She just hoped that it wouldn't end up being the death of both of them.  
Just as she thought that another horrible wave of pain and terror washed over her and Alana ended up clutching her throbbing head and gasping for breath as she waited for the wave to subside. She considered closing the bond off temporarily but instantly dismissed that idea - there was no way she was going to let Jayden feel the doubled version of what she just experienced. Through the fog of pain and terror Alana wracked her brain in attempt to think of a solution to their current problem, only one idea came to mind and it was the simplest one - wake Jayden up. Alana bit her lip, waking people up from nightmares wasn't the best idea because when they woke up they were still disoriented and could very well perceive reality as the continuation of the nightmare. Alana suddenly let out a small groan of pain as another wave washed over her and steeling herself she forced herself to get up and out of bed. Through the fog of pain Alana somehow managed to force herself to put on the shoes and clothes Kaara had lent her while her own were unusable. She quickly did the bed before tiptoeing out of the room and closing the door behind her. Alana bit her lip to keep herself from letting out any sounds that would wake anyone of the togruta family members up. Following Jayden's presence into the Force she quietly slipped into the room he was sleeping in.  
Alana felt the pain and fear intensify as she approached him. Jayden was breathing heavily and thrashing around in bed, small beads of sweat running down from his forehead, his eyes were screwed up and he looked to be in immense pain. Alana hesitated - everything she knew told her not to wake him up and just let the nightmare run it's course as well as block off her end of the bond,but for once her sentimental and gentler side won out. Alana decided to try the safest approach: speaking to him. Alana crouched down next to the bed and softly spoke in a gentle tone while sending waves of calmness through their bond:  
-Jayden...Jayden...Jayden, wake up. All you're seeing is just a nightmare. Wake up.  
When that approach failed Alana softly shook his shoulder. Wrong move. Jayden shot up in bed and moments later he had her pinned on the floor with her arms above her head. Alana felt shock and a cold chill run through her as she realised the person in control right now was a very dangerous half-asleep Shadow. She maintained her gentle tone:  
-Shadow, calm down. It's me - Alana. That was just a nightmare.   
Shadow was definitely half-asleep as he hissed with venom in his voice:  
-I will kill all of you just as you massacred us! This is vengeance!  
Alana sighed inwardly and squashed down the fear threatening to bubble to the surface, she only winced from pain when Shadow tightened his grip on her wrists. She didn't struggle against his hold on her body or let herself panic, Alana merely continued sending warm calming waves of emotion through their Force bond and tried to gently speak to him again:  
-It's alright. Those people who hurt you aren't here anymore. Jayden, it's just me.   
She looked up into his half-lidded green eyes with her own calm midnight blue ones. Finally Shadow seemed to focus on her and his eyes opened fully as he slowly slid back into reality. Jayden blinked in confusion as clarity returned to him and he realised what he was doing. Alana smiled and murmured, disregarding the fact that he was still pinning her to the floor fully:  
-Welcome back to land of the living.  
Jayden instantly released her and moved back, also sitting down on the floor and letting Alana sit up. The young Jedi rubbed her wrists which she was certain had angry red marks on them but her full attention was focused on the Mandolorian across from her, it was dark so she couldn't quite make out the expression on his face. She could feel his confusion and the ebbing away fear in the Force as well as slight...embarrassment. Alana sighed in relief:  
-Are you okay now?  
Jayden nodded and whispered:  
-It was just a nightmare... Sorry...  
Alana shook her head and smiled:  
-It's nothing you have to apologise for. I should have been more careful waking you up.  
The young Jedi frowned when the Mando remained silent and cautiously probed:  
-You've been having nightmares a lot lately, are you ok? Jayden, please tell me the truth, you're starting to make me worry.  
There was quite a pause before Jayden murmured:  
-You want the full story or just the assurance that I'm fine?  
Alana looked him in the eye stubbornly:  
-The full story.  
Jayden sighed and stood up, holding out a hand to help her up:  
-Then let's go somewhere with a little more air.

==SW: LB==

TK peeked around the corner to see two men examining the hyperdrive. One of them, the one without a beard, muttered in awe:  
-By the Stars, I've never seen anything quite like this...  
The other man, Bruno, nodded:  
-Yes, such and old ship hyperdrive core and in such good condition- could this ship be the one...  
His colleague threw him a look that seemed to be asking him if he was sane:  
-Boss man, there's no way it's this ship. Look at how weird it is.  
-True, but it feels as though it has a secret or maybe even somethings akin to a soul.  
-You on on Spice or something? First you think this is the ship that managed to get through a nebula and a multiple star clusters without being hit as well as get past numerous security points in the galaxy undetected and then you say this thing has a soul? Boss man, you're really getting old - there's no way this odd relic is the Crimson Storm.  
-I suppose. It's an interesting and a fast ship though.  
-Yeah, bet it'd fetch quite a price on the black market.  
Bruno shot the other man a glare:  
-You crazy? We can't pull that stunt again, not with this one!  
His assistant shrugged:  
-Why not? It belongs to a pair of kids and their droid and it's not like the government can pin the blame on us straight away.  
Bruno heaved a sigh:  
-The ship belongs to the boy and he's no random teenage boy, he bears Shadow's crest. The Death's Hand's crest.  
-Boss man, there's no way the kid is Shadow. Maybe he's a fan.  
-Could a fan afford to fly a thing like this? And the girl beside him - she's a Jedi, she'll know if we're lying.  
Bruno's colleague shot him a shocked look:  
-Your Jedi detector senses acting up again?  
-No, she's the real deal. The stance and the walk, as well as her concealed lightsabers - she's a Jedi all right. Plus look at the droid - that one is a strange one, creepy how he seems to disappear into thin air. Besides Torenbol did warn us that this was our last warning and if a ship disappeared here we'd take the fall.  
The beardless man sighed:  
-You're right, but still...  
-No.  
TK rolled away quietly, making sure that they didn't hear him. He had just eavesdropped on a very curious and a potentially problematic conversation. He should contact the Jedi girl and the idiot pilot, but just in case - he should look down the ship. Satisfied with that plan, TK made his way over to the nearest interface socket.

==SW: LB==

Padme Amidala sighed as she looked out of the window at the glittering nighttime scenery of Bestine IV, wearing a light nightdress with her long brown hair flowing freely down her back. The light breeze caressed her face gently, painfully reminding the Senator of her secret husband and his soft touch - she missed him so much. Anakin Skywalker was away on missions in the outer rim and she was busy with her duties as a senator, she understood that this war took precedence and if Anakin disappeared from the field for too long suspicions could be raised, but that didn't make her miss her husband any less or worry about him for that matter. She rarely heard anything from him, just snatches about the "Hero with no fear" from the holonet as the media called him or even more rarely from one of her friends who had spotted him like Bail or Mon mothma. Padme's gaze trailed up to the distant stars in the clear night sky and under her breath she whispered:  
-Oh, Ani...where are you?  
Padme shook herself inwardly and turned away from the window, closing it - she still was the target for many assassination attempts and despite the hotel droids stating that it was very secure she didn't want to take any chances. As she turned away, her brown eyes landed on a datapad lying on a low table in between two soft magenta coloured couches - that was her datapad which contained the details for tomorrow's meeting.  
Padme had been sent to Bestine IV on a job that the Supreme Chancellor had entrusted her with: a certain planet from the Confederacy wished to rejoin the Republic- Sullust, they had agreed to negotiate the terms on a neutral world and despite Bestine IV being formally aligned with the Republic it was regarded as a neutral world and the meeting was to be held in secret here. Sullust had sent two representatives: a Sullustan and a Mirialan man respectively named Etirt Tenb and Riqo Calbra. The negotiations themselves weren't what bothered the Senator though, it was the representatives themselves. Etirt Tenb was a very practical man with a no nonsense attitude so he wasn't going to be a problem, but the Mirialan? He had a reputation for being a very touchy-feely character from what Padme had heard and being married she really didn't like that. Of course, there was the off chance that Calbra would keep himself in check but since this meeting would be held under a guise of a formal party Padme didn't expect much restraint from him. She really wasn't looking forward to it and there was Anakin's reaction to think about too if he ever caught wind of this... Padme sighed, if she only she had someone she could take with her to this party so she wouldn't be alone... Sadly, there was no such person. Her handmaidens, Tekla's, soft voice jerked her out of her thought:  
-Can I offer you any assistance, Milady?  
Padme sighed and sank down onto the sofa:  
-No, but thank you, Tekla... Actually...  
-Yes,Milady?  
Padme looked up at her handmaiden and friend with slight hopefulness:  
-Is there any chance you could come with me to the negotiations tomorrow under the disguise of a close friend?  
Tekla shook her head:  
-I'm sorry,Milady, but there's no way I could do that. I could try, but...  
The Senator exhaled softly and nodded:  
-It's alright, Tekla - I don't want to make you uncomfortable.  
Tekla gave the former monarch a small apologetic smile and said:  
-Should I retire for the night, Milady?  
-Yes, of course.  
-Then goodnight, Milady.  
-Goodnight, Tekla.  
Tekla gave a small bow and quietly slipped out of the room, leaving Padme alone with her thoughts. If only there was someone she knew here...

==SW: LB==

Alana leaned against the railing of the rooftop of the tall building the Phirash's had an apartment in. It was the middle of the night so they hadn't run into anyone and the rooftop was empty. There was a cool breeze blowing, Alana closed her eyes and smiled, enjoying the feeling of it lightly blowing by her skin and playing with her loose hair. Jayden stood beside her silently, looking out at the glittering city - it's lights could never compare to those of Coruscant or Nar Shadaa but the sight was calming all the same and the gentle wind worked wonders. He cast a sideways glance at his companion to see that small and yet blindingly bright smile on her face, her hair moved slightly with the wind lifting a few strands at a time - she seemed to be happy. Jayden suddenly felt extremely tempted to try and twirl her hair around his finger, an activity he'd found oddly fun once before and he just couldn't stop himself in time. Alana felt him twirl her hair around his finger and she opened her eyes, an amused smile flitting across her lips:  
-Why exactly are you playing with my hair again?  
Jayden smiled and repeated the same answer he had given her once before:  
-It seemed fun to twirl it.  
-And is it?  
-Very.  
Alana gave a soft laugh and rolled her eyes in exasperation, Jayden responded with a simple warm smile. There was a comfortable silence between them and Alana finally felt like she understood the meaning of the phrase "Silence is golden". However as content as she was with simply enjoying her partners silent company, Alana knew that she had to bring up the conversation about nightmares and coax Jayden into telling her what was wrong because if she left it up to him they'd never get around to it. But before Alana could even open her mouth Jayden quietly spoke up:  
-Do you ever have nightmares?  
Alana turned to him in slight shock at him bringing up the subject himself before realising he must have sensed her surprise via their bond since a ghost of a smile now resided on his lips. Alana looked into the night sky and was silent for a moment before saying:  
-Well, not often before but recently there are dreams - strange ones that I can't make head or tail of and some of them frighten me. I always wake up an inch away from screaming and in the middle of the night, that is if I can fall asleep.  
-Is that why you were around to wake me up today?  
Alana gave a small nod before turning to him and smiling:  
-I'm fine though, this insomnia like thing isn't too frequent. Besides I can always meditate to get some rest. I get the feeling you're worse off than me, I've felt you in pain so often in the night.  
Jayden gave her a small wry smile:  
-I should have known you would have, this bond is weird.   
Alana chuckled:  
-I actually thought exactly that earlier tonight. I guess there are advantages to having it though.  
-I can't argue with that. About what you felt in the night? Did you feel a ghostly kind of pain or a physical one?  
Alana looked down at her fingers which were gripping the railing and was quiet for a bit before answering:  
-I felt fear, sadness and strong physical pain. You were hurting immensely. Normally I would just close of the bond temporarily but I couldn't let you feel double the pain. It was blinding and it hurt so much.  
Jayden sighed:  
-I'm sorry. My nightmares aren't dreams normally - they're terrifying memories of my own past. You see, I have a weird ability - I have what some would call an amazing memory. I can recall things with perfect clarity from before I was 4 years old and I never forget anything as much as I may want to. It's both a gift and a curse. There are many bad memories in my mind and a lot of them contain physical pain but during the day I manage to bury them and yet...  
He trailed off and Alana finished for him:  
-At night they come out? That must be tough dealing with PTSD every night.  
Jayden shrugged:  
-I've gotten used to it, just as you have to your amnesia. You know I really admire your determination.  
Alana's eyes grew wide:  
-What?  
Jayden smiled:  
-I'm not kidding, I really am slightly envious of how determined you are to find your memories and yet remain the same person as well. I don't think I could do that.   
Alana gave a short breathy humourless laugh:  
-Nonsense, anyone could do what I do. I just want to be myself, that's all. It like you said that you're both Jayden and Shadow at the same time - that's what makes up who you are, I'm trying to find what makes me who I am. Those memories, no matter how much they may hurt they make up who you and I are. It's simple really.  
A bright smile lit up Alana's face and Jayden watched her in stunned awe. She had given him a way to accept the memories that had tormented him for years and to her it was simple. She was very different from him and yet in a way she was like him - Alana Sheelan truly was a very curious person. Alana continued:  
-Jayden, have you ever spoken to anyone about these memories?  
-I've only told all of it to my grandmother and just once.  
-Why only once?  
Jayden's eyes grew sad and serious:  
-Because she feels that I suffered as a result of her being unable to do anything. That's not true. I don't want her to think that way so I never brought it up again. Ayyshiri knows a tiny bit and so do my friends of the remnant that my grandma leads. I've never really talked about them to anyone.  
Alana could hear the pain in Jayden's voice and she realised she was pushing him too far. She'd better stop. Alana gave a tiny curt nod and looked up at the inky black sky, full of glittering stars. For no reason at all Alana found herself muttering:  
-You know I think I have a weird fixation on stars.  
-You like looking at them?  
-Not exactly. I love the way they shine in the sky and the way they look up close, but every time I look at them I feel their call, like they're asking me to go somewhere. It total nonsense of course, but I like to think it could be true. Anyway, want to hear a story?  
Jayden raised an eyebrow:  
-About what?  
Alana smiled:  
-About how a little girl attacked the chancellor by repeatedly kicking him right in the senate. It's a pretty funny story really.  
Jayden couldn't hold back a laugh:  
-Where in the universe did you hear a story like that?  
Alana's eyes sparkled with a merry light:  
-It's my memory actually. So you want to hear it?  
Jayden tilted his head, pretending to consider it:  
-Hmm, a story about a mini you beating up the most influential man in the Republic? This I've got to hear.  
Alana laughed:  
-Okay then. A few days after my Master found me he took me to Coruscant and while the Jedi searched for my parents they left me with a certain senator- Padme Amidala. She was busy and I don't think I was too rowdy at that time so she took me to the Senate with her. We were leaving the Senate chambers when Padme suddenly stopped to talk to the Chancellor who had called her over and that's when I did something both really stupid and really odd. Before I continue you should know that I was extremely short before I turned 13 and sprouted.  
-How short are we talking about here?  
-Well, I was ten but I was the size of a five year old. So yeah, that's why an extremely annoying friend keeps calling me shorty.   
-I'd have to agree. But do go on.  
Alana rolled her eyes but continued telling the story:  
-Anyway, I got a bad feeling from him and before I knew it I was was calling him a bad man and repeatedly kicking him in the shins - hard. The most influential man in the Republic nearly fell over if not from shock then from the force of the kick.   
Jayden laughed and nodded:  
-I-I can attest to that, you do have a pretty strong kick.  
Alana was grinning as she continued:  
-Thanks, good to know you felt it. Anyway his guards instantly tried to get me away from him but I sorta missed the shins because of them and well...  
Jayden picked up the words she left unspoken and he doubled over laughing at the image of a tiny girl kicking the most politically powerful man in the Republic in the privates. Alana had a light blush on her cheeks from the embarrassment, but she was smiling brightly. She waited for Jayden to stop laughing and as he wiped tears of mirth from his eyes, she spoke:  
-See? That's a certain memory of mine. A slightly embarrassing one to tell the truth, but it's mine. I'm pretty sure the Chancellor still holds a grudge against me for that, talk about bad first impressions.   
Jayden chuckled and for some reason patted her head:  
-That would be the definition of a very bad first impression, my friend. You know they should put that as an example of a bad first impression when explaining the meaning.  
Alana shot him a mock-angry glare:  
-Don't you dare tell anyone that! And I'm not a pet.  
Jayden grinned and just to annoy her continue patting her head:  
-Good Alana, good Alana.  
Alana shot him a glare and swatted his hand aside, but she was barely suppressing a smile herself:  
-Knock it off, Cap'n!   
Jayden laughed and retorted:  
-Whatever do you mean, princess?  
-Ugh, you really are an idiot you know.  
-Right back at you, your highness.  
Alana shook her head in exasperation, but she was smiling. There was a moment of silence before she spoke:  
-You know I told you that story to do two things.  
-Oh?  
-Yeah, one - to make you realise that among the dark memories there are bright ones and just like me you have them too. Two- I was trying to cheer you up and it worked. Seems like you cheered me up as well - thanks, Jayden.  
Jayden felt a smile form on his lips as those dazzling midnight blue eyes locked onto his. Before Alana knew what had happened Jayden had pulled her into a hug. A bit surprised and a little flustered as a result of his action Alana tried to push away:  
-Jayden, what--  
-Just be quiet for once, princess. I felt like it.  
-I'm not a very huggable person you know.  
Jayden snorted:  
-I beg to differ. You're very warm. You know you may be the weirdest, the most reckless and the most surprising person I have her met, but you're also very brave and kind too.   
Alana's arms fell limp at her sides and she stopped struggling before whispering:  
-You must be really sick if you're saying this of your own volition. Note to self: side-effects of nearly drowning include the victim being a total weirdo.  
-You are terrible at accepting compliments.  
-Well, excuse me! It's a reflex. The Chancellor is the only guy who has ever complimented me before and he is one creepy old man.  
Jayden laughed and finally let Alana go:  
-I think it's his way of avenging his privates.  
Alana's ear heated up, betraying her utter embarrassment:  
-Jayden!  
He laughed in response to his partners indignant glare. Alana sighed, accepting the fact that Jayden would probably hold this over her for the rest of her life. The man in question smiled but finally calmed down. They stood in a relative silence before Alana pulled out her holocom and looked at it apprehensively. Quietly she muttered:  
-They are going to be so mad at me for missing the deadline.  
-Well, we did nearly drown - I think that's a good enough excuse as any. Besides they're just old geezers who believe they're powerful that's all.  
Alana looked up at him:  
-Who are you and what have you done with Jayden? He would never say that about the Jedi Masters!  
He lightly swatted Alana on the back of her head:  
-Just call them, princess.  
Alana sighed and nodded:  
-Alright, but you may want to get out of the picture.  
-Nope, I think I'll say hello too.  
Alana looked at him like he was insane before shrugging:  
-Alright, it's your funeral.  
Alana switched to the Council's frequency and started the transmission. There were a few moments that seemed to stretch on for eternity for the young Jedi before the a hologram of a single person was projected - one of a small green man. Alana's expression quickly shifted into that of surprise:  
-Master Yoda! I thought the Council would be here.  
The little Jedi Master smiled:  
-Late you are, but pleased to see you I am.  
Alana bowed her head in apology:  
-Sorry, Master. I had a very eventful day.  
-Hmm, safe are you?  
-Yes, Master. And this--  
Alana made to introduce Jayden but the young man cut across her:  
-I'm Jayden Callen, Master Jedi. I've been travelling with Alana.  
Master Yoda gave a small nod:  
-Force-bonded to her, are you? Flow through you the Force does.  
Jayden's eyes widened slightly before he nodded and confirmed:  
-Um, yes - we are, but how did you know?  
Alana explained:  
-Master Yoda is incredibly powerful in the Force, he's not the Jedi Order's Grandmaster for no reason.He's probably the most powerful Force-user in this era and he has next to no one who can rival him in that now.  
Master Yoda shook his head, his pointy ears twitching slightly:  
-Not true that is, always a stronger one there is. And rivals I do have. The question that is not, hmm. Find out what did you?  
Alana took a deep breath and was about to answer when Jayden held up a hand and asked:  
-Master Jedi, did you willingly sanction this investigation into my identity?  
-Hmm, my will this was not. But want this the council did.  
Alana frowned and shot Jayden a look that meant he better not interrupt her:  
-Master, I did as you asked and the man standing beside me is not Shadow. He is just a man that fits his description- after all, there are many men with dark hair and green eyes. Moreover I suggest you investigate those Rodian's doing. I've run into them before and they've caused quite a bit of trouble already.  
Alana felt Jayden's shock resonate through their bond but she maintained her impassive mask, she wouldn't betray his trust. There was a while before the small green Jedi Master spoke:  
-Very well, tell the council this I shall.   
Alana could barely contain her relief and Jayden had to struggle to hide his surprise. Had he really fallen for Alana's half-truth-lie? Alana looked at the little green Jedi Master and just for a second she though she saw him give a tiny shake of his head before with the words "May the Force be with you" the transmission winked out. As Alana put away the holocom she realised the Master Yoda had pretty much realised that what she told him wasn't the full truth but she was grateful he wasn't going to call her out on it. There was a bit of silence before Jayden spoke:  
-Thank you.  
Alana turned around and smiled:  
-Of course. We're friends. We probably should go back inside, I think I might be able to fall asleep now. Though it is nearly 4 am.  
Jayden shrugged and nudged her towards the door that led back inside the building:  
-Some sleep is better than none. You don't want me to start calling you zombie instead of princess, do you?  
Alana grimaced and retorted:  
-I'd rather you called me my name, idiot.  
Jayden chuckled:  
-Tough luck, your highness, not gonna happen.   
Alana huffed and threw her hands up in defeat disappearing inside the building. Jayden was left alone on the roof with his thoughts for company. He couldn't believe that she'd really lied to the Jedi Grandmaster for him and she hated lying. Jayden smiled and whispered barely audibly:  
-Friends, huh? A Jedi and a Mandolorian- who would've thought... Maybe I should take her advice and talk to someone about my memories...  
Oddly enough the first people after his grandmother and his teammates who sprang to mind was Alana and that droid. Jayden shook his head- he really shouldn't get dependent on them, but somewhere deep down he knew that he already was. The drowning incident and Corellia had proven that of him.

==SW: LB==

Alana sat meditating in the the room Kaara and Vadak had lent to her. She was trying to at least somehow establish a semblance of balance within herself because right now she was a ball of messy light and dark. Alana had tuned everyone and everything out, however that didn't stop her from feeling two particularly bright Force-presences peek into the room. Without opening her eyes Alana spoke:  
-If you are trying to be stealthy you really should learn to be quieter and possibly mask your presence.  
Alana felt both children jump in surprise at her words - obviously they hadn't expected her to sense them. The bolder of the twins - Cobri asked:  
-Can you see us with your eyes closed?!   
Alana smiled and evasively answered:  
-In a way. You two are very strong in the Force you know.  
Meka, the female twin, plopped down on the floor across from the young Jedi and sat crossed legged like the teen. Cobri hesitated for a moment before mirroring his twin. There was a bit of silence before Meka piped up:  
-How are you making mama's art fly?  
Alana finally opened her eyes and saw that her meditation was indeed causing small metalwork shapes to levitate. Alana sighed and guided them back down carefully with her hand. She looked to where the voices had come from to see a little togruta boy with reddish-brown skin and white and dark grey montrails and a little togruta girl with violet skin and light blue and white montrails and a lekku, Cobri and Meka Phirash - the 7 year old Force-sensitive twins of Kaara and Vadak. The twins looked at her in awe:  
-Woah! You made them go down again!  
-That's so cool!  
Alana smiled and shook her head:  
-That's the basic stuff. You two must be able to make this happen sometimes.  
Meka looked thoughtful before her face lit up and she hit her forehead with her fist gently:  
-Oh yeah, Cobri made Shyru fly once accidentally! She got stuck on top of the cupboards and he got her down!  
Alana raised an eyebrow:  
-Shyru?  
Cobri nodded enthusiastically and whistled. A moment later Alana heard fast-paced footfalls in the hall and soon a small furry shape came barreling into the room,stopping in front of them. Alana's eyes widened as she took in the small animal in front of her:  
-Shyru is...  
Meka clapped her hands happily:  
-She's our tame Nexu cub! Isn't she adorable?  
Alana nodded, but inwardly noted that adorable would not be the word she would ever use while describing a Nexu albeit it was a tiny one. The tiny thing was currently baring its shiny and very pointy teeth at her, spikes protruding from it's small back. Meka suddenly clapped her hands to her mouth:  
-Oh, I forgot she doesn't like strangers!  
Cobri shot his twin an exasperated look:  
-You forgot?  
His sister pouted and shot back:  
-You forgot too! Ah, what should we do?!  
-I don't know!  
Suddenly a calm voice stopped the twins from freaking out, it was Alana's voice:  
-Well, for one you can stop panicking. You're making your pet think I'm the enemy.  
The young Jedi held out a hand towards the growling Nexu and slowly reached out to it's flickering Force presence. At fist the cub snarled before Alana felt a connection form between their minds and through it she calmed the Nexu, assuring it that she wasn't the enemy and that she meant no harm. As soon it felt the connection the Nexu immediately calmed down, sheathing it's claws and spiked back before nimbly jumping into the teen's lap and curling up into a ball. The twin's jaws dropped in unison:  
-How'd you do that?! Shyru has always attacked strangers before.  
Alana smiled as she petted the harmless cub that was curled up in her lap which released a sound akin to a purr:  
-I simply talked to her. I told her I wasn't the enemy.  
Meka shook her head in disbelief:  
-Shyru has never listened to us when we told her that! Are you a person who can speak to animals?!  
Alana laughed and shook her head:  
-No, I didn't mean it like that. I spoke to Shyru using the Force and she understood me.  
Both twins got puzzled looks on their faces and exchanged a glance before Cobri leaned forward and asked curiously:  
-What's this Force thingy?  
-I want to know too!   
Alana looked at the twins with a smile. She thought back to the way her Master had explained it to her and after a second of internal debate decided to modify his explanation a tad:  
-The Force is all around us, it swirls around you two, my friend, your parents, me and everyone else - the Force is a field of living energy. It connects us, binds us all together, it brings people together and however sad it may be it drives people apart. The Force will be with you, always.  
The twins listened to Alana explain with wonder in their eyes. The young Jedi felt like both crying and smiling as she continued, these two innocent children didn't know what grief the Force could bring into their lives:  
-There a people like my friend and me who can use the Force. Those people are called Force-sensitives - just like you two are. Around those people the Force is stronger and it protects them, it grants them the ability to incredible things, both good and evil. I am a Jedi, though I'm still a student, and most Jedi use only the light side of the Force though I guess I'm a bit different.  
Meka leaned her head to the side and asked:  
-Is the Dark Side all that bad?  
Alana hesitated for a moment before carefully formulating her answer:  
-Well, despite what all the other Jedi will tell you - it's not that terrible. The Dark Side itself isn't evil it's what people who get consumed by it do that's horrible. They are called Sith.  
-Are they bad?  
-I would say most of them are, but you can't really be thinking in terms of good and bad when it comes to people. If they're hurting a lot of people, they yes - they're bad, but everyone has a chance to become good again. Most Sith just choose not to take that chance.  
Cobri sighed and crossed his arms:  
-Well, then they're dumb!  
Alana laughed as she ran a gentle hand down a certain Nexu's back who looked very content with the situation:  
-I guess so. Good guys can make mistakes too, you know. The Force isn't just light and Dark it's both, constantly changing, swirling and adapting - the Force is alive.  
Mesa tilted her head and voiced a question that was also on her twin's mind:  
-If it's alive can it talk?  
Alana gave a mysterious smile:  
-It can, to those who know how to listen.   
-Ooh, can you teach us?  
Alana looked a bit taken a back by that request and held up a hand to halt the twin's oncoming barrage of questions and requests:  
-I can't really do that,but I can teach you another Force trick. Do you want that?  
The twin's eyes sparkled and in unison they replied:  
-Yes!  
-Alright then, simmer down you two - I can't teach you if you're two balls of very destructive energy.  
The twins instantly calmed down and watched their newfound teacher with rapt attention. However before Alana could begin fulfilling their mother's request and her own hope the door opened slightly and the face of a certain Mandolorian popped in:  
-Knock Knock.  
Alana sighed:  
-Jayden Callen, how old are you?  
-I was 17 last I checked.  
-Then you should know that you should knock on the door not just say "knock knock"!  
Jayden laughed as he closed the door behind him and sat down next to Cobri:  
-Oh, but it's more fun this way!  
Alana exhaled and shot him a glare:  
-You're just doing this to wind me up aren't you, hunter?  
He grinned and shot back:  
-When'd you guess, Master Jedi?  
Alana shook her head:  
-Just be quiet, I'm trying to teach.  
-If I stay silent can sit in too?  
Alana facepalmed and muttered:  
-Just don't interrupt me, okay?  
Jayden leaned against the wall and crossed his arms, giving her a small nod and that confident smile that often irritated the Jedi. Alana tried to refrain from glaring at him but then again restraint had never been her strong point. Even the Nexu cub who had been happily dozing off in the Jedi's lap lifted her head and watched Jayden with suspicion before Alana made her calm down again by assuring Shyru that he was a friend, a very annoying friend but a friend nonetheless.   
Meka interrupted Alana's brief glaring contest with Jayden by leaning forward and eagerly inquiring:  
-So what's this trick?  
Alana looked away from a certain annoyance and pretended to ponder over the answer to the young togruta's question:  
-Hmm, what should I teach you... Oh, I know - how about a trick that makes it impossible for Jedi and Sith to sense you so you can be super stealthy warriors?  
The twins nodded quickly, faces alight with excitement. Out of the corner of her eye Alana noticed a look of realisation formed of on Jayden's face but it was hidden the second after - good, he understood. Alana kept up her friendly smile for the twin's sake even though their future was riding on the result of this lesson:  
-Ok, then. Close your eyes.  
Alana did so herself prompting her students to follow her lead. Once she was certain her students had done as she asked, Alana continued:  
-Now reach out, don't do it with your hands - use that sixth sense inside of you. Feel the Force swirling around you.  
In the back of Alana's mind a slightly darker coloured lightly quickly became more defined - Alana wasn't surprised: Jayden was a quick learner and he had been using the Force subconsciously much longer than the twins even though he had no control over it. It took a few minutes but finally the lighter and more innocent presences also became more defined - the twins had managed it. Alana nodded in approval, pleased with the results:  
-Okay, final step. You have hidden under blankets at least once before in your life, right? Well, imagine yourself grasping an invisible blanket made purely out of the Force and pulling it over yourself. Got that? Now, try it but don't lose focus. I'll do it too.  
Alana quickly reached into the Force and hid her presence - most Force-sensitives could do this, but the amount of time you could keep it hidden varied from one being to another. Alana was better at using the Force and her stamina was higher than an average person's (though much lower than the Masters) so she could probably cloak herself for at least an hour or so - it took a lot of energy to keep it up. Alana felt a ghost of a smile flit across her lips as she noticed Jayden's force presence vanish from the Force but she could feel him close by through their seemingly unbreakable Force-bond. Out of the twins Meka managed to hide it first, quickly followed by Cobri. Alana felt Shyru shift panickedly in her lap upon feeling the connection be broken but upon feeling the Jedi's hand on her head again the Nexu calmed down. Alana opened her eyes and smiled when she saw the twin's hands clenched into little fists and placed on the floor as though they were pulling a real blanket over themselves:  
-Well done, you two, I can't feel you in the Force anymore. You too, hunter.   
The three exhaled and released their cloaking, opening their eyes. Jayden looked slightly surprised, while the twins looked ecstatic:  
-Did we really do it?  
Alana nodded:  
-Of course, you two are very talented. If you keep practicing this trick you'll be able to hide for longer periods of time, then you'll be super stealthy warriors. You'll practice, won't you?  
The twins nodded seriously, barely containing their excitement. Before anyone could say anything else Vadak poked his head into the room:  
-Ah, are you two free?  
Shyru leapt from Alana's lap a moment before the Jedi stood up and nodded. Jayden silently followed her up. Vadak, noticing the tension, smiled:  
-Don't worry, my wife just wants to speak with you.

==SW: LB==

-Remind me, why did I come along again?  
-Because you're my partner.  
-Right, you guilt-tripped me.  
-Who, me?  
-Oh, don't act innocent, your highness!  
Jayden and Alana bantered back and forth as they walked through the bright sunlit streets of Jahnae. Their was a constant light breeze blowing, but it wasn't cold so most people walked around in light clothes, including Jayden and Alana who wore the clothes Kaara and Vadak (Jayden wore his shirt however) had lent them since their own were still slightly wet from being in the wash.   
The day had definitely started off fine with the twins managing to grasp what Alana had taught them relatively easily, with Kaara being extremely pleased and thankful for what Alana had managed to teach their children. As they walked Alana thought back to the conversation they'd had prior to leaving the apartment:  
Kaara looked down as she spoke, her eyes sad:  
-When the twins were born I was so happy. The first moment I gazed upon their faces I loved them. I love my children dearly. Before the twins, Vadak and I had been unable to conceive even though I was deemed perfectly healthy. In the days that came after their birth I felt that they were special, different from other children but I loved them all the same. It wasn't until they started showing signs of Force-sensitivity that I released just how special they truly were and just what trouble was heading our way.   
Alana winced as she registered to who exactly Kaara was referring when she said trouble. Jayden filled in the blanks for both of them:  
-The Jedi.  
Kaara nodded and echoed:  
-The Jedi. Maybe my actions were selfish, but I couldn't let my children be ripped away from me before they could even remember my face. Worse yet I realised that they'd probable be split up and they'd never know one another. So Vadak and I left Shili and headed for the any random civilised star system. We moved around a lot so the Jedi never found us and when this war started we figured the Jedi would have their hands full, we decided to settle down here. I couldn't bear to have my children ripped away from me and I beg you, please don't let the Order find them.  
Alana sighed, crossing her arms:  
-Kaara, I understand what you mean and I have taught the twins how to hide their Force presence, but that is all I can do. I'm breaking protocol as it is. I doubt the order will come looking for them since they're too old now, but on the off chance that they do it's all up to you. The only other thing that I can do for you is compose a short list of exercises that the twins should do since it'll help control their abilities.  
Kaara smiled and nodded:  
-Thank you. That would help out a lot.   
-There's no need for thanks, you're helping us out a lot. Can we do anything to help?  
-Are you sure that won't bother you?  
-We are freeloading off you so I feel rather guilty for not doing anything. So, anything we can do?  
-Um, well in that case...  
That was how Alana and Jayden ended up walking towards the market in Jahnae while pretending to argue amongst themselves. Alana felt conflicted: she believed in the Jedi but this incidents as well as the previous one with Murla and Mikal shed a different light on them. What else was she blind to? What other dark secrets did the Council hide behind their usual lines about the will of the Force? Was this really it's will? A soft voice whispered "No", the artefact had spoken once again over the bond it had forged when Alana had picked it up. The young Jedi started a cast an apprehensive gaze to the neckline of the of the dress Kaara had lent her and the place where she had clipped the artefact. Why was it speaking again?  
Alana's brooding was interrupted by the beeping of her and Jayden's comlink, the former of which was stored inside one of her belt pouches. The two teenagers exchanged a look, the only person who had access to this frequency apart from them was TK and if he was contacting them that didn't mean anything good. At least that's what Alana's intuition was telling her. Alana clicked to accept the call, instantly TK's rapid beeping filled the air around them. Jayden was quick to cut him off:  
-Hold it, you walking scrap heap! You're talking way too fast!  
There was a short pause before the droid told them the what he'd overheard, with each word Jayden's facial expression grew darker and darker and flames of suppressed rages danced in those green eyes. When TK finished, Jayden sighed:  
-I knew it was only a matter of time until something like this happened...  
Alana stared at her partner in shock:  
-You knew this would happen?!  
Jayden shook his head and corrected her:  
-I had a feeling this could happen. Keyword: could. I'm guessing you haven't been to the older parts of the criminal underworld or you would have known the name Crimson Storm, it's just as legendary as the unique Stellar Envoy. I've only owned the Storm for 4 years and the ship's history is very shadowy, even I don't know everything about the Storm, but the things that girl has done and is rumoured to have done? It's unbelievable. I'll tell you the story some other time. Tracker?  
-Bee-deet?  
-I need you to tail those guys. I know that you locked down the Storm and thanks for that, but I have a bad feeling so keep an eye on them. Got that?  
-Beep! Dee-bwoo?  
-Yes, you're allowed to shoot them if they attack. Don't let them steal the storm, got that?  
-Beep!  
-Great, good luck then.  
The conversation ended and the comlink switched off. Alana and Jayden were silent for a few moment before the Mando suddenly grabbed her by the arm and dragged her into a darkened alleyway. When Alana shit him a glare and opened her mouth to ask what in the galaxy was going on, Jayden shook his head and pressed a finger to his lips begging her to be silent. Alana huffed, but complied. Jayden discreetly glanced back into the busy street and sighed, Alana followed him and looked to see a group of 4 Rodians with the same crest as the ones who'd tried to drown them. That explained Jayden's reason for dragging her into this alleyway. The Mandolorian sighed:  
-Let's go. There should be another way around. I don't want to start a firefight right now.  
Alana nodded, she was of the same mind. Jayden walked slightly ahead of his companion, mouth set in a thin line and his mind racing. After a few minutes Alana piped up from behind him:  
-What exactly did you do to piss them off so much?  
They were in a middle of a small empty square with a deactivated fountain when the young Jedi asked that. Before Jayden could even reply, a slightly snide male voice sounded:  
-I'd love to know the answer to that too, aruetii.  
Jayden and Alana instantly looked to the other side of the square and a moment later a man in red and orange Mandolorian armour landed. Alana heard Jayden drew in a shaky breath and his shock and oddly enough underlying anger resonated through the Force. Alana's mind was struggling to comprehend everything as she looked between the two, she could feel immense hostility between them close but not one like enemies may have. The red Mando was the first to break the tense silence:  
-Well, well, never thought I'd run into you this side of the Galaxy, Callen.  
-Zeth Ordo.  
Alana's mind pieced together three facts despite how bewildered she was: one- these two knew each other, two- they were both Mandolorians and bounty hunters by the look of things, three- they evidently really didn't like each other. The man Jayden had referred to as Zeth took off his helmet revealing himself to be a young man with tanned skin, strikingly blonde spiky hair that had been buzzed off at the sides, blue eyes and small black tattoos on the right side of his face. He chuckled:  
-So you do remember me, how nice of you.  
Jayden crossed his arms and coldly retorted:  
-Well, it does help that last time we met I smashed your ugly mug in.  
-Ah, yes there was that detestable incident.  
-Detestable to you because you lost.  
-You want to duel me right now, aruetii?   
-Call me that one more time and I'll make sure you're out cold for the next two days. You know I can do that.  
-Oh, how the Callen clan hasfallen - they resort to bragging about their skills.  
As soon as Zeth finished speaking those words something inside Jayden snapped and Alana felt pure fury. Before both Zeth and Alana even knew what happened Jayden's fist had connected with Zeth's jaw, striking with such force that it blew the other Mandolorian back a few meters and caused him to land on his behind. Jayden glared at him:  
-Never ever speak of my family like that again.   
-What? Is wittle Jayden sad cause his mommy and daddy were murdered?  
Before Jayden could lan another punch on Zeth's face Alana grabbed his arm. Feeling her gentle but firm grip, Jayden turned to look at her. Alana shook her head:  
-Jayden, as much as I'd love you to give that punk what he deserves you're starting to cause a scene.  
The two Mandolorians looked to see that a few people had indeed trickled into the square. Trying to get them out of the way Alana made her way over to the people:  
-Um, everyone please don't come in here, we're...  
Alana trailed off unsure of what to say. Thankfully and elderly looking H'kig came to her rescue:  
-You're shooting a holovid, aren't ya, missy? And interesting one by the looks of things too, ma and I'll have to check it out. Mandolorians, always causing a ruckus...  
Alana instantly nodded grasping at the what she had been offered:  
-Yes, we're shooting a holovid on the most famous bounty hunters today so if you could all please move back? See, it's an action sequence so...  
The few people who'd come to watch slowly murmured their assent and trickled out whispering about a curious non-existent holovid shooting. Alana turned to the elderly H'kig:  
-Thank you so much.  
-You're a very honest child, it's good to see some young people still are. Be careful, if my eyes don't deceive me that's Shadow and Phantom's eyes glaring at each other.  
Alana's lips parted in surprise as her eyes flickered between the two Mando's and the elderly man:  
-H-how?  
The elderly H'kig smiled as leaned on his walking stick:  
-Oh, it simple. The red and orange Mandolorian armour are a dead giveaway for Phantom's eye and your friend there is the only man in the world who wears that crest - Shadow's crest.   
Alana sighed:  
-He really should change that shirt.  
The H'kig shook his head:  
-No, from what it seems this is what reminds him who he is.   
Alana's mind flashed back to the time when she'd been standing before the leader of Bburru station with Jayden and she'd asked what that crest meant, Jayden's voice echoed from the past - "It's something I have left from my family...". His family? Jayden rarely ever spoke about them, all Alana knew was that his parents had been murdered and his grandmother was still alive. The elderly H'kig patted her on the shoulder:  
-Good luck, Master Jedi. You're doing a good job, better than most Jedi do.  
Before Alana could ask him what he meant she heard a crash and turned to see Zeth and Jayden fighting for real now. She sighed and turned back to say farewell to the man when she'd noticed he was gone. What...  
Alana shook her head to snap back to reality and rushed over to Jayden and Zeth. When she realised they were too far gone to hear she used the Force to freeze both of them in their tracks, locking them in Force stasis:  
-Would you two idiots cut this out?! You're going to destroy this square!  
Alana shouted at them pointing at the large dent they had made in a wall and a window they had broken. She shot them a glare that made them completely sure that she was furious and a furious stubborn Jedi was the last thing either of them wanted. Jayden for one knew how proficient she was with her Force powers. Alana sighed, tucking an annoying strand of hair behind her ear:  
-If I let you go will you two behave?  
Both Mando's spoke in unison:  
-Yes, m'am.  
Alana released them but for good measure dragged Jayden away from Zeth. She knew he could be patient but it seemed patience was a very finite resource when it came to Zeth Ordo. Frankly, Alana couldn't really blame him. Zeth turned to Alana as though seeing her for the first time:  
-Ah, a Jedi, but a most beautiful one at that... What's a fine being like her doing with a loser like you, Callen?  
Jayden tensed, but squeezed out through gritted teeth:  
-She's my partner and good friend.  
-Good friend, eh? Hope you don't mind if I swoop in then.  
Zeth made to take a step forward but froze when Alana shot him a look:  
-Step any closer to me and I will electrocute you. I have no clue what you and Jayden are talking about right now, but I'd rather you stay far away from me or I could lose my patience and hurt you.  
Zeth raised an eyebrow but didn't look away. Instead he grinned:  
-Heh, feisty and powerful, I love that. You are the most spellbinding girl I've ever seen. Tell me, what is your name?  
-Um, I'm Alana Sheelan.  
-Such an unusual name. It suits a lady like you...  
-...Thank you?  
A flicker of confusion flew through Alana's eyes, what in the universe what this guy talking about? Jayden sighed in inwardly at his partner's obliviousness, clearly she had no clue that Zeth was flirting with her. That girl could be so dense sometimes, still in the current case that could actually be a good thing...   
Before the situation could take a turn for the weirder Zeth's comlink started beeping insistently. In a single swift move the blonde Mando pulled on his helmet and as he activated his jetpack he called:  
-You haven't seen the last of me, Shadow.  
Jayden shot back:  
-You just scurry on back to whatever hidey-hole you came from. Oh and Phantom? Check the leaderboards.   
Alana felt anger radiate from Zeth but instead of punching Jayden like he seemed to want to he shot a dart from his wristband. Jayden easily sidestepped it as he flew away. Gently he crouched down and picked it up:  
-A Kamino stun dart. Tsk, tsk, Phantom, you've got to be a little more creative than that. But then again you have no clue I'm immune to this.  
Alana raised an eyebrow at her partner:  
-You're immune?  
Jayden nodded:  
-It'd take at least 3 well placed stun shots to stun me and toxins like this don't work at all. After you've been exposed to that type of stuff for a large amount of time you become immune.  
-I've still got Force stasis on you and TK had his stun probe.  
Jayden smiled wryly:  
-Seems like I can't really beat the two of you with that.  
Alana smiled and looked up at the sky before turning back to look at the Mando:  
-Who was that guy?  
Jayden shrugged but anger flashed in his eyes:  
-Zeth Ordo, a total sleemo. As you saw our desire to kill each other is very much mutual. However Grandma would kill me if I killed one of our own. By the way, you should be more careful around men.  
Alana looked bewildered:  
\- Why?  
Jayden sighed:  
-Are you really that oblivious? Zeth for one was flirting with you.  
-Ohh. So that's what he was doing. Why would he flirt with me of all people though?  
Jayden faceplamed - this girl was something else. Stars, she was 16 years old and she was so naive... The perks of being a Jedi, Jayden thought sarcastically. Out loud he said:  
-Nevermind. Just be careful around Ordo, he's bad news and he is Phantom's eye.  
Alana crossed her arms:  
-Are your friends all this weird?  
-First of all, Ordo and I are most likely to kill each other than team up and secondly Zeth is a very special type. I swear his sister is the only one worthy of the name Ordo...  
Alana sighed and rubbed her temples:  
-I'm so confused. Let's just go and finish shopping....

==SW: LB==

A certain young Jedi ran her eyes down a short list before announcing:  
-Okay, this seems to be all of it.  
Behind her her companion breathed a sigh of relief and groaned:  
-Remind me never to agree to go shopping again.  
Alana rolled her eyes at a certain somebody's melodramatics:  
-Oh, stop exaggerating, hunter. It wasn't that bad. If you'd gone with my Master it would have taken you 3 hours instead of 40 minutes, double that time if you went with Kira or Emira.  
Jayden raised an eyebrow at a name he wasn't familiar with:  
-Kira?  
Alana froze, realising her own slip-up. She shook her head and mumbled:  
-Nevermind.  
Her steps were forceful as she walked away from the market, her free hand clenched into a fist. Why in the universe had she brought up Kira now?! Hadn't she got over that?! Why was that painful ache still there? Alana felt the corners of her eyes start to prick, but she refused to let tears form. That was the past and she wouldn't dwell on it. Despite Alana missing her childhood memories, the six years that she had went through with amnesia had made plenty of memories. Some of them were good while others bad, they varied but the memory of Kira Averth still caused Alana great pain.   
Jayden hurried to catch up with his teammate, he could feel her distress through their bond. She was sad and angry... Angry at herself. Why was she always like this? She rarely blamed anyone for anything as far as he had seen, preferring to take the fall herself. She always did too much by herself, she kept her heart and mind closed to everyone out of fear. She may be cheerful and lively, but that was just a mask Alana put on - Jayden could see that, he'd done the same and still did. That's what hurt him - if she was suffering and she trusted him why didn't Alana tell him what was wrong? Who had this Kira person been to her? Jayden was jerked out of his thoughts by a small commotion in front of him.  
Alana, lost in thought, had accidentally crashed into a woman in a silver cloak. As she hurriedly apologies and pulled the woman back up, Alana caught a glimpse of her face. Startled, the young Jedi stuttered:  
-T-tekla?! Is it really you?  
The handmaiden of the senator from Naboo glanced at the person she'd accidentally hit to see the young female human Jedi her lady was so fond of - Alana Sheelan. She smiled:  
-Miss Alana, hello. It is good to see you are well.  
-Same here, I never expected to see you here! If you're here is Senator Amidala here too?!  
Before Tekla could answer a young man joined them, standing beside Alana. He had dark messy hair and bright green eyes, a shadow of concern and curiosity on his face, standing beside the Jedi their height difference was apparent - he was a bit taller than her. As her gaze scanned over him Tekla had a distinct feeling she'd seen the crest on his left shoulder before. The Mando looked between the two women:  
-Alana, do you know her?  
Alana nodded, a genuine smile residing on her face:  
-Yes, she's my close friend's handmaiden. Tekla, this is my annoying friend - Jayden. So is Padme here?  
Tekla nodded:  
-Yes, she is. However she is in a bit of a situation...Ah!  
Tekla looked between the two teenagers again as an idea struck her. Senator Amidala needed someone she knew to go to the formal party with her and her friend would need a date. Lo and behold there was a person who her lady knew well and who could be trusted, that same person had also vouched for her friend. Maybe Alana Sheelan and her friend could help out the Senator:  
-Miss Alana, are you on a mission here?  
Alana gave a non-commital shrug of her shoulders:  
-Not exactly, we're only here until his ship is fixed, but at the rate things are going it's going to take a few more days. Why?  
-Milady has encountered a bit of a situation and she needs someone she knows to help her out. If you are not busy could you assist her? It pains me to see the Senator so troubled.  
Alana bit her lip slightly before casting a glance at Jayden:  
-Will you be alright by yourself?  
Jayden flicked her forehead and she shot him a glare in response:  
-Idiot, I need you as my partner not as my babysitter. Need I remind you I'm older than you?  
-Only by a year, hunter!  
-375 days, princess. A year and 10 days.  
-Whatever. I'd be happy to help Padme, Tekla.  
The handmaiden smiled brightly:  
-Thank you. Let me put Milady through.  
Tekla pulled out a local holocom and started a transmission, a few seconds later Padme's holographic form appeared. Tekla spoke first:  
-Milady, I may have found a solution to your current dilemma.  
-You have? Tekla, you're a lifesaver!  
Tekla turned the holocom slightly so the Senator could see the Jedi and her partner. The Senator looked pleasantly surprised to see a familiar face:  
-Alana?!  
-Hello, Senator. I heard you have a problem I could probably help with.  
-Thank the Force. Alana, you're my only hope.  
A confused expression appeared on the girl's face:  
-Huh?  
-Nevermind that. Alana, is your friend beside you available as well?  
-Um,-the Jedi turned to the bounty hunter,- you free?  
Jayden shrugged:  
-I've got time to kill so why not? Sure, I'm free.  
-He's free.  
Padme nodded:  
-Great. Tekla, can you please escort both of them back to where I'm staying?  
-Of course, Milady. Should I...  
-No, if you tell Alana she'll run away.  
Alana looked positively alarmed:  
-Um, what's going on? Why would I run away?  
Padme sighed:  
-Tekla, please.  
-Yes, Milady.  
The Senator's hologram flickered out and the handmaiden put it away again. She smiled at the two bewildered teenagers:  
-Please, follow me. I'll make sure your shopping goes to the appropriate address.  
Alana tried to halt her:  
-Wait, Tekla--  
-We do not have much time. The party is in a few hours.  
Alana's eyes grew as wide as saucers:  
-What party?!  
Jayden sighed and pushed his frozen companion:  
-Come on, your highness. You're not backing out now.  
As Jayden dragged her along Alana's mind was frozen in shock along with the rest of her body, one fact on loop: ALANA SHEELAN DIDN'T DO PARTIES!!


	34. Chapter 33 - Old Connections

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'm here with a more or less decent chapter in my eyes - chapter 33. I'll tell you straight up - I had no idea where I was going for the last half of the chapter - my story just started evolving on it's own but despite that I hope it's at least somewhat coherent. This was supposed to be a bit of a longer chapter but the stopping point was just so good that I didn't want to pass up this chance. So there'll be a bit more in the next. Also a small heads up - this planet may go on for at least 2-3 chapters more, sorry I'm taking so long. Too many ideas too little time. Anyhow- Enjoy!
> 
> =====================

Chapter 33 - Old Connections

Alana buried her face in her hands and sighed as she sat on a sofa in the hotel room where Padme was supposedly residing for the duration of her stay. Alana knew she'd agreed to help, but if what Teckla had said was true then this evening was going to be one whole disaster - Alana and formal parties went together about as well as Jedi and Sith got along. Rubbing her aching temples, Alana muttered:  
-Note to self: ask what you're going to be doing before getting involved.  
A familiar soft voice sounded:  
-Alana, I don't want to force you to do anything.  
Alana looked up to see a certain senator named Padme Amidala Skywalker, though she could never formally take the last name, step into the room. Alana shook her head:  
-I'm fine with helping you out. Just what exactly will I have to do? Also in what desolate and dark corner of the planet did you hide Jayden?   
Padme smiled and sat down across from Alana:  
-First of all - thank you. Your partner is close by - don't worry.   
-Oh, I'm not worried about him. I'm just worried what could happen to the people that might accidentally piss him off without me or TK there.  
-Oh...Well, you seem to have made some interesting friends over the last month.  
Alana nodded her head tiredly:  
-You have no idea...  
Her head gave another violent throb. Ever since Alana had been led into this room her head had started violently aching, the artefact on the neckline of the dress she was wearing was now purple and hot. Something was going on - the Force felt strange. Alana wasn't sure what exactly was off, but she felt uneasy and the Force mirrored her emotions. Alana could almost hear a voice on the edges of her hearing but it was just a little too soft for her to make out what was being said. She only caught two words: come and please, whatever that combination meant. Alana could hear Padme's worried voice but it sounded as though she was far away and her voice appeared distorted to the young Jedi, black spots began dancing in her field of vision. Not again... She wasn't even remotely tired and she hadn't had that blue glow happen so why in the universe was she an inch away from passing out?! Alana tried to push against the dark tide of unconsciousness threatening to overwhelm her but she lost her grip the moment she felt a strange presence and saw a flash of blue in the corner of her peripheral vision. The presence was neither light not was it dark, but rather it was close to a mixture of both. Though to Alana it felt nearly hollow, like a wound. A wound in the Force. After that thought, despite her utmost wishes, the world faded from her eyes.  
Upon seeing the teenagers form suddenly slump over and become unresponsive to her name, the senator sprung to her feet. She made her way over to the young Jedi but stopped just short of touching her. Padme hesitated upon seeing how bright the strange object attached to dress was glowing and the faint blue glow flickering on and off around the Jedi's body. Padme may not have been Force-sensitive or known much about it, but she clearly understood that this was somehow connected to it. All Padme could do was sit and wait.

==SW: LB==

Jayden stood looking out of the window with his arms folded behind his back, his gaze fixed on the ocean but not really looking at it. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't notice the sharp painful jolt that ran through Alana's and his Force bond and the slight fading of her Force presence. Agreeing to help Alana's friend had put him in an awkward position, morally at least. It was only a month ago that Seila, Heims and he had undertaken the job to assassinate Chancellor Palpatine, the senator from Naboo and to retrieve a certain file, the same job that had ultimately led Jayden and Shadow to encountering Alana Sheelan for the first time. Their first two goals had become unachievable due to the intervention of a certain teenage Jedi. He still vividly remembered that night and now he was helping out one of the people he was aiming to kill a month ago? Jayden smiled wryly. Oh, fate was certainly having fun throwing the unexpected at him.   
Jayden was abruptly pulled out of his thoughts by the beeping of the small holoterminal in the hotel room. His body tensed at the unexpected noise, but upon registering what it was Jayden simply sighed and made his way over to it. He sat down on the couch across from it and clicked the button to accept transmission. A holographic shape of a person materialised and Jayden's eyes widened in surprise, out of all the people he was expecting this was one of the last people - Seila. His female teammate grinned at the surprised look on his face:  
-Hey, Jayden!  
The Mandolorian snapped out of his stunned state and shot a glare at his teammate:  
-Don't you "hey" me! Seila, how'd you even find where I was?   
She crossed his arms, that smug smile still on her face:  
-Well, for one I planted a tracker on that bag and secondly I'm on the planet and I heard a rumour going around that both Shadow and Phantom's eye were sighted in Jahnae and the rest was child's play. I'm guessing the blown up underwater tunnel was your doing?  
Jayden sighed and nodded, still trying to wrap his head around the idea of his teammate being here:  
-To be honest that was not my fault. I nearly drowned because of that.  
The rattaki raised a thin eyebrow:  
-Nearly?  
-Long story short I have two travelling companions now and one of them saved my life by performing CPR.  
-It's that same Jedi girl, isn't it?  
For a moment Jayden was caught off guard by Seila's accurate guess, but then he remembered the bag Seila had packed and shot her a look:  
-You knew that Alana was going to be coming along, didn't you? That's why you packed the bag with that, right?  
Seila's grin only grew wider and more smug:  
-I did. And you're on a first name basis with Miss Jedi, are you?  
-One thing we have in common is that we don't stand for formalities much.   
-From what I learned of her you two have a lot of things in common. You're both incredibly stubborn, reckless, but kind people and so on. You seem like you would clash in some areas however.  
-We get on each other's nerves from time to time, but it seems I'm starting to get dependent on both her and our droid companion.   
Seila's facial expression softened and a gentle smile graced her lips:  
-That's not a bad thing, Jayden. You look much different now than you did a month ago.  
-Huh? What do you mean?  
-Jayden, you seem much calmer. That cloud of doom and gloom has finally dissipated. It seems that those travelling companions of yours did the trick. From what I've heard you've gotten into heaps of trouble however, haven't you?  
-You have no idea... Frankly I'm surprised that we're still alive, there've been so many close brushes with death lately. Still I can't claim I'm unhappy. Sure, Alana and I may grate on each other's nerves and I may want to turn TK into a pile of spare parts, but they've both grown on me and as unbelievable as it may be I'm actually having fun.  
Seila pretended to look shocked though happiness was shining in her eyes:  
-Jayden Callen having fun?! Impossible!  
Jayden rolled his eyes:  
-Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. Anyway why'd you call apart from to say hello and shock the living daylights out of me?  
Seila chuckled:  
-Well, it seems a certain somebody is attending a formal party and I just couldn't miss out on the opportunity to see that. Just thought I'd give you a heads up.  
Jayden sighed:  
-I swear you're are so creepy when you're stalking me.   
-I was doing reconnaissance.  
-Whatever you want to call it it's still stalking. You want to show up - good luck with that. Maybe you can actually meet Alana.  
Seila winked:  
-That is the whole point of that endeavour.   
-Oh, so it's not to see me?  
-Seeing you is a side bonus. Anyway, I've got to run - sorta escaped from Heims so he and Alda can have some bonding time and he may be mad at me since I stole the ship.  
Jayden raised an eyebrow:  
-You stole the Hidden Spectre?  
Seila gave a sly smile:  
-Well, Heims was yapping on about having to work and Alda's lekku was twitching in annoyance so I made time.  
-You and your matchmaking tendencies...  
An odd look that Jayden couldn't decipher flashed through Seila's eyes but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. Seila's image suddenly rocked and she frowned:  
-Well, it appears Heims is trying to shoot me down using Alda's ship. I'll see you later tonight!   
The image faded and Jayden released a tired sigh, slumping back onto the seat. However before the Mando could relax any a soft knock sounded. Jayden turned his head to see a woman with brown hair and brown eyes, dressed in a sliver and black dress stepping in. He sat up straighter upon recognising the woman as none other than Senator Amidala. A gentle smile graced her lips:  
-You're Jayden Callen, aren't you? Alana's friend?  
Jayden nodded:  
-That would be me. Can I help you, Senator?  
-It seems you already are. Thank you.  
Jayden watched her as she sat down, the folds of her dress rustling slightly as she did so. Jayden shrugged:  
-I'm going there to if possible keep a certain Jedi out of trouble, she's more prone to meeting it than I am.   
Padme gave a small nod in agreement:  
-That is what she and another close person to me have in common. They always charge in headfirst, regardless of the consequences to their health.  
-Her stubborn streak is also a big factor, but I admire that about her. Her determination, that is.  
-I know what you mean.   
Jayden looked at the senator from Naboo carefully before suddenly stating:  
-You're very different from what one would expect of a former monarch and current Senator.   
-And is that in a good or a bad way?  
Jayden couldn't help mirroring her smile:  
-Definitely good. I've met other politicians in my line is of work, let's just say that their conversational tone wasn't as pleasant.  
The Senator didn't say anything in response and simply looked at Jayden, before stating more than asking:  
-You're a bounty hunter by trade, aren't you?  
Jayden raised an eyebrow, not denying nor confirming the truthfulness of her statement:  
-What makes you say that?  
-I've been a target and a hostage enough times for me to recognise a bounty hunter when I see one.   
-I guess there's no fooling a politician. Yes, I am a bounty hunter, in fact I'm very much the same person Alana chased after that night over a month ago on Coruscant.  
The Senator looked like she had expected this:  
-I suspected as much. However you aren't on that mission now, are you?  
-No, Alana more or less made us scrap that job.   
-She certainly leaves a lasting first impression.  
-Oh, she told me. Believe me my first impression of her was something else.  
Padme gave a short laugh before turning serious again:  
-Since you're going to be helping me out along with Alana there's something you should know: this party is simply a ruse. It's an excuse for highly placed people to meet and I will be meeting there with two representatives from Sullust.  
Jayden frowned:  
-Isn't Sullust in the Seps territory?  
Padme nodded:  
-Yes, but recently the population has expressed the wish to rejoin the Republic and we have chosen Bestine IV as a neutral ground to negotiate. Both of them will be at this "party". While unlikely there is a big chance that a potentially dangerous situation could arise and--  
-You want Alana and I to keep an eye on security?  
-Yes, if you could. I will also need Alana for another matter but it shouldn't take long. Also, have you ever attended a formal party of this caliber?  
Jayden's answer was vague:  
-Once or twice. I know the rules of conduct and I know how to sneak my weapons in as a precaution but Alana--  
Padme nodded and finished for him:  
-Has never dealt with this kind of situation before. I'm sure she'll think up a creative way to smuggle her lightsabers in, but beyond that? She'll need your help or they'll eat her alive.  
Jayden gave the senator a halfhearted salute:  
-You can count on me, senator. Wouldn't want the princess to become politician chow.  
Padme stifled a laugh, both Alana and Jayden were something else entirely. Jayden smiled but raised another question that was bothering him:  
-What about the dress code? My ship's kinda far away and neither Alana nor I brought anything to Jahnae over with us.  
-That's not a problem. Since you're helping me I'll provide all the necessary costumes, if you will.  
-That would be helpful, thank you. One last question if I may?  
Padme stood up but nodded for him to ask away:  
-Where's my annoyance of a partner?  
A concerned expression formed on Padme's face and out of habit Jayden reached out to Alana through their bond to encounter a block:  
-What happened to Alana?  
-I honestly don't know. All I can gather is that the Force has some sort of connection to it - she fell unconscious very suddenly.  
Jayden ran a hand through his jet black hair, sighing:  
-Of course, it's the Force... That thing is basically like a part of her body...

==SW: LB==

Alana felt herself fall flat on something. She opened her eyes and rubbed her back as she sat up, releasing a soft groan. The last thing Alana recalled was talking to Padme on Bestine IV, dealing with that headache and then... black. Blast, she'd fallen unconscious again, hadn't she? Talk about annoying and weird... Well, at least she was awake now, but that just raised a bigger question: WHY IN THE GALAXY WASN'T SHE BACK ON THAT WATER PLANET?!  
Sighing, Alana stood up and took in her surroundings. She was standing on a hill that resembled a cliff more looking down at the scenery below her. To her right a vast grassy field spread out, sparsely sprinkled with rock formations and housing quite a few trees further on down. The grass itself was tall and in varying shades of green, yellow and even brown which contrasted spectacularly with the dark green leaves of the trees. A few blurs of orange and white caught Alana's eye and upon focusing in on them she was surprised to recognise them as Kath Hounds, not far from them rested their horned counterparts. From one of the holes in the cliff-hill Alana glimpsed a green viper kinrath peeking out before disappearing back into the dark cave again. From the just rising sun Alana guessed that it was just very very early morning and despite the air being cool Alana didn't feel cold.  
Turning her head to the right, Alana could see a stone paving leading up to a building, an enclave which was partially built into a green hillside. Further away from the building the stone smoothly turned to that same tall grass that led into the aforementioned speeders. Somewhere in the middle the paving went in, towards the hillside a bit and there was a small, modest fountain, Alana could faintly hear the water gurgling from where she was standing. Beside the fountain she could see two figures clad in brown and dark grey robes sitting in meditative positions. People? Alana couldn't quite make out their faces from her current distance.  
Alana looked up when a light shadow was cast over her to see a creature that looked like it had come straight out of the ocean - a ,fly overhead. It was flying at least 4-5 meters above the young Jedi, but with a mighty flap of it's featherless black wings a strong gust of air assaulted Alana's face and hair that had been pulled back into a neat low ponytail. Alana froze. Wait a moment...  
Alana looked down at herself to find that she was dressed in comfortable deep blue Jedi robes and black boots into which the ends of her dark grey legging-like pants were tucked in. The most puzzling thing to Alana was the fact that she wasn't having a mental breakdown. Just what in the galaxy was going on...  
As if on cue a female voice sounded from behind Alana:  
-I imagine you're quite confused...  
Alana turned around to see a fairly young woman standing there. She had short brown hair that barely reached her shoulders, pale white skin and piercing blue eyes. She was clothed is simple grey Jedi robes and a single lightsaber hung at her belt. Alana felt a push beyond those clouds of amnesia - she felt like she should know who this person was. She also seemed familiar to Alana's not amnesiac side of the mind so just who was she? Slowly Alana's spoke:  
-Do I know you?  
A sad look flitted over the woman's face before that gentle smile returned:  
-I see, you don't remember me, do you? So Revan was telling the truth, as always.   
-I'm sorry, I've been amnesiac for 6 years now. I can't remember anything or anyone from before that time. Where are we in any case?  
The woman cast a glance around them and replied, a fond smile on her face:  
-This is Dantooine at the time when I was just a padawan.   
-It looks so different now.  
-Well, this is Dantooine over 4000 years before the conflict that has been named the Clone Wars.  
Realisation dawned on Alana's face:  
-That means... You're not really here are you?   
The woman nodded:  
-Yes. I needed to speak with you, but Bestine IV doesn't have a place like Duro did so the only way I could speak to you without sapping your strength was to bring your consciousness to this place within the Force.  
-You mean the reason why I lost consciousness was because of you?  
-That's right. I'm glad you managed to hear my voice as it is.  
Alana surveyed the woman carefully before quietly asking:  
-You seem familiar and both you and Revan say that we've met before, but I can't remember ever meeting either of you - besides from a biological point of view that is impossible. Who are you?  
The woman leaned her head to the side, as though considering the best way to answer the padawan's question:  
-I served with Revan back in the Mandolorian wars. My name is Meetra Surik, but I guess history remembers me as the Jedi Exile.  
Alana's eyes widened:  
-I remember reading about you and Revan in the archives though the reports were oddly negative..  
Meetra was smiling:  
-Ah yes, from what Revan told me Atris wrote those reports.  
-Wait, Atris? The chronicler?  
-The one and only.  
-This is just...wow...   
-I understand you might have a lot of questions, but we don't have that much time. I've come to warn you. Let's sit down first.  
Alana followed Meetra's cue and sat down on the surprisingly warm ground. She saw her eyes flicker over her and something flash in their blue depths. Alana raised an eyebrow:  
-Um, what is it?  
The exile shook her head:  
-It's nothing. You've simply changed so much from the girl I met.   
Alana sighed:  
-That's what I really don't understand. If I can wrap my head around the fact that Force ghost are alive and solid to me, I just can't understand how I know you and Revan.  
Meetra looked down at the long dry grass:  
-As much as I wish I could tell you everything- I can't. Revan must have told you that everything that weird that is transpiring is centred around you, all I can add to that is that you meeting that Sith Lord again became a catalyst for the mess you're going to find yourself in.  
-Wait - "again"?! You mean I've met him before?  
-Yes, but that's all I can say. You never did elaborate too much on that subject. I any case we're running out of time. Listen, the Sith that is hunting you is making a powerful move that will have disastrous consequences - it will be like the Mass Shadow Generator incident all over again but on a galactic scale. Millions will die.  
Noting Alana's expression which was a mix of guilt and horror, the Exile softened her tone slightly:  
-I gave the order to activate the Mass Shadow Generator and I have never forgiven myself for that, knowing the way you are if that Sith kills people trying to get to you you will be the same way. I managed to survive by shutting myself off from the Force, but for you that is not an option. Alana, if you lose the Force you will cease to exist entirely. Don't ask me why - I can't tell you. However there are things you could do to halt for enemy.  
Alana sat up straighter, determination replacing the despair in her vibrant midnight blue eyes:  
-What is it?  
-Revan taught me something once - sometimes you have to fight fire with fire. There are objects scattered across different planets in this galaxy that can help you, they can teach you. They will give you the knowledge you may need to defeat your enemy. You already have two and a piece of the third one rests at the bottom of the ocean of Bestine IV. Find it. Don't make the same mistake I did.  
Alana nodded,poking a strand of the tall grass back and forth:  
-I won't. I can't let people die just because he wants to get to me. Are those objects holocrons?  
Alana looked up and was surprised to see that Meetra had vanished. Time was up then. Alana stood up and looked around once more. Her eyes widened when she saw that the two figures had been approached by another - a young girl with that same brown hair. Alana's breath caught in her throat as she realised who those three figures all were: Revan, Alek (who later become Malak) and Meetra. The first of the Lost 20 Jedi. As that final thought formed in her mind the vision of Dantooine before Malak's bombing faded.

==SW: LB==

TK tailed the two individuals who had been talking about stealing the Crimson Storm quietly, his stealth field generator on. The first person was an organic with a thin brown beard named Bruno and the other was a reedy organic named Zyx. They had long left the ship and per the idiot pilot's instructions TK was tailing them, they had gone through the entire settlement and were now at another dimly lit docking bay, but instead of ships TK saw submersibles. Why were there submersibles there? To be honest this whole thing reminded him of another time, over 4000 years ago.  
TK followed behind a group of four people that were entering a submarine bay. They were composed of a man - the brainwashed Darth Revan, a droid after TK's own kind HK-47, a young woman named Bastila Shan and a little girl. The little girl was what made him follow them - she looked too much like his Master. She had appeared back on Taris too, but back then she had only been in a light blue dress and barefoot with a single oval pendant on her neck. Now she was dressed in something like a child's version of protective plating and she somehow had her lightsaber, his Master's lightsaber. Could she have been her? But it had been many millennia since his Master had disappeared so shouldn't it be impossible? Still TK followed the group into a secret submarine base of the Republic on Manaan. Something was very fishy here and it wasn't the Selkath.  
TK pushed the memory fragment back away and focused on the task at hand. From his spot he watched the two organics arguing. The reedy organic, Zyx, was speaking angrily:  
-We have to tell the Rrask about that ship! He's gonna feed our entrails to be the "Scorekeeper" if we don't!  
Bruno protested:  
-We have no proof that's it's the Storm! If we're wrong we'll have a pissed Shadow and Rrask after us!  
-Well, we took the ship's database anyway! Shadow'll come after us in any way! Maybe Rrask can turn him into mush! Yeah, I'm sure he can!  
Bruno gulped:  
-I hope you're right about that, Zyx. If you're wrong we'll be dead.  
They climbed off the pier and into the sub. TK switched off his holorecorder and sent the file to the idiot pilot's holocom. Interesting. TK hurriedly stowed away on the sub, grumbling to himself about how maintenance hatches were hard to open. Time for some infiltration and sabotage - hm, maybe this ball of water would be more interesting than he had initially calculated.

==SW: LB==

Alana stared at the dress laid out in front of her in numb shock. She'd come to about half an hour ago with a pounding headache but with a set goal in mind. Padme had seemed relieved to see her awake and after making sure that she was fine, the senator brought the young Jedi up to speed on the whole situation. A few moments later Tekla had shown up with two packages in hand and Padme had shoved the protesting young Jedi into the dressing room which brought them up to the present point. Not daring to tear her gaze away from the terrifying object, Alana called out:  
-Uhh, Padme?  
Her friend's calm voice came from the other side of the room where she was dressing:  
-Yes?  
-Are you serious about this?  
-Deadly. Oh and you'll need to change your top undergarment.  
-This is a really bad idea... Parties and I get along about as well as a Nexu and water, which is to say this'll be a complete disaster with me there. Besides this is a formal party, it's double the disaster! I don't even know how to act there!  
Padme rolled her eyes and smiled as she heard the young Jedi freaking out. This never ceased to amaze her - how a certain Jedi could fight off a battalion of droids without batting an eye and yet be terrified at the prospect of going to a formal party. Now that she thought about it Anakin was much the same way, she still remembered his expression when she asked him to accompany her to a party on a backwater planet where the two of them where having spouse bonding time. It had been priceless. Sighing, Padme tried to reassure the young woman:  
-Relax, Alana, your date will help you out. Now get dressed.  
Alana sighed in defeat and started changing. Before her mind blanked for a moment and she spoke up out of confusion:  
-My...date...?  
-Yes, your friend? The bounty hunter - Jayden?  
Alana faceplamed:  
-Oh stars, you actually talked him in to this?!  
-He was actually very willing to help. He said that he would help you out since he's been to this kind of event before.  
Alana froze in the middle of putting on her dress:  
-He has?  
-"Once or twice"was how he put it...Why?  
-He's never told me. Though I guess I don't really know him that well. Jayden doesn't speak much about himself.  
Padme, fully dressed in a purple dress she had worn on her trip that had ended up with her poisoned, walked into the room:  
-So is boy trouble is what this is all about?  
Alana threw her a look that was clearly asking her if she was insane as she pulled her head through the loop at the top of her dress:  
-Padme, I'm a Jedi.  
The older woman only smiled meaningfully:  
-That doesn't mean you don't feel and despite how horrible of me this will sound - that doesn't mean you don't fall in love.  
Alana winced as she pulled on the arm length gloves:  
-Yeah, well whatever you may be imagining about Jayden and I isn't there and will never be.  
The senator sighed and shook her head:  
-I used to think the same way about Anakin.  
Alana shrugged as pulled on the other glove:  
-You and Skyidiot are a special case. I doubt I could ever do what he has done, besides Jayden and I don't have that relationship. Heck, we're more likely to drive each other crazy than to like each other. So never is the appropriate word.  
The senator from Naboo simply smiled:  
-Never say never.

==SW: LB==

Tenebris gave a fake smile as he waved away another small-time politician who had assumed him as a potential business partner. Normally Tenebris would consider the pros and cons of such an alliance, but he had come to Bestine IV with a much larger goal in mind. Tenebris had heard from his own agents that two representatives from a planet in the Confederacy were going to be attending this party to negotiate the terms of Sullust rejoining the Republic. This whole situation must have been giving Sidious quite a large headache. Tenebris smiled, Sidious would be getting a migraine soon enough if everything went as he expected it to.   
Tenebris was jerked out of his thoughts when his two intended targets for the night appeared rather inconspicuously, but not enough to escape the Sith Lord's sight. A Mirialan man with his long black hair slicked backwards and pulled into a tight ponytail, a light stubble around the bottom of his pea green face, dressed in a smart grey suit but without a tie around his shirt collar - evidently he was trying to attract the attention of the ladies, that was Riqo Calbra. Beside him trotted the much shorter Sullustan representative look as cold and as business-like as he was rumoured to be - that Etirt Tenb alright. Tenebris stood up straighter and, politely declining a woman's invitation to dance, made his way over to the two representatives. He took care to slowly shift his yellow eyes back to their warm brown original colour - hiding the only sign of dark side corruption that he bore.  
Riqo looked up from his conversation with Etirt when he noticed a man making his way over to them. He was dressed in a smart black suit and a white shirt with a silver tie, his hair was a silver-grey colour but it seemed to be natural and his eyes were a warm brown colour. He was definitely what woman would consider an attractive man even with that scar that ran up from his neck to his right cheek. He exuded a charismatic, approachable and confident aura - he seemed to be the type of man you'd want to follow. The Mirialan felt a pang of jealousy when he noticed quite a few women's eyes on that man, longing in their gaze. The man payed them no heed and simply took determined confident steps over to their table.  
Tenebris plastered on a friendly smile onto his face as he approached his two intended target's for the night. Time to work his way into their heads. Tenebris looked between the two of them before reevaluating his decision and choosing to just use the Sullustan- the Mirialan was too much of an enigma. However it was the shadowy man who spoke first:  
-Yes? Can we help you?  
His basic was accented but understandable. Tenebris held out a hand as a greeting:  
-You two must be very successful men, mind if a businessman asked for a bit of advice?   
The Mirialan stood up and shook his hand, his expression betraying pride and obliviousness to the fact that Tenebris was playing to his ego:  
-Not all. I'm Riqo Calbra at your disposal.  
Tenebris nodded and responded with the name he was using for this night:  
-Valoren Ceperion.   
He extended his hand to the Sullustan who took it and itroduced himself in his native language:  
-Etirt Tenb watching you. Riqo, translate please.  
"Watching you" was the term in Sullustan for "I'm listening to you". Riqo opened his mouth to translate but Tenebris held up a hand:  
-Don't trouble yourself. I understand a multiple number of languages - it's important in my line of work. Now, before we get buried in those numbers mind telling me a bit about yourselves? I need to fine tune some of my qualifications to be like yours - I'm eager to learn.  
Both of the representatives looked flattered and oblivious to the fact that Tenebris was merely playing them both simultaneously. Tenebris hid a triumphant smile behind his hand. Move, check and checkmate.

==SW: LB==

Jayden sighed as he tapped his foot impatiently at the entrance of the large glass-domed room where the party was being held. It was a formal party alright. The music was as always. The people were dressed as though they were attending some sort of ball and in general it had that heavy atmosphere. Jayden spotted a few important political faces here and there, he'd even noticed the two representatives talking to a mysterious man with silver-grey hair. It wasn't that Jayden was usually this impatient- it was just parties like these brought back bad memories for him, besides wearing what he was only made the situation more realistic. Jayden was dressed in a black suit and a white shirt, with a dark blue tie around his neck. Underneath his suit jacket Jayden had on two holsters into which his two boasters were tucked into. He was here on security detail after all. Now where in the galaxy were Alana and Senator Amidala? For that matter where were Seila and Alda?  
Jayden suddenly felt someone crash into him from behind, instinctively he caught that person by the elbow so they wouldn't fall flat on their face. He turned to the person and was totally and utterly stunned by what and who he saw.  
Jayden found himself looking at a young woman with vibrant midnight blue eyes with no makeup whatsoever, in a long dress that looked like it had been made of the night sky. It was very dark blue in colour and had tiny sparkling gems stitched onto it in groups that made them look like stars in the late night sky. The dress left the top of the wearer's back and front exposed stopping just over the chest and turning into a thin strip of dark blue fabric that fastened around the wearer's neck. There was a thin slit at the left side that started a centimetre above the knee for comfort of movement. It emphasised the woman's figure but not enough to draw every man's attention to it, it was modest yet stunning at the same time. On her arms the young woman wore arm length gloves that stopped just before her shoulder and were a few shades darker than her dress, the tops of which were sewn through with silver thread matching the style of the dress. Her hair was a soft caramel-brown shade and it had been put up into a neat bun at the upper part of the back of her head, fastened in place with a dark blue strip of fabric that had a few of those same sparkling gems sewn on to match the style. Her ears were apparently pierced as she was wearing a pair of small earrings white in colour with a sliver rim, one of which looked more familiar than it's twin. The young woman's reason for stumbling appeared to be a pair of high heeled sandal-like shoes matching the rest of her outfit. It took the Mando a few moment to reconcile the image of this starry being with his friend Alana Sheelan. She looked breathtakingly beautiful, it was almost like she wasn't human at all but one of the Celestial that myths spoke about. The young man was so stunned by his partner that he didn't notice the proud and slightly smug smile the Senator beside her wore on her face.   
Meanwhile Alana cast a hateful glance at the shoes and grumbled:  
-Stupid shoes. How in the galaxy do women wear them? I swear never again...  
Padme patted her on her bare shoulder:  
-Bear with it for one night... And you may want to snap your partner out of his daze. Do excuse me.  
Sending the young Jedi a encouraging smile Padme slipped away into the room, her purple dress swishing behind her.. Alana sighed and waved a hand in front of the Mando's face calling:  
-Hey, Jayden, anyone home?  
Jayden shook his head and forced himself to focus:  
-Sorry, you just surprised me.  
Alana shot another glare at the offending shoes and mumbled:  
-Yeah, well blame the death traps on my feet. Seriously, whoever came up with the idea of high-heels should be forced to wear them for the rest of their life.  
Jayden stifled a laugh brought on by her grumbling, despite looking like an ethereal being Alana was still the same person she had been a few hours ago. That made the Mando relax slightly and be able to get the words that were on the tip of his tongue out:  
-I didn't mean you crashing into me, I'm used to that.  
-Hey! I'm not clumsy!  
-No, but you do fall extremely often. In any case,-Jayden held up a hand to cut her off-, what I wanted to say and what surprised me was how beautiful you looked. You look like something out of another world.  
Alana felt a light tinge of pink dust her cheeks. This was probably her first real compliment on her looks, excluding Zeth and the creepy chancellor. Alana managed a small smile:  
-Uh, thank you. You clean up really well yourself.  
-Like you weren't expecting that.  
-Oh, fluff your ego, why don't you?   
-I'm just kidding, princess.  
-For once can you not call me that?!  
-No can do, your highness. You look like one so I'm going to call you one. Come on, we don't want to keep blocking the entrance.  
Without waiting for her to agree Jayden grabbed Alana's hand and pulled her along with me when she stumbled slightly he stopped and sighed:  
-Have you never worn high heels before?  
Alana threw him the usual glare:  
-Well, excuse me. Jedi don't wear high heels! I'm thinking Padme may have gotten a concussion while I was away.  
Jayden snorted but raised an eyebrow:  
-What makes you say that?  
-She seems to have forgotten that Jedi don't do stuff like this.  
-Well, try not to think like a Jedi just for tonight. Just be a teenager at a formal party.  
Alana sighed and nodded:  
-I'll try.   
Jayden smiled at her:  
-That's the spirit. Also you better stick close to me or you'll become politician chow.   
-And what makes you think that you won't?  
Jayden flashed her a mysterious smile:  
-I'm used to those bloodsuckers, unlike Zeth you can't just punch them. Let's make a deal.  
Alana leaned her head to the side, curiosity in eyes:  
-A deal?  
-Yeah, I protect you from those political beasts and you save me from the girls.  
-Huh?  
Jayden sighed and waved his hand towards a group of girls a bit older than Alana and Jayden whispering and giggling, alternating between sending glares at the bewildered Jedi and shooting longingly looks at the Mando who expertly ignored them. Alana sighed:  
-I see your point. Deal, Callen, but if one of those bloodsuckers comes anywhere within 5 cms of me - you're politician bait.  
-Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence, Master Jedi.  
-Always happy to oblige, hunter.

==SW: LB==

Alana leant against the wall as she watched Padme talking to the representatives. The negotiations seemed to be proceeding smoothly but what bothered her was the way the Mirialan man kept staring at her. Alana knew very well that Padme looked amazing in that dress, but seriously if he had any manners he'd look away at least once. The senator herself was wearing her political mask, but Alana could sense that she was uncomfortable. She probably should go help her out, that's what she was here for after all...   
Alana cast a glance at where Jayden was being surrounded by a few older men who seemed to be extremely interested by what he had to say, Alana smiled. Jayden had certainly impressed her with the way he managed to speak their political lingo. She didn't even understand half the stuff he was saying. Whether the topic was military logistics, economics, culture, political standings and strategies - Jayden easily could keep the conversation flowing, it was like he was born and bred to be a some noble's child. It was impressive to watch him work and Alana found herself more than a little intrigued by how quickly her partner could change roles. Jayden was a mystery to her and she didn't back down from challenges - maybe that's why they got along as they did, they were similar and yet different at the same time.  
As she felt Padme's distress peak Alana sighed, there was no other way now. She couldn't just leave her friend to the mercy of that player. Seriously, so unprofessional. Padme, unlike Alana, was a little too diplomatic for her own good and even though the Jedi knew that the Senator probably could handle the issue herself she wanted to do something at least a little productive. Miraculously maintaining her balance on the "walking death traps", Alana made her way over to the table where Padme was seated. Giving the occupants a polite smiled, Alana innocently asked:  
-May I join you?  
Before either of the representatives could get a word out, Padme gave a small nod and gestured for her to sit down. Alana somewhat gracefully slid into a sit beside the woman. Using her reassuring political smile, the senator introduced the newcomer:  
-Gentlemen,this is my good friend - Alana Sheelan.  
The Mirialan gave something akin to a tiny bow, his eyes betraying some hidden form of awe:  
-It is a pleasure. I'm Riqo Calbra.  
Alana responded with a tiny polite smile:  
-Likewise.  
The Sullustan too greeted her, but in his native tongue. Alana noted humourlessly that she understood his language too. Before Riqo could translate Alana responded to the Sullustan sentiment:  
-I'm pleased to meet you as well. Pardon my use of Galactic Basic, I'm not well-versed enough in Sullustan to speak it fluently.  
Alana suppressed a tiny smile at the shocked look on the representatives faces and the slight surprise in Padme's eyes. She aimed to please. The Senator from Naboo recovered first:  
-As you see, my friend is quite well-versed in languages.  
The Mirialan nodded:  
-I have met few humans who have understood my colleague without a need for translation. That is very impressive indeed. Are you aiming to join us on the political arena, Miss Sheelan?  
Inwardly Alana grimaced at being addressed so formally but at least that was better than him getting overly friendly with her. She kept up her act and shook her head:  
-Oh no, I'm much too afraid to step onto the galactic stage. I'm far more content aiming to be a peacekeeper.  
Hiding the true meaning of her words behind a mysterious smile, Alana replied. Padme had to admit she was pleasantly surprised to see how well the young Jedi could keep up the rise of being a nobleman's child. She was also extremely grateful for the brief respite from Riqo's attention's the arrival of the younger woman had brought her, but how long would that last? She needed to finish up the talks without the Mirialan's constant flattery getting in the way.   
Alana cast a sideways glance at the Senator and gave an inward sigh. Here she went again digging her own grave. Alana turned back to the Mirialan representative and gave him a fake tentative smile:  
-Uh, Mr. Calbra? If I could trouble you for a request?  
-Why I will do anything you ask, Miss Sheelan.  
Alana steeled herself and forced herself to ask:  
-My father told me that I should dance at least twice at this party. Would you do me the favour of being my first partner?  
Riqo positively beamed and stood up, holding out a hand to the young lady he perceived as a sheltered noblewoman:  
-Why of course, my lady.  
Alana gave him another fake gracious smile and stood up, but not before hurriedly whispering to Padme:  
-Get your talk over and done with. I have never danced in my life before!  
With what she wanted said and a look of understanding in the senator's eyes, Alana took Riqo's offered hand. She was so doomed.

==SW: LB==

Jayden was easily talking to a mayor of one of the island town on Bestine IV and a nobelman from one of the smaller families on Alderaan that was vacationing here about problems with current galactic trade regulations when he spotted two familiar figures entering through the doors. Politely excusing himself from the conversation, Jayden made his way over to the two familiar figures. One was a rattaki dressed in a flowing purple gown, her bald head covered by a same coloured hood, the other a red skinned twi'lek with black striped on her lekku in a neat gold dress that accented her curves. He'd recognise these two women anywhere - Seila Aliita and Alda Nimilin. His teammates and Heim's wife, both very prominent bounty hunters. Upon seeing him Seila's face broke into a grin:  
-Ah, Jayden! Don't you look fancy!  
Jayden grimaced:  
-Not by choice and you know that.  
-Oh, I do. But you're so adorable when you're defending your pride, isn't he, Alda?  
The twi'lek smiled and nodded:  
-You sure are.  
-You two will never give me a break, will you?  
-Nope.  
Jayden sighed and turned back to look around the room. He paused for a moment before quietly asking:  
-Why are you really here?  
While Seila decided to tease him some more, Alda simply clamped her red hand over the other woman's mouth and responded equally quitely:  
-There is a man here, called Andore Joren - he's our target.  
-Assasinate?  
Alda shook her head:  
-Capture.  
-Understood. I'll stay out of your way per the creed. Any--  
Jayden trailed off as a strong wave of discomfort washed over him. He instantly turned back and looked into the depths of the room seeking out one being in particular. Where in the blazes was Alana? He finally spotted her and sighed. Seriously....? Alana was managing to just barely keep up with a Mirialan's confident strides in dancing and she seemed ready to run away whenever her brought their bodies a little closer together, occasionally whispering in her ear. Seila followed his gaze and frowned:  
-Is that your Jedi? The one that looks like an angel in the starry sky?  
Jayden shrugged one shoulder at the description and nodded:  
-That's her alright. Constantly getting into trouble. Guess, I better go rescue her. Again.

==SW: LB==

-Your friend is playing a dangerous game. That could very easily get him killed. Where is he by the way?  
Alana's breath caught in her throat as soon as those words were uttered. In the brief time she had spent dancing with Riqo Calbra it had been clear that he was not the man he claimed to be. In no possible sense of the word was he a politician or a fancier of the fairer gender, the closer word would be spy. For whom though? A minute into their little charade he had dropped the act and Alana had noticed his countenance change smoothly. He had easily seen beneath her thinly veiled words at the table in response to his then seemingly innocuous question. He knew who both she and Jayden were, he knew what she was up to and he knew what Shadow was doing. Alana first instinct was to run away but her dance partner rendered all her escape routes unavailable by forcibly drawing her closer to him and tightening his grip on her hand and waist to the point of pain. Alana, being as stubborn as she was, refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her wince despite the feeling as though he was slowly wrenching a knife into her side and torturously crushing her palm. She obstinately denied him the pleasure of eliciting any reaction from her at all. However her triumph was short-lived as he leaned in to whisper those next fateful words causing her to stiffen in her cage and just as a bonus he brushed his lips against the shell of her ear making her shudder in disgust. Willing her voice to remain steady and completely forgetting about the pain to her feet, Alana stubbornly muttered:  
-I have no clue what you're talking about.  
The man let go of her hand and brought his hand up to lift her chin, the other arm still keeping a firm grip on her waist. Alana felt fear start to seep into her, in the position as she was right now she couldn't do anything without hustling a bunch of people around them and he knew her moral guidelines would never permit her to do that. She was trapped.  
The man using the alias of Rico Calbra leaned in slowly and rubbing his thumb gently across her lips, he whispered:  
-You are such a beautiful creature. Almost as though you're not of this world.  
Alana's heart rate spiked and her breathing quickened as the spy pressed down on her bottom lip, his nail cutting a think line across it - drawing blood. He smiled at her fear and brought his face close enough that she could feel the heat from his breath on her cheeks:  
-I do not want to damage you, that would be such a shame. Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way: Where is Shadow and what does he look like?


	35. Chapter 34- Crab-control and a dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello! I'm back and with another chapter. Okay so this whole chapter feels a bit off to me, but I can't see anything wrong with it really. Maybe it's just the side-effect of all the IRL trouble I've been having. Ugh, boys - I will never understand them. Don't mind my rambling and just enjoy the newest instalment of Light's Brink. 9500+ words, hehe...

Chapter 34 - Crab-control and a dance

Alana glared at the spy. She was in a very dangerous position. To outsiders they would only look like two people dancing, but the truth was much much different. Alana could feel the Mirialan's breath on her cheeks as he demanded she revealed where her partner was. No way in Malachor. Alana, despite feeling fear, glared back at her captor and whispered:  
-No way.  
He skimmed his sharp nail up the soft skin of her face, leaving a faint white mark where the skin had been grazed:  
-Care to repeat that?  
Alana gave a soft humourless laugh:  
-Do you really think I'm vain enough to care about the way I look? Yeah, try again - that won't work. There's no way I'm betraying Shadow's identity.  
As they took another dance step of their now increasingly deadly dance, the infiltrator spoke as he slowly traced a path to the Jedi's eye:  
-And why not? It's not like Shadow is anything but a criminal to you, a temporary ally at best - because that's all your Jedi code would allow, wouldn't it? You wouldn't break the code and become attached to him?  
-What do you care? The way I feel about Shadow is my business alone. Who do your work for anyhow?  
A sinister smile made it's way on the spies' face:  
-The Voidwolf, maybe you've heard of him. He is very well informed and Shadow has become a pest - now, who is he?  
-What makes you think I changed my mind in the last minute, dumbass? I don't know if you've heard but I'm considered to be impossibly stubborn.  
The man flicked his wrist and a small sharp knife came into his hand. If Alana hadn't been busy pushing down that overwhelming sense of dread she would have been impressed by his sleight of hand. The spy hissed:  
-Now, I told you we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Your eyes are truly your most beautiful feature, it would be such a shame to remove them.  
Alana's glare didn't waver:  
-You wouldn't dare do that here. There's too many people.  
An arrogant smirk made it's way onto the man's face:  
-Tsk, tsk, how long do you think I've been an assassin? Firstly your Jedi mind tricks won't work on me and secondly - it would be child's play to make it look like an accident.  
-Go ahead then, there's no way I'll talk.  
-We'll see.  
Before she could even blink Alana felt a sharp stinging sensation explode across the top part of her cheek and blood slide down from the shallow cut. Alana flinched reflexively as he brought the knife closer to her eyeball next, the man smiled at that response:  
-Now, will you tell me?  
Alana opened her mouth to refuse, but before she could a familiar voice cut in:  
-Do excuse me, but I believe it is my turn to dance with the young lady.  
The knife in the Mirialan's hand disappeared as quickly as it had appeared and he let go of the Jedi with a tiny shove, causing her to stumble back. Thankfully she was caught by her partner. He resumed his friendly countenance:  
-Well, that was a pleasure. Take care, Miss Sheelan.  
Alana didn't answer and just concentrated on remembering to breathe. Sighing, Jayden whispered:  
-You're a handful, you know that?  
Alana nodded mutely the corners of her eyes beginning to prick, a promise of forthcoming tears. Seeing that she was in some sort of numb state, Jayden frowned and took her hand leading her over to a darkened corner of the room and making her sit down on a vacant armchair. He crouched down to be on eye level with her:  
-Okay, Alana, take a deep breath and tell me what happened. I know it wasn't nothing.  
The Jedi gave a tiny nod and after taking a deep breath, she spoke, clarity and the usual light returning to her eyes:  
-That man isn't who he claims to be. He works for the Voidwolf and he's hunting Shadow.   
Jayden stiffened:  
-Are you sure?  
In response Alana opened her mind to him and Jayden saw the memory for himself. Instead of saying anything he simply lifted a hand to his friend's face and brushed away the collection of hair strands to reveal the cut. To Jayden's surprise it was already healing, like something was forcing the skin to knit itself back together faster. Seeing the slight surprise in his eyes, Alana explained:  
-It's my regeneration ability. I can manipulate the midichlorians in my body to speed up the healing process. If I concentrate a cut like this can heal up in five minutes flat. In any case there's more pressing matters. Jayden?  
Jayden's response was more of a statement than a question:  
-He hurt you to find me. Why?  
-I don't know. They probably figured Shadow would show up if his partner was in trouble. Oh no...  
-I walked right into that one.   
-If they seriously find out that you're Shadow and a firefight breaks out...I don't even want to think about the death toll.  
Jayden nodded as he stood up an began pacing back and forth in front of where Alana was seated:  
-This is a mess. I can't see him anywhere. Wait, there may be a way to put off that firefight for a bit...  
Jayden stopped pacing and cast an appraising glance at his Jedi friend:  
-What is it?  
-Alana, how good are you at dancing for real?  
-Never done it before today.  
-As blunt as ever,-Jayden sighed-, Fine, I'll make this work.  
Before Alana could even ask what he meant, Jayden gave a small bow and extended his hand to her:  
-Milady, will you give me the honour of this dance?

==SW: LB==

Tenebris raised an eyebrow when he saw that same dark-haired young man lead out a young woman onto the floor. His movements seemed fluid and practiced as he gently took her her hand and looped an arm around her waist. The girl was a lot less sure and seemed sort of nervous as she placed her hand onto her partner's shoulder. Tenebris half expected this pair to fail on the first movement, but to his surprise the two moved very much in sync with the boy leading.   
Tenebris took a sip of his champagne and shrugged: this was curious. He knew very well that the young couple were indeed Alana Sheelan and Jayden Callen, but today he just wasn't in the mood to try killing her. Besides he wanted a fair fight and fighting her just now would be a little premature. No, their fight was inevitable but there was no sense in rushing things - they hadn't even gotten to the fun part yet. However what made Tenebris think about the pair right now was the pure irony of this situation: a lost Jedi with no sense of herself and a Mandolorian whose past had cultivated the darkness within him to an impressive extent. He was actually more surprised that the Mando was even here - wouldn't a party such as this bring back bad memories? After all - the massacre had happened right after a party like this. Tenebris frowned as he realised that the word massacre attributed to both of the teen's pasts... How very curious...  
His gaze drifted away from the pair towards the bar where punch was being doled out. The punch that was set to immobilise every party goer here. Tenebris, of course wasn't fooled for a even a moment and had swiftly requested champagne much to the bartenders chagrin. This was going to be one interesting party soon enough, meanwhile Tenebris would just watch. As he looked around the room again he caught sight of the ocean from out of the window and gave a tiny sigh. Kaeda would have liked it here, Ceperion had never had enough water unlike Aroko - it's sister world. Oh, how long it had been since he'd set foot on either of those world's surfaces...

==SW: LB==

Alana was surprised at how natural dancing came to Jayden. It was truly like he was meant for this type of life. Before she could stop herself she found herself asking:  
-How are you so good at all of this?  
-What do you mean?  
Jayden was genuinely confused as to what his partner was speaking about. She furrowed her brows as she tried to think up a way to elaborate, causing Jayden to smile. Alana's expression's were always so honest just like most of her personality. If she was angry you would know she was angry, if she was happy that light would be dancing in her eyes, if she was sad... That was a tough one. Alana never showed sadness. He had only seen her sad smiles and frowns but nothing beyond that. Alana was nearly always smiles and laughter, that bright presence that she possessed burned bright chasing away the darkness - any random person would think that the girl was really always that cheery and bright while in reality that was far from the truth. Once, when Alana was teaching Jayden back on Duro how to sense Force presences, she had admitted that that light was like a mask, Jayden had felt the sadness beneath it warm glow. Beneath all that laughter and smiles was a teenage girl who was lost and alone, who was crying but no one could find her. Jayden just didn't understand how the Jedi couldn't see that, how her Master didn't - they were her close friends, right? They should have noticed that she was suffering. If they didn't notice that then either they were blind or Jayden knew Alana much better than he thought. He smiled. Oh, how long ago that night on Coruscant felt now when in reality it had transpired a little over a month ago. The irony of the events following that night hadn't been lost on the Mando, whatever fate or the Force was planning it was certainly was enjoying playing with his head - the fact that he'd crossed paths with Alana proved that point. The sound of the aforementioned Jedi's voice pulled him from his thoughts:  
-I mean this whole evening you've been acting like you're totally used to this kind of an event, how are you so relaxed?  
Jayden's eyes read the glowing curiosity in his partners own dark depths. A spark of amusement danced in his own:  
-What brought this on?  
-You tell me. I've been fumbling around in the dark of what to do all night and you're acting like you were born for this.  
-That's because I was.  
Alana stared at him:  
-Huh?  
-You heard me correctly, princess. It's probably hard to believe but I was born into a noble family.  
Alana looked mildly astonished:  
-You're kidding!  
Jayden laughed:  
-Nope. My mother was of a noble family from Alderaan and my dad was... Well, let's just say he was a pretty well-known individual in the higher ranks.  
-Okay, out of all the possible answers this was the last one I expected.   
-I aim to please. In all honesty though I really dislike these sort of events.  
-How come?  
Jayden looked away and vaguely answered:  
-They bring back bad memories...  
Seeing the haunted look that flitted through his eyes, Alana bit back the questions that were threatening to bubble out of her mouth. She reminded herself that she had only gotten so far by taking baby steps. Slowly but surely Jayden was beginning to trust her and her trust in him only became more firm. The old saying was indeed coming true - the more you suffered and laughed with another person, the closer you became. Still, the ghost that haunted Jayden was one that Alana had never encountered- she knew he held pain and bitterness within him and that darkened his soul. A small part of her constantly wondered what in the universe had happened to him but she knew better than to question Jayden about that. To get her thoughts away from that Alana focused on the dance Jayden had suddenly invited her to. When she'd asked why a dance was suddenly the answer Jayden explained that while the spy most likely suspected that he was someone close to Shadow he didn't suspect that Jayden was Shadow himself as most wouldn't attribute Jayden's appearance to that of Shadow - he was far too young. If Jayden wanted to keep his suspicions like that he had to do what he had told the Mirialan- simply dance with the girl. That course of action would throw of the man since he expected some sort of retaliation from Shadow's side for harming his partner. Seeing the logic in such a plan Alana quickly agreed.   
The young Jedi sighed and concentrated on not stumbling as she matched Jayden's steps with her own - the death traps didn't help matters much. Unlike her death dance with "Riqo Calbra" dancing with Jayden was much easier, maybe it was because she was a little more used to the steady but gentle grip of his hand, maybe it was because she trusted him more and he had no intention of hurting her, whatever it was Alana was relieved. Jayden was a confident lead and all Alana had to do was try and keep up with him which he made easy for her to do. This dance was different, vastly different from the one before. For a moment Alana felt the sensation of someone watching her from far away but she shrugged it off a moment later.   
Unexpectedly Alana felt a warning jolt resonate through the Force and instantly her expression became alert. This was not good. Jayden's senses must have picked up that something was off too because both let go of the others hand and looked around wordlessly. When Alana's eyes landed on Padme's table she noticed her about to take a drink of the punch that a droid had just handed to her. Jedi senses on full alert, Alana rushed over to her table just in time to knock the glass out of Padme's hand before even a drop of the liquid hit her tongue. The senator looked at her in shock but Alana's reason for doing so quickly became apparent as people started suddenly falling limp around them: the punch was a knockout drink. People fell over where they stood as though their entire life energy had been cut off by some unseen force. Their presences in the Force still existed but they were much duller, subdued. The only people left standing were Alana, Jayden and Padme. None of the three noticed another shape soundlessly step out of the room - Darth Tenebris made his exit, everything had transpired as he expected it to.   
Suddenly everything made sense in Jayden's mind. Without saying a word he grabbed both of the women and dragged them along with him, hiding in a darkened corner. Alana looked at Jayden, her dark blue eyes serious:  
-Jayden, what in the blazes is going on?!  
Jayden shook his head and pressed a finger to her lips, asking her to be silent. Alana gave a tiny sigh, but complied. They didn't have to wait long. Suddenly a wall in the room parted revealing an opening through which a large amount of people who were most certainly not party guests stepped in. They all wore the same insignia on their right shoulder which led Alana to surmise that they were all part of a certain gang maybe local. The figure in the lead, most definitely a cyborg, ordered the men to scatter and round up all the hostages to one group and to rig the room to explode with a cryo-rayshield. Beside her Alana heard Jayden mutter:  
-Deja vou, anyone?  
Despite the dire situation Alana couldn't help but give a small smile at his exasperated comment. Padme frowned:  
-What exactly is going on here? I understand that we're all about to become hostages again but what's all this about some rayshield?  
The male teenager turned to her and explained in a hushed whisper:  
-A cryo-rayshield is one set to detonate whenever a being tries to leave it if it's not wearing protection gear that sends out a special signal. Also it can remotely detonate.   
Alana cursed softly under her breath:  
-Blast! Is there anyway to disable that thing?  
-Only if we manage to get out of here and find it's primary source which could be anywhere on this waterball. Besides if we want to leave we'll need to do it now.  
Padme's expression hardened and she gave a small sigh. Alana instantly looked alarmed and shook her head in vehement protest:  
-No, Padme! No way!  
Before the Senator could argue back there was the sound of raised voices which made the group turn to look at the source. The spy and the leader of the gang were arguing about something. The gang leader, called Fyron, threatened:  
-If you don't stop your demands now, Voidwolf's lapdog, I'll blast you into cosmic dust.  
The agent smirked, drawing his own well-concealed blaster:  
-Go ahead and try, we both know--  
Before he could finish the sentence a knife hit him out of nowhere and pierced his heart. Alana looked to where it had come from to see a bounty hunter smirk from behind their mask and disappear into the night. Alana jerked her to the side to see that the Sullustan had also been killed. In unison both Alana and Padme whispered:  
-Dooku.  
Jayden's facial expression was grim:  
-That man doesn't tolerate traitors, huh?... No way!  
Alana turned to him upon his harsh whisper:  
-What?  
-I just figured out why Zeth was here! He's going to be pissed. Oh well. Now, are we getting out of here or what? Because by my estimates we only have two minutes to do so.  
Alana bit her lip:  
-Eventually everyone will wake up and with so many interplanetary politicians here they could get a fortune from the ransom money. It will cost both the Republic and the Seps.   
Jayden gave a tiny nod and added:  
-Don't forget whoever they don't need they'll throw off the roof or better yet they'll torture them horrendously before selling them on the black market.  
When Alana threw him a look Jayden shrugged:  
-What? I'm speaking from experience here. This here is the Howling Tempest gang - they're not that different from the Red Hand Syndicate. Now we have a minute: fight or flight?  
Padme stood up and wearing her senator face spoke to the two:  
-Find the primary source, disable it. I'll create a distraction.  
-What?! Padme, wait! Anakin will murder me!  
-He won't. Good luck.  
With those parting words the senator walked out right into the path of the gangs members. Alana cast a worried look before her dark eyes hardened and worry morphed into determination. Jayden suppressed a smile: there was the Jedi he knew. The aforementioned suddenly held out her hands and moments later two silver lightsabers where securely held within them. Jayden raised an eyebrow but didn't question it. Alana looked at him seriously:  
-Cover me.  
-Roger.  
As soon as Alana ignited the lightsabers she plunged them into the reinforced window to carve an opening, that was also the moment when their enemies spotted them. As Jayden exchanged blaster fire with them from their cover he urged his companion:  
-Alana, a little faster please?  
-Working on it!   
Alana pushed harder and ignoring the stray blasterbolt that hit her in her bare shoulder, she carved the circle. Using the Force she pushed the glass out. She tuned to Jayden:  
-Let's go.  
Jayden cast a sceptical glance at the way down:  
-You do realise we're on the highest floor, right?  
Alana gave him a small grin as she deflected the barrage of blaster bolts:  
-Not sacred are you? Come on, it's only our third plunge to a certain death!  
Jayden snorted but moved towards the opening:  
-I'm kinda glad I tried to kill you on the Senate building that night. Just in case we die - kill Zeth for me, will you?  
Alana sighed and instead of responding Force pushed him out of the window and onto the nearest building rooftop. However she faced a problem, without Jayden's cover fire the men were surrounding her. Shutting off her lightsabers and stowing them back into the leg holster where she had gotten them from, Alana did the next best thing. As the two head honchos watched the Jedi girl leap out of the window two high heeled shoes smacked them right in the face, nearly poking their eyes out. The saying was true: give a women and object and she'll find a way to turn it into a weapon. This was proof.

==SW: LB==

Alana felt the air whistling in her ears as she fell. She had miscalculated one thing with the jump: her trajectory. In the heat of the moment Alana didn't have enough time to gather enough strength to land on the same building as Jayden and now she was falling to her death. Had she taught Jayden the force pull he might have been able to pull her to him. Oh well, regrets. Alana gave a tiny shrug as she fell to her death. However her plans of dying were interrupted by her being caught by a man in red and orange Mandolorian armour. Alana could hear the laughter in his voice:  
-I've never seen anyone fall so calmly to their deaths. Are you an--  
Alana shot him a glare:  
-Finish that pick up line and I shock you.  
-Ooh, someone has some spunk.  
-I'm beginning to see why Jayden dislikes you.  
Zeth merely laughed as he set Alana down on the roof Jayden was waited for them for. Sending a single glare in the other man's way, Jayden made his way over to his teammate:  
-You alright?  
-Considering I was just saved from plummeting to my death - yep, I'm splendid,- Alana paused before turning to Zeth and adding,- Thank you.  
Zeth gave a mock bow as he perched on the railing of the rooftop:  
-I live to serve. Still why in the universe are the two of you dressed like that? Not that I'm complaining about the way you look, milady.  
Alana gave a tired sigh and rubbed her temples as she felt the hostility between the two Mandos rise, they didn't have the time for that. Just as Jayden opened his mouth to reply, Alana held up a hand:  
-Stop it, both of you. Zeth, we were at that party for security detail - we failed. That red field around the top is a cryo-rayshield and we need to disable it. I need to disable it.  
Jayden placed a hand on her shoulder:  
-I'm not letting you go alone. You're my partner, I've got to have your back.  
She sent him a small smile:  
\- Thanks. Nice to know I can rely on you.  
Zeth huffed and suddenly announced:  
-I'm coming with.  
Both Jayden and Alana turned to stare at him. The descendant of Canderous Ordo shrugged:  
-What? Some upstart stole my bounty and I don't take kindly to being played. Might as well go knock some heads to get my frustration out. Besides, I don't trust Callen one bit.  
Jayden crossed his arms and glared back at Zeth:  
-The feeling is mutual.  
-You want to go another round, arue'tii?  
-Keep calling me that and I'll knock your teeth in, shabuir.  
-ENOUGH!  
Alana's sharp exclamation cut the two bickering Mandos off. They both turned to see the young Jedi glaring at them, her arms crossed over her chest - fury evident in her posture. Even though Zeth wasn't Force-sensitive even he could feel the raw power and overwhelming rage that was rolling off the girl in waves. This girl was far more powerful than she led people to believe. Jayden started when he noticed that Alana's usually vibrant dark blue eyes had turned a dark yellow colour. He wasn't sure whether that was a trick of the light or if it really was so. As she spoke her tone was cold and measured, making a chill run up the Mandos spines:  
-Listen here, if you two can't play nice for at least one night - I'm freezing you in Force stasis and leaving you behind until I'm done. Jayden, you know me well enough to know that I follow through on my threats. This is your last warning. Put aside your rivalry for now or I will follow through on my threat. Are we clear?  
Both men nodded hurriedly and Alana exhaled the immense power presence fading and Jayden could have sworn he saw her eyes shift colours again - this time back to their usual vibrant dark blue hue. Maybe he was just tired and seeing things. Relaxing her shoulders Alana looked between the two:  
-Okay, now that we're on the same page we need a plan of action. I suggest that Jayden and I go change first.  
Jayden nodded as he cast a sceptical glance at her bare feet:  
-That seems to be the best idea now, seeing as you somehow lost your shoes.  
Alana averted her eyes:  
-I didn't loose them: I used them as projectiles to get away.  
Jayden faceplamed and Zeth whistled:  
-Woah, savage!  
Jayden cast him a dirty look before shaking his head at his partner:  
-You never cease to amaze me, Sheelan.  
Alana shrugged:  
-Hey, I tend to wing a lot of things. I just pray that you never meet my Master.   
-Why?  
Alana smiled:  
-You should see the way he deals with problems. 

==SW: LB==

Alana pulled on her usual clothes: white long sleeved top, black skirt, dark blue sleeveless jacket and newly bought black boots (they'd gotten them while shopping earlier in the day). Alana picked up the belt Ayyshiri had given her and fastened it on, slipping her lightsabers into their holders. They worked fine now since she had replaced the focusing lenses while they had been stuck in hyperspace - they'd mysteriously gotten cracked during their battle with the Rodians when that unknown force had passed through Alana's hands to her lightsabers. That had been weird.   
Alana let her hair down and used the clips in one of her belt pouches to put away an especially long hair strand that always fell on her face. Putting the dark blue strip of fabric next to the carefully folded dress that Padme had lent her on the bed, Alana smiled. There, she was back to normal. Quietly she left the room and soundlessly closed the door. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard Kaara's soft voice behind her:  
-Oh, you two are back?  
Alana whipped around to see the togruta woman looking at her:  
-Um, not exactly. There was a problem and we just stopped by to change back into our usual gear. Thank you for making sure it was ready.  
Kaara smiled:  
-You're perfectly welcome. Thank you for teaching the twins, they can be quite a handful.  
Alana shook her head with a tiny smile:  
-They were perfect. Kaara, please make sure you stay inside until Jayden and I come back later, alright?  
Noting the concerned expression on the Jedi's face the woman probed:  
-Something bad is happening, isn't it?  
Alana nodded:  
-Yes. I don't have the time to explain just yet, but please heed my warning.  
-We will.  
Alana sighed and unexpectedly pulled out a small datadrive , holding it out to Kaara:  
-Here. Just in case I don't make it back. This is a list of exercises and Force techniques that the twins need to learn to control their abilities. I tried to write it in a way that everyone could understand.  
Instead of taking the drive Kaara curled the Jedi's fingers back around it, quietly she said:  
-No. This way you have to make it back. Alana, I want you to know that you have restored my faith in Jedi. I know now that Jedi are people too, they're not all powerful - they're as some would say - human. Whatever force made it so that our paths would cross I'm thankful to it. I no longer fear the Jedi Order and neither does my husband. I merely hope that there are more Jedi like you. You promised to help our children and I believe you - so now you have to return no matter what along with your friend.  
Alana's mouth was parted in surprise at Kaara's words. A moment later she gave a true genuine smile and simply nodded, tucking away the datadrive. She didn't trust herself to speak and Kaara seemed to understand everything without Alana needing to say a word. She silently hugged the young woman in a motherly way:  
-Be careful, Alana.  
The Jedi nodded:  
-I will.  
She pulled away and after sending Kaara one final smile, raced down the staircase and onto the moonlit streets of Jahnae where she saw Jayden in his old gear and Zeth, who had also changed into simpler clothes, waiting for her. Contrary to Alana's expectations they hadn't murdered each other yet. She ran up to them:  
-Sorry, I took so long. I bumped into Kaara.  
Jayden glanced at his chrono before waving off her apology:  
-Meh, that was only an extra two minutes.   
Zeth looked between the two incredulously:  
-She takes less time than this normally?! But this was hardly five minutes! Where'd you find a girl like this, arue'tii?!  
Jayden shot his rival a smug look and wrapped an arm around Alana's shoulders:  
-That's for me to know and for you to never find out.  
Alana sighed and shrugged off Jayden's arm:  
-You to better cut it out or I will go through with my threat. Are we clear?  
-Crystal, m'am!  
The two men replied, saluting her instinctually. Alana gave a tiny curt nod, disregarding the amusement she felt coming from Jayden:  
-Right, we need to get going.  
-Not just yet. Alana, TK sent me a holo.  
Alana's eyes widened in surprise and her expression turned grave:  
-Play it back.  
Jayden pulled out his holocom and after complied. After watching the entirety of the video, Alana sighed:  
-I'm really so naive...  
-That's why I'm here. In any case this makes matters more serious.  
-How so?  
-The Crimson Storm is--  
Zeth cut across Jayden:  
-A piece of junk.  
The other man expertly ignored him and continued as though nothing had happened:  
-One of a kind. There had never been another ship like it made. With the database stolen and the ship locked down we have a big problem. I've had the Storm for a couple of years and even I don't know what she can do. In the wrong hands the information could be a big problem.  
-All the more reason to hurry up. Our best lead right now is to go to the spot from which TK sent the message.  
-I agree. Ordo?  
Zeth raised an eyebrow at Jayden's serious tone before realising it was Shadow and huffing:  
-It's better than nothing, but this better not be a wild bantha chase.  
-No one's asking you to come along.  
-Who said--  
-BOYS!  
-Shutting up, m'am!

==SW: LB==

Padme felt herself be roughly shoved towards the cyborg leader of the Howling Tempest gang. He ran his one good eye over her before rasping:  
-You are Senator Padme Amidala, correct?  
Padme cast a glance at the two corpses of the representatives that were being hauled out of the room and nodded. Her body language and facial expression betrayed no fear which the cyborg noted as unusual. She was either truly brave or a fool to be acting like she was unaffected. He cast a glance at the Senator's cuffed hands and was once again surprised to see that they weren't trembling. So the rumours of the Naboo senator's boldness were true after all, how very curious. The woman's brown eyes silently dared him to ask another question and the cyborg - Dumas Lotg couldn't help but comply:  
-Where is the Jedi girl?  
Padme gave a helpless shrug of her shoulders:  
-I have no idea. Surely if your men were more competent you would know.  
Dumas raised a blaster to the Senator's face and repeated slowly:  
-Where-is-the-girl?  
Padme didn't even flinch, the scene was so familiar that the senator had the feeling that someone was playing a joke on her. Maintaining her infuriating calmness she repeated:  
-I do not know. Maybe you should get your men some glasses so they could see where she went? I know some good opticians on Coruscant if you need help.   
The cyborg glared at her:  
-I will shoot unless you tell me where she is?  
Padme resisted the urge to roll her eyes:  
-As you can plainly see there is an opening cut through the window. Maybe she is outside?  
Dumas turned to his men and ordered them to fan out and search the streets of the city. Only after that did he turn back to his defiant hostage:  
-Thank you for your cooperation. I will make sure to mention your contribution to the Star Cabal?  
For a moment Padme drew a blank before her face paled as she recalled who the man was speaking of:  
-But they've been gone for millennia! They're a myth.  
The man snorted, crossing his arms:  
-Both you Senators and the Jedi are so blind. You can't see what's happening under your very noses. I assure you, Senator, the Star Cabal is very real and they have always been here. The Clone Wars have only motivated them - but you would know all about that, wouldn't you, Senator?

==SW: LB==

Alana hid behind a wall and pressed a finger to her lips as she spotted a group of goons patrolling her intended destination. Beside her Zeth whispered:  
-There's only five. We can take them.  
Jayden shook his head and corrected the other Mando:  
-There's six. One's up on the roof.  
Alana and Zeth glanced up and the former gave a tiny grateful smile:  
-Thanks. Good observation.  
-I've got you covered. Let's try this, we each take on two. Ordo, you have the two on the right, I have the two in the middle, Alana--  
-I have the leftovers. Roger. That work for you?  
Zeth gave a nod of consent. Alana pressed the buttons on the side of the carriers and the bio-lock disengaged letting her retrieve them. Oddly enough she grasped one of them in a slightly different grip. Jayden raised an eyebrow:  
-You've never held them like that before.  
-That's because I've been employing Form VI, Niman. However something tells me it won't work against these guys so I'm placing my bets on Form IV, Ataru.  
Both Mandos exchanged a thoroughly confused look, forgetting their rivalry for the moment. Alana sighed and paraphrased her words:  
-I'm trying out a different fighting style against these idiots. That clear?  
-Yes.  
-Then let's go.  
Following her words Alana rushed out of their cover, igniting her lightsabers. The boys followed close behind. They were instantly spotted. Alana rushed at the two on the left as per their plan, one of which was unfortunately up on the roof as Jayden had pointed out prior. Disregarding the sniper for the moment Alana focused in on the Melee opponent with a vibroblade.  
The woman swung her blade at Alana's neck which the Jedi ducked under and swiped at her hips, but the woman was quick enough to block. Alana jumped back before rushing at the woman again who expertly dodged her two swipes and managed to graze the Jedi's hand. The Jedi refused to relent and decided to witch back to her usual form 6, she needed much more practice with form 4 and this woman was nearly as good as a master Soresu user and it would suffice to say Juyo was not Alana's strong suit. As Alana backflipped away from the woman's rapid jabs she twisted to the side using one of her hands to launch herself to the left mid-flip and one of her legs to knock the vibroblade out of the woman's grasp. Her impulsive move did the trick: she managed to dodge the sniper's shot and to disarm her opponent. She raised her purple blade to the woman's chest:  
-Surrender.  
The human woman glared:  
-We shall never surrender, Jedi swine.   
-Then you leave me no choice.  
Emotionlessly Alana plunged her blade through the woman's chest, killing her instantaneously. She sighed and focused one her one remaining opponent - a catharese sniper. He attempted to run away but the young woman easily reached into the Force and pulled him down from the roof. Luckily for him the cathar reacted quickly and pulled out a blaster, shooting at his adversary:  
-We will not fall!  
Alana deflected the shots, the light of her lightsabers illuminating her grim countenance. She responded in a firm voice as she took a step forward towards her opponent:  
-I do not wish to kill you, but if you do not surrender I will be forced to.  
-You will die before that, Sica!  
The Cathar launched a thermal detonator towards her and waited for the Jedi to be blown to bits. However he was shocked to see the the detonator be crushed in midair by some unseen force and the Jedi to advance unfazed. She effortlessly knocked the blaster out of his hands and stowed one of her lightsabers away, lifting the other one to his neck:  
-I'm giving you one last chance: Surrender.  
Her voice was as hard as durasteel and as cold as the weather on Hoth. Nevertheless the cathar merely gave a proud grin:  
-Destroy me, Jedi and you die too.  
He ripped open his jacket to reveal a bomb strapped to his chest, set to detonate if Alana even so much as grazed his fur with her plasma blades. The Jedi s isn't even bat an eyelash, her face a mask of stone she repeated:  
-This is your final chance - surrender or die.  
-I choose death and I'm taking you with me!  
-Very well.  
Just as the Cathar launched himself at her in a suicide attack, Alana lifted her free hand and grasped the man's neck in a Force choke. The next moment she snapped his neck and he fell to the ground dead a few meters away from her with the bomb exploding harmlessly. Alana sighed and dropped her other blade back into it's carrier. Her job was done and she had given them a chance to surrender, but they had refused so her hand had been forced.   
A few moment later all six members of the Howling Tempest lay dead on the ground. Jayden looked to Alana:  
-What now?  
-Now,- the young woman walked over to a bent railing near the water,- Now we swim.  
Jayden and Zeth stared at her:  
-What?!  
Alana gave a tiny sigh and tossed two small squares at the boy's. She had one in her hand too. Upon seeing their bewildered faces, she explained:  
-We need to get over to the settlement and since the underwater tunnel has yet to be rebuilt, swimming is the only other way. The objects you have in your hands are waterproof bags Kaara lent me a day ago. Change out of your clothes and come on.  
The boys stared mutely at the Jedi who was nonchalantly pulling off her boots and putting them into the unfolded bag:  
-WHAT?!

==SW: LB==

-I-I c-cannot b-believe we're doing this!  
Zeth stuttered out as he resurfaced after their dive into the freezing cold nighttime water. Jayden gave a nod in agreement:  
-You and me both, Ordo.  
-Is she insane or just--  
-Alana is very creative. However she seems a little out of it so I wouldn't test her patience as of this moment.  
The aforementioned Jedi swam a little ahead of them in her underclothes with the waterproof bag on her back like a satchel. She'd expertly ignored the boys as she undressed and folded her clothes away into the waterproof bag. It wasn't like she wasn't wearing clothes - seriously, what was the big difference between undergarments and swimsuits? Alana didn't see the problem with her looking like this.   
In any case the thing that bothered her the most right now was the way she had acted during the fight. She felt remorse for killing those people, but the coldness that had overtaken her when she had been fighting? That had been unsettling. Alana had felt herself begin to change ever since Duro - she had realised that she had access to a wider spectrum of the Force and what surprised her somehow a lost part of her had begun reconstructing itself whenever she used the Force in an a way that utilised its power at anyone, but herself. That part was strange - it was neither light nor dark but somewhere in the middle of the two and yet it's calculated moves lacked any and all Jedi principles. It was like a piece of her that valued logic above emotions, a piece that was suited for a strategic mind - not Alana's. The Force lightning and Force choke were inherently Dark Side abilities and yet Alana found herself using them with ease, without a shadow of a doubt or a qualm in her mind. This disturbed her greatly and she was scared in a way of what was happening. Who was she turning into? What was this? Was a part of her old self coming back? But why would a 10 year old child be like that? Maybe this was something this ghastly war was cultivating in her... But even as she thought that Alana felt the dark power inside her and she knew she was only closing her eyes to the truth. Whatever she and the Jedi Council had assumed her to be - it wasn't her, at least not wholly. Once again Alana's thoughts drifted to her heritage.  
Jayden watched his partner with a shadow of concern on his face. When he reached into the Force he was lost for a moment when he didn't sense that usual bright presence anywhere, it was gone and it's place was a presence that was a made up of the conflicting light and dark - that was Alana's true Force presence. He could sense she was lost, confused, sad, angry and scared yet traces of her light still glimmered. Jayden drew away from her presence and simply focused on swimming - this wasn't his business and he'd rather not drown anytime soon. Again.  
Zeth suddenly stopped mid-move. He could have sworn he felt something shift the waters below him and it weren't his legs. This didn't mean anything good. Against his better judgement he called out to the two people not far from him:  
-I don't think we're alone here.  
As if on cue two giant sink crabs popped out of the water, clicking their claws menacingly. Wordlessly, Alana drifted towards Jayden so they were back to back. She whispered:  
-Any ideas?  
-Nothing but a sense of deja vou.   
-Duro and the fefze?  
-Yeah. Wait...Alana you're a Jedi.  
She gave him a "duh" look. What was he getting at? Zeth seemed to be thinking along the same lines as the Jedi:  
-If you have an idea, Callen, better spew it out quick 'cause I'd rather not become a midnight snack just because you're a lazy asshole.  
The word "snack" triggered a memory in Alana - a memory of what had happened on Ralak. She knew what Jayden was thinking! She turned to Jayden and grinned at him:  
-Jayden, you're genius!  
The Mando gave a smile while his rival looked between the two in confusion:  
-How is Callen a genius?  
As the crabs started moving closer Jayden interlocked his fingers and Alana placed her foot there, holding onto Jayden's shoulder for support. Looking into her shining midnight blue eyes that seemed to sparkle brighter than the stars in the night sky, Jayden whispered:  
-Ready?  
She gave him that bright smile and a nod, echoing:  
-Ready.  
Jayden launched Alana out of the water with one single burst of strength. Alana flipped in the air and stuck a somewhat balanced landing on one of the crabs like an acrobat. Jedi reflexes helped. The crab instantly started bucking, but the Jedi held on and, closing her eyes, reached into the Force to calm the crabs. She gently touched their presence and within minutes the crabs were calm and perfectly reasonable. Without opening her eyes she called out to the boys:  
-Climb aboard the other one they'll take us to the settlement.  
Zeth looked between Alana who was sitting cross legged aboard the one Jayden had launched her up to in just her undergarments and Jayden who was climbing aboard the other one like this was totally normal. He ran a hand through his wet blonde hair:  
-Are you two insane?  
Alana cast him a genuinely confused look:  
-No, why?  
Zeth shook his head and stared at his rival who was oddly enough offering him a hand up:  
-I told you: she's creative. Now are you going to climb aboard because I'm perfectly fine with letting you get hypothermia and die in the ocean. It'd make my life tons easier.   
Begrudgingly Zeth grasped the other Mando's hand and climbed aboard the crab. Alana who was both talking to the crabs and carefully influencing the predators minds nudges them towards the settlement and they moved forward. The crabs moved much faster and though the cold wind made goosebumps erupt all over her body and she felt cold Alana couldn't hold back the pure joyful laughter from spilling from her lips. The darkness within her receded back to it's dark corners as Alana's love of life and joy at a new experience overwhelmed it. Zeth and Jayden both shook her head at the teen aboard the other crab. The blonde muttered:  
-Is she always like this?  
Jayden gave a nod, a rare gentle smile on his face:  
-Life's never boring with Alana around. Normal is a word you can forget about if she's with you.  
Zeth raised an eyebrow at the gentle expression on his rival's face before announcing:  
-I'm going to steal her heart, Callen. You better be prepared.  
Jayden turned to look at him, his eyes serious:  
-I will not let you lay a hand on her.  
-Is that a challenge, arue'tal?  
-You bet it is, asshole. Lay a hand on Alana and you will get no mercy from me.  
-You're on Callen. Before her mission is over she will join my crew.  
-We'll see if you live that long.  
-You may just end up jinxing your own fate, Callen. Watch your back.  
The dark haired Mando rolled his eyes and retorted:  
-We'll see, won't we? In the end only one of us will emerge victorious on either battlefield.  
-While the other will be torn to shreds. Watch what you say, Callen, for any of those words may be your last.  
-I didn't endure what I did just to die at your blunt blade. This can only end one way.  
-For once I concur.

==SW: LB==

Alana somersaulted off the crab and stuck a glanced landing on a thin stone platform of the settlement. As soon as the boys clambered off the other's back, the two crabs left the shoreline of the settlement and sank down back to the dark depths of the ocean the surface of which reflected the light of the two moons of Bestine IV. Alana looked at the the two boys:  
-Okay, we need to get dressed and go to the origin coordinates of TK's message.  
The boys nodded and silently followed her instructions. As soon as she was dressed Alana folded the waterproof bag and stowed it back away in her pocket as it had folded into a small square the size of her palm again. After making sure that her lightsabers were securely stowed away, Alana looked up at the boys:  
-You two ready?  
-Sure.  
-'Course.  
-Let's go then. Jayden, you take point since you have the coordinates.  
-Roger that.  
Alana fell back to walk in temp with Zeth as they followed Jayden. They were both silent for a while before Alana unexpectedly asked:  
-Zeth, how long have you known Jayden?  
-Callen? Since we were toddlers actually but I didn't see him for over a decade after a certain event - I guess I've only known this murderous scum for about 5 years.  
Alana looked between the two Mando's before sighing:  
-Do you really hate each other so much?  
Zeth snorted:  
-Oh, yes. We disliked each other the moment we met, however I didn't grow to truly want to murder that bastard until 5 years ago. Angel, he's a lunatic you just haven't seen that side of him yet.  
Alana rolled her eyes:  
-Yeah, you're a lunatic if you think I'll take your word for that.  
-Master Jedi, I'm simply telling the truth.  
Alana fixed him with an even look:  
-Nice try, Ordo, but that won't convince me.  
-What will?  
Alana merely gave a small smile and vaguely responded:  
-Sometimes seeing is believing.  
Zeth threw up his hands in frustration:  
-Angel, why must you be so cryptic?!  
Alana stifled a laugh and responded with as serious an expression as she could muster:  
-Haven't you heard? You must be cryptic if you're a Jedi - otherwise they'll take away your membership to the club.  
-Ah, of course. That why you people are crazies.  
Alana shrugged:  
-Hey, I didn't make the rules. Anyway, I meant to say thank you.  
-What the heck for?  
-For saving my butt when I was falling from that tower. Jedi or no I would have died.   
-That was no biggie. I enjoyed playing the hero for you, my gorgeous lady.  
Alana shook her head in exasperation before speeding up to walk with Jayden. Zeth watched her carefully: he saw how her face lit up when she smiled together with his rival, how she easily let herself laugh, how she truly trusted him and to his surprise the traitor's blood responded in kind. There was something off about that whole scene and Zeth was as determined to find out what it was just as he was set on making Alana his. Callen would be the one six feet under - of that Zeth was sure.

==SW: LB==

Alana felt a chill run up her spine as she descended down the slippery stairs, leading the group. With the light from the moons and the stars gone it was incredibly dark and very difficult to see, however to their shared surprise Alana found that she could see fairly well in the dark - better than a normal human could even without the use of the Force. Deciding to take this into her stride Alana wrote the oddness of as a new talent she had cultivated by walking around in dark places, Zeth had seemingly accepted that explanation but Jayden, who ,although limited, had access to the Force, was highly sceptical. In truth Alana herself knew she was the futility of trying to decisive herself but now was not the time to ask questions to which there would be no answers. Had the stairwell had more light maybe Jayden and his rival would have noticed that the Jedi's eyes weren't their original colour anymore.  
The stairs beneath her feet were cracked and the edges of the walls were rimmed with what looked like algae. They were close to water then. Alana's heart rate spiked as she nearly fell over, but caught herself at the last minute. She heaved a sigh of relief, holding onto the wall for support. A little bit behind her Alana heard Jayden make an amused sound:  
-I thought you could see?  
She shot him a glare which he couldn't see but could feel her annoyance:  
-Just because I can see doesn't mean slippery stairs don't affect me, hunter!  
-Whatever you say, Master Jedi.  
Zeth's bemused voice cut in to their argument:  
-Don't we have a schedule to keep to? You can bicker like a married couple later.  
Both Alana and Jayden shot their temporary ally a glare that would murder him twice over if looks could kill. Alana rolled her eyes and continued down the stairs, grumbling about boys being idiots under her breath. Finally the staircase's end came into view and following her instincts Alana slowed her steps. She ran her hand over the coarse damp wall, Alana could hear and smell the ocean water nearby but where exactly where they. A flicker of triumph ignited in Alana's heart when her hand found something like a panel though it wasn't lit up like most would be. She crouched down in front of it and looked at the button thoughtfully, maybe one of them could turn on the damn light. Alana bit her lip. Okay, so logic didn't work here since Alana had no clue what any of these buttons did then the only other way was to do things randomly. She reached out to press a button when she heard Jayden's voice speak up a bit from her left:  
-Hey, Alana, where are you?  
-Over here, just stay where you are or you'll trip over the loose floor panels. I think I may have found the light switch.  
-You sure that it's a light switch and not a deadly device that will kill us all?  
Alana gave a tiny shrug of her shoulders despite knowing that Jayden wouldn't see it:  
-Nope, not a clue. Guess we're about to find out!  
-I swear if I die because of you I'll haunt you for the rest of eternity.  
Alana snorted:  
-Have fun with that. Oookay, here we go: A-wing, E-wing, Y-wings fro!  
She randomly pressed the button her finger stopped at during her random chant. The ground rumbled suddenly and she heard the water splash out over the edges of whatever was containing it. Over the commotion Jayden yelled:  
-I thought you said that was a light switch!  
-Well, maybe the system is crazy old!  
-Nope, that sounds like our doom to me!  
-Try to be a little more positive, hunter!  
Zeth groaned and shouted:  
-Sweetheart, I appreciate you challenging me but killing all three of us is counter-productive. Just Callen would suffice.  
-Ordo, I will seriously feed you to whatever monster roams these waters.  
-No can do, Callen, I think it only likes traitor's blood.  
-Why you--  
Alana's voice cut across theirs:  
-WOULD THE BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP FOR A MOMENT AND SEE WHAT HAS HAPPENED?!  
The boys fell silent instantly and the Jedi gave a tired sigh. Honestly, if this continued she would most definitely have a sore throat by the end of the night. This was certainly becoming more and more like a daycare - and even then the children she'd been asked to look after while her Master did all the work were more disciplined! Pushing her tiredness and frustration at the boys away, Alana looked at what her pressing the button had caused. Instead of the light's switching on a craft had risen from below the murky waters. A sub. It's front lights illuminated the opposite wall, shedding at least some light in the underground room which turned out to be a submersible port. Coming to the same conclusion Zeth breathed:  
-It's a sub port.  
Jayden nodded, but the expression on his face was grim:  
-That's right, but one's missing. That doesn't mean anything good.  
Alana crossed her arms:  
-I'm sure it doesn't, but this answers the question as to where TK went. Let's go.  
She started towards the subs entrance and Jayden, giving a shrug' followed her. Zeth Ordo sighed:  
-You're insane you know that? Seriously, if I wasn't in the middle of getting my revenge I would probably ask you to go through a mental health checkup.  
Alana grinned:  
-You've really got to start thinking outside the box, Mando'ad. Otherwise you'll go insane around me.  
With those parting words the Jedi disappeared inside the sub. Zeth stared at the entrance for a moment before reluctantly asking:  
-I do not want to know what happened on Duro, do I?  
-No, no, you do not.   
Jayden replied tiredly and followed Alana into the sub. As Zeth hesitantly followed them in and closed the entrance, he couldn't help but wonder what in the galaxy had he gotten himself into. A lovely but reckless Jedi, his worst enemy and himself - yeah, this seemed like a perfect team! No problems at all. He was going to kill Callen as soon as his motion sickness went away.


	36. Chapter 35- Underwater Base

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, I'm back! Did you miss me? Just kidding. Yeah, sorry about taking this long to finish this chapter but I sort of encountered a stumbling block while writing it (curse you dratted writer's block!). Anyway, it's done now and it's just over 9000 words long - it should give you something to read. A few notes beforehand:  
> 1) Jayden and Zeth: Am I trying too hard here? I mean I'm basing this off two of my good friends that are always competing with each other and meh. I'm not too sure.  
> 2)Alana: I know she's an OC, but does it seem like she's changing too rapidly for you? I could be wrong in the way I'm portraying her again.  
> 3)More of Alana's past! Yay!  
> 4)Tenebris's secrets are many and this chapter is the first time you'll get too see just how wide-spread his plans are. Also to those that get confused - yes, he basically does own that place now. You'll get in when you read it.  
> 5)I think there's no typos, but just in case - sorry.  
> 6)As usual- Enjoy!

======SW:LB========

 

Chapter 35- The Underwater Base

As the submersible silently glided down to the dark ocean floor, Alana rested her forehead on the top of her interlocked hands. She tuned everyone and everything out, focusing only on piecing together the facts. She knew that two representatives had come from Sullust, she knew that one of them had been a spy, she knew that the Howling Tempest gang had taken the whole room hostage as well as a bounty hunter had killed both the Representatives. Now the path to shut down the cryo-rayshield seemed to lead to the bottom of the ocean which was were TK had gone. This was turning into a bigger mess by the second. Why was it that whenever they landed on any planet they had to get involved in some crisis?   
Alana exhaled softly, if this kind of lifestyle continued then she would either go insane or actually become a better individual than she had been in the end. Personally she voted for the latter. Alana looked off to her side to see Jayden furiously working on something with the control panel on her right and Zeth looking increasingly sick on her left. Motion sickness wasn't something that one encountered often especially at their age so this was a curious sight for Alana. Nevertheless she knew how horrible feeling sick could be so Alana decided to leave the poor guy alone and instead focus on her partner. Leaning over slightly Alana saw dozens of numbers and aurabesh symbols flashing across the display at record speed and yet somehow Jayden could keep up. To be frank she had no clue what he was doing. As if reading her thoughts, Jayden explained:  
-I'm slicing into the base's security and communications network.  
-There's a base at the bottom of the ocean?!  
-Apparently yes, since that's where the sub seems to be taking us. I don't know about you, but I have a bad feeling about this. It could be a trap.  
-Or it could be precisely what we're looking for. Either way I can't afford not to go. If you're not certain you can go up to the surface with Zeth, I can be convinced to write it off as PTSD.  
Though Alana had been perfectly sincere when she had started speaking Jayden could hear faint notes of laughter towards the end. He shot her a glare:  
-Oh, you're not getting rid of me that easily, your highness. You know as well as I do that this bond works two ways and I'm not going to have you risk our lives without me there.  
-And here I though you actually cared about me.  
Jayden flicked her on the forehead:  
-I'm doing this because I care. Now, Ordo, here on the other hand...  
-I can here you perfectly well, arue'tii. I'll be sure to punch your teeth in the minute we're on solid ground.  
Jayden smirked as he continued working:  
-Oh, right, I forgot. Ickle Zethy has motion sickness, poor baby.  
Zeth tried to get up and punch him, but he instantly turned slightly greener and sat back down. Jayden didn't miss the opportunity to mock his enemy some more:  
-Careful, grandpa. Wouldn't want your puke staining these pristine floors.  
-Ugh, Callen I'll kill you.  
Jayden rolled his eyes:  
-Yeah, keep telling yourself that, bud. I've heard if you lie to yourself long enough you may actually believe it. So just say whatever helps you sleep at night, buddy.  
-Urgh.  
-There, there, ickle Zethy. We'll be on land soon.  
-Callen!  
-Yes, that is my name now don't wear it out, asshole.  
Alana rolled her eyes at the two boys and shook her head:  
-Jayden, lay off him.   
-But this is the perfect time to get my shots in! Revenge is so sweet.  
-That may be so, but seriously Jayden we need him in working condition. Who knows what we may be up against.  
Jayden sighed:  
-Fine, fine. By the way I'm in.   
-You managed to slice into their system?!  
-Yeah, not sure how long it'll take them to notice me in though. Just in case we better get whatever information we need and quickly.   
Before Alana could say a word a familiar string of beeps sounded from the intercom. Zeth reached over and opened the channel before he doubled over again as his motion sickness hit back harder. A series of inquisitive whistled sounded. Alana and Jayden exchanged a glance before rushing over to the device:  
-TK!  
-Hey, tin can.  
-Beep-deet! Dwee-reet! Dewooo.  
-Yes, we know. We received your message as well as a new situation has arisen. Jayden, Zeth and I are docking with the base as we speak.  
-Bee-reen? Blip-frotz-deet.  
-I know what you mean. I'm not sure how he knew either. Where are you?  
The astromech-assassin whirred that he was in the northeast security room, he had sliced into the mainframe quite a while ago operating on the fairly high probability of them showing up here and that they were perfectly welcome. He also warned them that there were numerous droids and Cathar stalking around the base so they should either be as quiet as ghosts (as statement with which Alana was prepared to disagree) or they should go in there with their weapons ready. As soon as he finished telling them that there was a loud clang as the airlock engaged and as the blastdoors opened up. The submersible stopped moving and Zeth heaved a loud sigh of relief. Alana walked over to the slumped over Mandolorian and held out a hand to him which he grasped gratefully, allowing the Jedi to help him up. Jayden shot Zeth a condescending smile:  
-Oh, ickle Zethy can walk again! You're lucky Alana's so nice, Ordo. I'd leave you here.  
-CALLEN!!  
Zeth made to punch Jayden who instantly retaliated with a kick, but before either blow could land Alana hit both boys over the head. They each shot her a glare that could kill, but Alana merely placed her hands on her hips and glowered at both of them:  
-Enough is enough. Look I get what it's like to despise someone, but you've got to keep yourselves in check! Jayden, stop winding Zeth up and, Zeth, there's no need for physical violence all the time! What are you two - five?!  
Both boys grimaced at her reprimand and mumbled an apology. Under his breath Jayden added the word "Mum". Alana glared at him:  
-Yes, Jayden Callen, I may as well be your mother seeing as I have to keep making sure you two behave! Seriously, guys, let's at least call a truce for now. You can punch each other to your heart's content once we're out of this mess.  
Jayden sighed:  
-Fine. Ordo, I'm calling a ceasefire for now.  
-I agree.   
Alana shook her head tiredly and walked over to the door's control panel and pressed release. The round door disengaged with a hiss and a cold white light shined out of the pathway of the corridor. Alana pressed her hands to the side of the carriers of her lightsabers and the biolock disengaged, letting Alana retrieve her weapons. Jayden got out his custom blasters out of their holsters and Zeth powered up something that looked like a glove that worked like a blaster. Alana would never understand how people could be so creative with their weapons. Zeth raised an eyebrow when he saw Alana's lightsabers:  
-So you're really a Jedi?  
Alana rolled her eyes and retorted sarcastically:  
-No, I'm a mad scientist who loves waving around iconic weapons! Obviously I'm a Jedi. How do you expect someone to build a lightsaber without the Force?!  
Zeth shrugged:  
-Hey, I've had weirder things happen to me. Oddly enough, Callen was there too.  
-You talking about the incident on Thyferra?  
Zeth gave a nod, biting back the snappy comment that was threatening to bubble to the surface. Callen irritated him to no end. For a moment a small part of him considered punching Callen just to soothe his own nerves, but seeing the Jedi watching them carefully and remembering what those Force-wielders could do, Zeth chose to not incur her wrath.   
Alana shook her head to focus and turned back towards the door. The underwater bases systems must have been notified of the docking sub so the sooner they got out the better. She really didn't want to kill too many people if she could. Alana motioned the boys to follow her with one hand and started out of the sub. Her footsteps where light but firm, she was quiet and deadly. Alana peered around the corner to see a patrol unit coming their way: two Cathar and four droids and not of the Separatist variety. She strained to hear what the Cathar were saying, but all she made out were snatches of the conversation- something about a docked submersible and enemies infiltrating the camp. Kriff, they were the enemies. Oh well. Exchanging a nod with her partner, Alana charged out of their hiding spot.  
For a split-second there was silence - the calm before the storm, the next moment blaster fire rained down upon the intruders. Not faltering even for the briefest moment, Alana ignited her lightsabers and tightened her grip on them as she charged forward. Jayden knew her idea without her even saying a word (verbally or otherwise) and she relied on him to make sure Zeth would get the message too. Alana ducked under the rain of blaster bolts and cut off two droids heads while in the middle of a rotating jump. She flipped over the remaining droids, trusting Jayden and Zeth to take care of them and focusing on the Cathar who had drown vibroblades. Pointing one lightsaber at each of them and kicking back a droid who'd gotten too close for comfort, Alana spoke over the chaos:  
-I really don't want to kill you. Just tell me where I can find the controls to the cryo-rayshield and stay out my way - we all get to keep breathing.  
The one with darker fur snarled:  
-Never. We shall fight for the Howling Tempest gang until the end.  
Alana gave a sigh:  
-Very well then.   
Her grip on her blades hilt's tightened and grim resolve shone in her eyes. A small voice in the back of Alana's mind questioned when had she become so ready to kill or maim if they got in her way, but this newly repaired part of Alana told it to pipe down at least for now. Alana bent her legs slightly and spun towards the two her lightsabers forming two deadly arcs that the her two opponent could barely block in time. With her blows blocked one of the Cathar kicked her right under the lungs, winding her and knocking her back half a meter. Taking advantage of the moment the two jumped at her with their blades positioned for the killing blow. However both were stunned to find themselves knocked back by some unseen force, Alana straightened up and faced them again. Just because she couldn't use her body to it's fullest potential with the air knocked out of her lungs didn't mean she was defenceless. A Force-user was never truly defenceless- not with the Force on their side. Alana threw one of her blades to the side, sending it flying in an arc towards it's bewildered target while she focused on the other one. Both men launched themselves at her, but the Jedi easily parried their blows and a moment later one of the Cathar was strapped through the heart by the blade that Alana had sent flying. Not missing a beat, Alana Force-pulled her blade out of the corpse and swung it towards her still living opponent. He tried to block her blows but within the time frame of two minutes he found himself pressed up against a wall with two blades forming an "X" at his neck. He was defeated, accepting that sentence he dropped his blade to the floor, kicked it away and knelt before the victor.  
Alana sighed and deactivated her lightsabers, placing them back into the carriers. A moment later Zeth and Jayden joined her. She raised an eyebrow at the two Mandos:  
-What took you so long?  
Jayden threw her a look:  
-Well, someone seems to forget that not everyone has swords made of plasma.   
-Oh, come on - I've seen you do better, Shadow.  
Jayden tried to swat her on the back of her head, but the Jedi easily ducked under his hand, grinning. Zeth crossed his arms as he looked down at Alana's prisoner:  
-Why is he still alive? Want me to shoot him?  
Alana instantly became serious and pushed Zeth's arm back down:  
-No. He can tell us where the controls are.  
The Cathar glared up at them:  
-I won't talk. You cowards, may your bloodlines be damned for eternity.  
Alana felt Zeth grow angry and she froze when she felt that cold presence overshadow Jayden. Shadow was in the playing field now. Shadow crouched down and pressed the barrel tip of one of his blasters against the prisoner's temple:  
-Listen here,mirci't, I can either pull this trigger and let the insides of your elongated skull burn to a crisp or you can tell us where to find those controls and we let you walk. And those options are only available right now and today because I'm in especially good mood. Now it's your choice, trust me- I'm fine with either option.  
Alana didn't move to stop him - she didn't trust Shadow nearly as much as she did Jayden, but still his methods did prove effective. She herself had a plan up her sleeve if Shadow's approach didn't work. The Cathar stiffened, but remained stubborn:  
-No, I'd rather die than let the Boss's plan fail. The Boss will feed me to the Scorekeeper if I talk.  
Alana held out a hand to stop Shadow:  
-Ah, a Trandoshan. See, you're already proving useful.  
Zeth cast Alana a surprised look:  
-You figured their both was a Trandoshan from just that?!  
Alana shrugged:  
-It was obvious as soon as he mentioned the Scorekeeper. Anyone who knows Trandoshan culture knows about her.  
-Impressive. I didn't think Jedi studied.  
-Well, how else do you learn?,- Alana crouched down to be one eye level with the Cathar,- You know what? We don't need you to talk - not when I can just look inside your mind.  
Alana sank down onto her knees and closed her eyes. The Cathar stiffened as felt someone sifting through his mind. He groaned in pain:  
-Agh! Stop it! Get out my mind! I'll talk! I'll talk! Just stop!  
Alana opened her eyes and stood up. She crossed her arms, looking at her prisoner expectantly. The Cathar swallowed his pride and blurted out:  
-He's in the left control centre - not far from the Hangar bay. But you won't beat him!  
-We'll see, won't we?  
The Cathar released a low growl before running off. Shadow turned to the oddly calm Jedi:  
-Do we kill him?  
-No. Let him go.  
Zeth frowned:  
-He'll alert the others.  
Alana nodded, a small grim smile on her face:  
-Precisely. Trandoshans value two things: Jagannath points and strength through which those points can be cultivated. If we don't show their Boss what we're made of he won't even give us the time of day.  
Shadow nodded in understanding:  
-So we fight the forces he throws at us to show him what we're made of. Good thinking.  
Alana rubbed her temples in circles, her patience beginning to stretch thin:  
-Thank you, but once again it's obvious if you know Trandoshan culture. Now, let's go.  
The Jedi didn't wait for any assent or confirmation before starting to walk away. The course of action she was being forced to take wasn't by any means her preferred way, but just as she had told her companions- it was their only option. Still, what in the blazes was a Trandoshan doing on Bestine IV?!

==SW: LB==

Tenebris pulled up his hood as he opened a channel to his two most loyal agents. Two holographic figures appeared. One was a tall, muscular dark-skinned human man and the other was a lean and sharp-witted chiss woman - Bendak Durgen and Cestele Largrah respectively. The two holographic figures bowed:  
-Was your mission a success, sir?  
-It was productive, yes. We now have complete control of the planet Sullust. I'm forwarding the legal documents now.  
The chiss woman turned around on the holo and started working on the console behind her. A moment later she nodded:  
-Impressive work as always, my lord. Yes, everything you need seems to be in order. Are you heading to Sullust now?  
Tenebris shook his head, interlocking his fingers:  
-No. However, Bendak?  
The man straightened up:  
-Yes, my lord?  
-Pick two people and send them as my representatives to Sullust. Keep the information on a need-to-know basis. Tell them I will be sending instructions shortly.  
-Of course, sir.  
The man named Bendak walked out of the hologram's range and Cestele turned around, folding her hands behind her back:  
-I will monitor the situation and advise when I see fit. Any other orders, sir?  
Tenebris hesitated for a moment before giving a curt nod:  
-Yes. Continue to monitor the movements of the Star Cabal and more importantly Palpatine- understood?  
-Yes, my lord. May I ask one question however?  
-You may.  
Cestele hesitated for a moment before forcing herself to speak:  
-My lord, why is it that we're keeping such a close eye on the leader of the Republic? I know it's not technically treason since all of us renounced both the Republic and the Confederacy when we joined you. I even renounced the Ascendancy, but then why? Why are you not affiliated with any of them, my lord? I realise these are all very intrusive questions and if you do not wish do not answer them, but I ask one thing of you my lord- do not lie to me.  
Tenebris sighed: he should have known that Cestele would ask these sooner or later and that she wouldn't take the vague answer of the fact that Palpatine was dangerous to the galaxy that he had given Bendak. The Chiss woman was his second in command, just as Bendak was, but while Bendak was a military man and genius strategist, Cestele was an excellent spy and informant. She was a genius. She was also resistant to the Force's influence - just as Bendak was. He knew that unlike to everyone else, he couldn't lie to them. With Bendak he could skirt around the truth without revealing it fully, but with Cestele that wouldn't work. Tenebris raised his yellow eyes to meet the woman's own red ones:  
-Cestele, you do understand that I cannot tell you the full truth. That would endanger both you and the mission objective. Also a Sith never trusts anyone. However... I also know that lying to you wouldn't work. That is why I will tell you what I can: this Galaxy will crumble and the Republic and the Confedaracy will cease to exist. The Sith will win the war - but it shall not be me that is at their head. I know of this Galaxy's future yet I'm forbidden to change it. I do not know if I will be here when everything burns to the ground, but the Galaxy as you and I know it right now will fear to exist. Palpatine is a menace and I will not let him interfere with our objective. We are not the Republic, we are not the Seperatist, we are...  
Cestele bowed her head and replied in a firm voice:  
-The True Order.  
-Yes. Never repeat what I have told you to anyone - this must stay between you and I. Do not make me regret it, Commander.  
-Yes, sir.  
The transmission cut off and Tenebris sighed. This was either a very good or a very foolish move on his part. He had told Cestele as much as he could without corrupting the future. He had abstained from saying one thing- he doubted if he would live long enough to see the Galaxy burn. That all depended on the outcome of his battle with a certain young woman. He knew that she wasn't at full strength now, but one day sooner or later she would be and then she would posses even more power than she had had when they'd first locked blades. She would be someone of the same power as him. However Tenebris had no plans of dying - in truth he had every desire to kill her. To erase her from history. But he was not naive enough to dismiss the idea of a chance, a scenario where she would kill him. Whatever the outcome would be their legacy would live on - though he would much rather it be him than a child that should never have even been born. He would defeat her, but right now a certain object is the depths of Belsavis was waiting. A new toy.

==SW: LB==

Alana's assumption had proved correct as they moved through the base towards the northeast security room where TK was located: the Trandoshan kept throwing wave after wave of droids and the occasional living beings at them. He was most definitely testing their strength and so far the Jedi and the Mandolorians had proved up to the test. While they walked Alana had also deduced that their original assumption of the cyborg being the leader of the gang was wrong - the Trandoshan was. A Trandoshan.... This could prove very problematic. Alana knew that both Jayden and Zeth could match up to at least half of his physical strength while she would have no chance of winning a fight against him. And knowing average Trandoshan nature a fight was what they were going to get. Even so Alana wouldn't stop, no matter what or how she had to shut down that cryo-rayshield.   
Jayden absentmindedly watched Alana flipping her lightsabers over in her hands as they walked along. Something was slightly different about the way she had dealt with the way she had dealt with their Cathar prisoner. It was slightly unsettling. In the back of his mind Shadow argued back that what she did was entirely correct and that they wouldn't have gotten any information otherwise, besides since when had they become experts on Jedi morals? Hadn't they done worse? Like mass genocide? Jayden frowned. He knew Shadow was right about this, but he was worried. Alana was pushing herself too much. This was her first solo task and she wasn't ready for this much pressure. Alana nearly never managed to get a full nights sleep, she barely ate and she always pushed herself to the brink - if this kept up she was going to collapse or worse. He didn't say anything because in reality he had no room to talk: didn't he stay up night after night because of the night terrors that kept haunting him? Wasn't he always reckless? Though he ate properly he had no room to talk. Despite that he worried about her and that's what puzzled him even more - why did he even care in what state she was in? It wasn't his business and yet he did. He supposed that that's what friends did - they looked out for each other. Friends... A small smile came to Jayden's lips. He had had friends before like the Cadera sisters, Ayyshiri and his teammates, but never anyone like Alana. She was different. Unique. He wasn't entirely sure of what they meant to each other, but he didn't want to lose her that was one thing Jayden was certain of.   
Suddenly a door on their left slid open and all three teenagers instantly readied their weapons only to see an odd droid roll out. TK chirped a cheery greeting at the sight of them. Alana realised a sigh first and shut off her lightsabers, placing a hand over her heart:  
-Next time please do me a favour and not scare us half to death.  
TK released a string of sounds that sounded like laughter before giving an inquisitive whistle. Alana nodded:  
-Yep, that was us alright. Seems like the Big Boss is gunning for us. You in?  
-Dee-reet-beep! Bzzt-blip-woo!  
Alana laughed and shook her head:  
-Why did I even ask? Let's go then. Oh and if you can find the left control centre, not far from the Hangar bay I would be most grateful. That's where he's at.  
-Beep.  
While TK calculated the fastest route Zeth leaned over to Jayden and muttered:  
-Weird droid you have there.  
Jayden shrugged:  
-Alana seems to attract all kinds. Especially weirdos like TK.  
-You do realise that you just essentially called yourself a weirdo, arue'tal?  
-I really don't care what you think, Ordo.  
Before their argument could escalate any further TK declared that he'd found a way with the least enemies and the fastest route to the big bosses room. Alana smiled:  
-Great! Let's go.  
-Dee-dwoo.  
TK rolled in front with Alana and the boys following behind him. The Jedi girl sped up slightly to walk alongside the droid. Maybe he could answer some of her questions. They walked in silence for a few minutes before Alana tentatively ventured:  
-Hey, TK, you've been to a lot of planets, right?  
The astromech chirped an affirmative, waiting for the Jedi to elaborate. Alana hesitantly asked:  
-I've been wondering- have you encountered any holocrons or anything in your travels?  
The droid was silent for a moment before saying that while he had it was unlikely that they were still there. He paused before asking why she was curious. Alana absentmindedly fiddled with the emitter of her lightsabers before replying:  
-Um, a few hours ago I was summoned to a space within the Force by the Force ghost of the Jedi Exile - Meetra Surik. She told me to find objects that could help me--  
Alana trailed off, looking towards a locked blastdoor to her right. Something was pulling at her, calling to her. Something that was connected to the Force. Jayden tapped Alana on her shoulder:  
-Alana?  
The Jedi suddenly grasped the side of her head and barely audibly squeezed out:  
-I'm... I'm...I'm f-f..,- she swayed on her feet,-fine... I'm fine...  
She was evidently not fine because the next second her legs buckled under her and Alana kneeled on the floor, holding on to TK for support. Jayden instantly crouched down beside her:  
-You alright?  
Alana forced a smile and nodded, biting her tongue to keep a groan of pain from coming out. Breathing heavily, Alana murmured:  
-Must be the lack of sleep catching up to me. But there's something...agh!  
Jayden put both hands on the girl's shoulders and looked at her evenly:  
-Listen to me, Alana. Open the bond.  
Alana looked up at him, her face screwed up from pain and stubbornly shook her head. Jayden sighed and repeated evenly:  
-Open the bond. Don't do this to yourself. Alana.  
When the girl simply bit her lip and shook her head in response, Jayden sighed and without saying took her face in his hands and brought his forehead to touch hers. Zeth stared at the two, what the heck was going on? Alana and Jayden did however. The moment her skin touched his a shock ran through her body and suddenly the pain lessened by half, instead of it however it was as if someone had unlocked a floodgate inside Alana's memory. She saw objects, holocrons and finally a memory she didn't recognise.   
Alana felt much shorter than she normally was and somewhere she registered that that must have been back before her growth spurt. She was looking at pieces of a cube, a holocron she realised that were floating around in the air. In the middle of which stood a tiny holographic man, speaking calmly with his hands folded behind his back. He had a beard and was dressed in Jedi robes, an elderly face smiled up at Alana. She wanted to ask who he was, but her younger self had other plans. The man spoke:  
-Hello, young one. Who are you and how did you come across my holocron?  
The younger version of Alana replied:  
-Master Xaen, my friends need your help. As for who I am and how I knew where to find your holocron - you should remember.   
The Master furrowed his brow before his eyes shot wide open and he exclaimed:  
-No! Impossible! Alana Sheelan, Miss Coran's daughter?  
Alana gave a rueful smile:  
-Yes, it's been a long while, Master. Much has changed. Please, we need your help. You're the best person I could think of who knows how to undo mind-control effects!  
The elderly man frowned before nodding:  
-Alright, but on one condition.  
Alana looked at Master Xaen evenly:  
-Name it, Master.  
-You must scatter my holocron once we heal your friend. Promise me that, padawan. No one must use this power in the wrong way again.  
Alana sighed but agreed:  
-I give you my word, Master. I shall scatter it so one will need to reassemble the two pieces again for it to work.  
The memory stopped there and Jayden and Alana jumped apart as though lightning had hit them. Their shock resonated through the bond and both stared at each other. Zeth sighed and crouched down between the two:  
-Yeah, I have absolutely no kriffing idea what happened right now. And since I don't trust the arue'tii to tell me the truth, care to tell me what that was all about, angel?

==SW: LB==

Kai Lionis walked through the underbelly of Nar Shaddaa with the hood of his brown Jedi cloak pulled up and his hand resting not far from his lightsaber. The feel of the cool metal brushing against his palm of his hand from time to time was reassuring. It meant he wasn't unarmed, of course he had the Force too but he had never been as in tune with it as his padawan was.  
In a sense he was glad that Alana wasn't here and instead on her own mission somewhere in this vast galaxy. Kai wondered how she was doing. Unlike most Masters and padawan's they didn't have a Force bond so he couldn't tell how Alana was doing. That lack of a bond was another oddity surrounding the two of them, but still the two of them were content with the way things were. Kai smiled when he recalled all the happy memories he had shared with his spirited student. Maybe that time he had last seen her on Coruscant was their final goodbye. The last thought was so morbid that he instantly expelled it from his mind.  
Kai turned a corner and slipped into a shady cantina where he was meeting a certain nautolan. The half-broken, flickering neon green sign above the doorway read "Brombeere" in aurabesh. Whatever that meant. Kai made to step towards the door when two obviously drunk individuals stumbled out of it and he stepped out of the way. They were laughing uncontrollably and their eyes lacked any and all focus. However some strange force drew their eyes to Kai. One of them pointed and whispered loudly to his equally drunken cohort:  
-Heeyy, lookie 'ere, Vus - a Jediii.  
-Yeeh, there's 'out of 'im though! Heeey, Jeddiii!  
Kai sighed and ran a hand down his face:  
-You two are drunk. Please take your volume down a notch.  
One of the men waved a hand at him, dismissing his statement:  
-Naaah, we ain't drunk. Only tipsyyy!Weooh!  
Kai ran a hand down his face tiredly. Stars, what had he done to deserve this? One of the drunkards swung and arm around Kai's neck roughly, accidentally pulling down his hood, and croaked:  
-Heey, Jeediii?  
His breath reeked of alcohol, most probably beer. Kai pushed him away and tiredly asked, already regretting his decision:  
-What is it?  
-Can you make mee fly? I wanna flyyy! Hheee heee. Whoopee!  
Well, this was getting ridiculous. Making up his mind, Kai waved one hand in front of the men and spoke firmly but quietly:  
-You are drunk. You will go home and sleep, you won't get into any more trouble.  
The eyes of the men glazed over becoming almost lifeless and they repeated what Kai said in a trance-like state, before walking away. Kai rubbed his temples tiredly - damn Nar Shaddaa. It always had to throw something like this at him. Maybe calling it the "armpit of the galaxy" wasn't too far after all.  
Pushing past the glitchy door, Kai made his way into the bar. Instantly he was assaulted by millions of different languages, loud music and an an assortment of... unique smells. There were dozens upon dozens of different species here, some Kai had never even seen before - like that one guy with two heads. Kai forced himself to focus and scanned the cantina for a certain Nautolan with a birthmark right on his forehead. There. Spotting his contact sitting at a table at the far right side of the bar, Kai made his way over to him. Sinking down into a seat and ordering a glass of Gav from a nearby waiter droid, Kai threw off his hood. The nautolan crossed his mint green arms, frowning:  
-Valle Bey malfrua. [T: You're late]  
Kai shrugged, spreading his arms helplessly:  
-Couldn't be helped. We both know how Nar Shaddaaa is, Wuku. Anyway, you-- Ah, thanks.  
Kai was cut off by the arrival of the waiter droid with a glass of purple liquid in it. He thanked the droid who quickly tottered off and turned back to Wuku Bon, his nautolan contact with the drink in hand:  
-As I was saying, you said you knew where to find him?  
Wuku instantly waved his hands around in protest and explained in a hushed whisper:  
-Minmin Sel ne Cnous kie Al ahn lin! Neniu faras ay Min homoj chas Valle lanul! Zals Minminhav Bey fam! [T: I don't know where to find him! No one does or his people hunt you down! All I have is rumours!]  
Kai choked on his drink as he registered what the other man was saying. Clearing his throat and putting the drink down, Kai stared at Wuku:  
-He has people working for him?!  
Wuku nodded and in a slightly nervous voice explained:  
\- Voch murmuri tio Yke Bey Uhl unu Hyon hav duono de Uhl krimulo monto suv Il Ihn tri'cha deUhl galaxy suv Min dica finlro. Yke hav a imperio tio Doko Osk'y Uhl Hut Cartel ai! [T:Voices whisper that he's the one who has half of the criminal underworld and a third of the galaxy under his thumb. He has an empire that could rival the Hutt Cartel's!]  
Kai frowned as he rubbed his chin deep in thought. This was beginning to seem like a bigger problem everyday. Attacks on planets at random and the oddest things stolen. There was no proof that it was their Sith even, but if what Kai's gut was telling him it was him alright. There was a silent moment between them before Wuku slid a datacard across the table and added:  
\- Minmin Doko senho via cerheco ne pulsating Ehin Ten Ofax. Li Bey klara ech inher tiu countlessali korhusheco mia tentacles Bey elect supre. Jen eshas Uhl karho de Uhl lasha Cnous kunortili devia celhavulo, ne garanhi tio Yke devas Bey tie kvancam. De Ten ni Bey ech. [T:I can sense your uncertainty pulsating in this air. It is clear even among these countless other emotions my tentacles are picking up. Here is the card with the last known coordinates of your target, no guarantees that he'll be there though. With this we're even.]  
Kai gave a nod and finishing his drink in a single swig, Kai stood up. He tucked away the datacard and pulled his hood up again:  
-Thanks for the help, Wuku. I think it's time for me to see this new empire for myself.Your debt to me is no more.  
The nautolan shrugged and retorted:  
-Li ai via enherilir. [T: It's your funeral.]  
Kai gave his contact a grim smile:  
-I know.

==SW: LB==

-You mean you're mentally linked to that son of a Hutt?!  
Alana nodded as she fiddled with the inner workings of the control panel to the blastdoor. She'd explained as much as she was willing to to Zeth and he was more or less lost for words. Not for insults apparently. As she tugged a wire out of the way she added:  
-It's more than that--  
-I think Ordo has heard more than his tiny brain can handle.  
-Callen, I swear the minute we're on the surface again I will kill you.  
-Good luck with that. How well did that work out for you the last nineteen times?  
Zeth shot Jayden a glare to which the recipient responded with a smug smile, Alana simply ignored the boys expertly. She normally wasn't one to give up, but she had a feeling that no amount of her asking the boys to play nice would ever get the two to stop. This was more than a rivalry, much more. Alana decided to shove those thoughts to the back of her mind because her involvement in whatever the issue between the two was would only make things worse. She focused on overloading the locking mechanism in the door. One more operation... There! Electricity raged across the insides of them panel and a moment later there was a loud clang as the door unlocked. Good, now all she needed to do was pry the door open... with the Force.   
Alana stood up and used the Force to pry the doors apart. Unfortunately that was easier said than done so Alana could only open up a small space between them. Suddenly adrenaline rushed through her and she followed her bodies single command: jump! She dived through the hole she had made only to have the heavy blast doors clang shut behind her. What exactly was going on? Alana tried to use the Force to pry them open again, but to her mild surprise they had been sealed shut again. Alana looked around herself to find herself in what looked like an armoury. In the middle of all the weapons (which in all honesty held no value to Alana) there was a computer terminal just in front of stasis field in which something that looked like a hexagon was located. A hexagon that looked oddly familiar, like a part of a holocron... Astonished, Alana whispered:  
-Force, that is a holocron. Or at least a part of one...  
It all made sense now. Why she'd regained that memory and what Meetra had meant when she said that a piece of the third object rested in the depths of Bestine IV. As if in a trance the young woman walked over to the computer terminal and entered the command to release the stasis field. The inner piece of Master Xaen's holocron floated down to gently rest on the now disabled stasis field emitter. Tentatively, as though afraid of damaging it, Alana reached over and took the holocron's inner piece. This holocron meant more to her than anyone could ever know, it held a piece of her past. This Master Xaen knew who she was, or at least he'd known her mother. Her mother's last name was Coran... But then why was Alana herself Sheelan? The last names didn't match up. Alana looked down at the holocron' inner piece with a million and one questions swirling in her head, that at least for now had no answers. Using two long straps on her belt, the young Jedi fastened it to her belt. Suddenly Alana remembered that she'd given Zeth,Jayden and TK no explanation. Kriff , she'd gotten too distracted by the holocron's piece. Alana switched on her comlink in an attempt to contact Jayden:  
-Jayden, are you there?  
There was a background sound of blasterfire before Jayden's voice spoke over the chaos, he sounded slightly out of breath:  
-Alana!... Thank the stars, you're fine. Why,-the sound of a blaster discharging rang out,- in the galaxy ... didn't you contact us... sooner?!  
Alana frowned:  
-Found something in here. What in the world is happening around you, Jayden?  
-The Trandoshan decided to strike back. We're being overwhelmed by their numbers. They've even taken out TK! Alana, this guy hasn't been building up a gang - he's been amassing an army! There's something--  
Unexpectedly the communication shut off and Alana felt a burning sensation right at the her left temple. The impact was so strong that it forced Alana to stagger back a few steps. Jayden had been knocked out, along with the Zeth she'd bet. To have overwhelmed Shadow and Phantom's eye at the same time.... This Trandoshan was packing a serious punch and so were his men.   
Alana shook her head forcing herself to focus. She needed to get out of this room and fast, otherwise Jayden and Zeth could wind up dead. Alana rushed over to the computer terminal and tried accessing the room's controls. The lockdown that someone had initiated from the main terminals wouldn't budge. Suddenly, an window popped up asking whether or not overload was permissible. Alana quickly pressed "yes" before the whoever had initiated the lockdown could deny the command.   
However, instead of the system being overloaded the vent flaps opened up and poisonous gas began spilling into the room. Alana recognised it as the same one from the Atlantida and just like then she wasn't able to withstand it's effects. Even her Jedi training couldn't help her fend off the dark tide of unconsciousness. As her body crumpled to the ground, a certain lizard's mouth tugged up into a smile....

==SW: LB==

Alana felt something cold pressed to her back and something tight around her wrists. Those were the first sensations her foggy mind registered. The next thing she noted was that there was a steady hum coming from somewhere near her, not sentient though - more machine. This, combined with the uncomfortable position her body was in - made for one convincing argument to make the Jedi open her eyes.   
Alana pushed her heavy eyelids open. She instantly noted that her hands were imprisoned in a pair of heavy handcuffs, and that right in front of her was the yellow glow of a stasis cage - that must have been the source of the noise. She also noted that she was curled in a feral position on the floor. With a soft groan Alan pushed herself up into a sitting position to get a better view. At that same moment she heard a vaguely familiar voice:  
-Hey, angel. Nice to see you awake, especially with those lovely eyes of yours open. Callen's still out of it, I'm wondering if they've put him out of my misery as an early birthday gift. That would be perfect.  
Alana turned her head to the side to see Zeth sitting up, with his back resting against the metal part of the cage. She managed a weak smile:  
-You really have no room to talk, you were overwhelmed with Jayden, remember?  
Zeth made a face, but didn't argue back. He knew she was right, besides his mother had told him to never argue with a sleepy woman. Or one who'd just came to from being knocked out. In short one who wasn't in full control of her mental faculties. There was a moment of silence with each of them dwelling on their own thoughts, before Alana asked:  
-What did they do to TK?  
-Your droid? It's an odd one.  
Alana shrugged:  
-He's more of an ally. Just never call him an "it" again, got it?  
-Sure, whatever. He got shut down. Took him who knows where.   
Alana glanced at Jayden before quietly asking:  
-What did they do to the two of you?  
Her face was turned away from Zeth so he couldn't see her facial expression. Her voice was impassive, refusing to betray any and all emotions. Zeth sighed:  
-I got stunned. No idea what they did to Callen. Probably stunned him too. He's taking his sweet time to wake up, asshole.  
Alana shook her head and looked down at her hands:  
-No.  
-Huh?  
-They didn't use a blaster against him. Not in the usual sense. They hit him in the temple, there's blood coming out from his left temple. They could have killed him.  
Zeth rolled his eyes:  
-Wouldn't that be a problem. They'd have done us a favour.  
Alana whipped around to glare at the cocky Mandolorian:  
-Listen here, Phantom. I have no clue what fuels the rivalry between you and Jayden and frankly I don't think I want to. But you need to get one thing straight - Jayden is someone who I care about. He's my friend and while he may be more useful dead to you he is someone who I need alive! There is no "us" in that last statement. Make a comment like that again and I will end you myself.   
Zeth raised his hands up in surrender. Sheesh, was the girl scary when mad. Reminded him of the time he'd crossed his sister. Now that was a scary memory. Alana glared at him for a few more moments before turning away. Well, that had been quite an outburst.  
Suddenly a low groan came from Alana's left and both of the fully conscious prisoners quickly turned to look at the source. Jayden Callen slowly sat up and lifted a hand to his left temple before dazedly asking:  
-What happened? Why does my head feel like it was run over by an assault walker and why in the galaxy are we in stasis cages?   
-Jayden! Is your memory intact?  
-Do you mean had my brain gone wonky or not? If so then no, I still remember everything clearly, thanks for asking.  
As soon as he finished speaking, Jayden's eyes focused in on who had asked that question. Alana, the girl who had amnesia. Damn it, he was such an idiot. Jayden instantly apologised:  
-Kriff, Alana, I'm so sorry. I really should have phrased that better.  
She gave him a tiny fleeting smile, a fake one, before shaking her head:  
-It's fine. This proves you sustained no major brain damage from the strike to head you took. I'm glad you're ok.  
Jayden felt guilty the instant her eyes left his face. Stars, why did he keep screwing stuff up with her?! Half the time he was arguing with her on whether one of them should or could go alone and the rest of the time they were walking on eggshells around each other, covering it up with teasing and jokes. He'd never had so many qualms with hurting anyone like this before, why in the world did he overthink everything he said? Stars, girls were confusing. Jayden tentatively lifted hand to the bloodied side of his head, wincing when a jolt of pain raced through it at even the feather light touch:  
-Seriously, what happened? And what's going on?  
Before either Alana or Ordo could answer the door to the detention center slid open and in came a Trandoshan with yellowish scaly skin and one good and the other cybernetic eye. He was well dressed in armour that Alana assumed was made of a material akin to plasteel and he had a blade of some sort strapped to his back. Alana instantly stood up, recognising their adversary. Zeth and Jayden followed the Jedi's lead, the latter swaying a bit and being forced to lean onto the metal side of the stasis cage.   
Before their captor could issue a single hiss, Alana crossed her arms and coldly inquired:  
-And who might you be, oh great boss of the Howling Tempest gang?  
The Trandoshan sized the young Jedi up for a moment before replying in his native tongue:  
-{ I am Rrask Fess and you three are my quarry, brave soft little creature.}  
Alana narrowed her dark eyes at him,waving away the protocol droid that had trotted in behind the lizard-man:  
-Well then, Rrask Fess, if we are indeed your prey why haven't you killed us? You certainly had the chance.  
The Trandoshan's mouth jerked up into something akin to a smile:  
-{A curious assessment, soft creature. But in essence it is correct. I have not killed you for a single reason. I want one of you to fight for your lives, so the Scorekeeper may deem whether you are fit to continue living or not.}  
Alana's gaze flickered to the two young men not far from her. To her it was obvious that she had gotten off much easier than they had, they were in no shape to fight. That left her and from the way Rrask was watching her she would say that he wanted her to fight. However, it wouldn't be that simple: the boys were both Mandolorians and they wouldn't acknowledge the fact that they were in no shape to fight easily - at least Jayden never had. Looking into the Trandoshan's one good eye, Alana asked the question that was on all their minds:  
-You said one of us. Who?  
Rrask's eyes flickered from one of his prisoners to the other. He was considering his options carefully. He knew exactly who he had caught and this was quite the catch. Shadow and Phantom's eye - notorious bounty hunters and a Jedi. A very odd Jedi. He also had grabbed a droid, but he was of no consequence right now. He knew that he could probably easily defeat the bounty hunters in their current state and then he could kill them all and earn his jagannath points, but that would be dishonourable. That left the least predictable of the three: A Jedi. A female small Jedi. A Jedi that didn't spout utter nonsense and that fought with two blades. She set him on edge somehow. Compared to him she was relatively small and her body look like he could snap it in two very easily, yet he could tell she was dangerous- far more dangerous than her companions though Shadow had something off about him too. Rrask shook his head at his own stalling, he knew. He had known the answer to the female creatures question since he first laid eyes on all three of them. Finally Rrask spoke:  
-{Small soft Jedi, you will fight me for your lives.}  
Alana opened her mouth to respond, but before she could Jayden cut in sharply:  
-No!  
Alana frowned and turned to face Jayden:  
-Jayden, I can do this.   
-And what if you can't?! What if you die?!   
-Then we all die, don't we? Jayden, I need you to believe in the fact that I can do this! I know you'll never admit this, but both of you need protection right now. Put aside your pride - trust me. Like I would trust you.   
-I don't need protection! And isn't it against the Jedi way to fight?!  
Alana's gaze hardened, but she didn't raise her voice:  
-Yes, you do. There are always times when your own strength won't be enough. There also two reasons you can raise a weapon for - to attack or to protect. Every single time I ignite my lightsabers I remind myself that I am fighting to protect people who I care about or people who do not have the strength to defend themselves. Just this once Jayden, let me protect you,-Alana turned to the Trandoshan,- I accept. What are your terms?  
The lizard's mouth stretched into a grin:  
-{Very good, small creature. We will fight: one-on-one and with none of your Jedi magic.}  
Alana gave a curt nod of assent:  
-Very well, no Force powers. I assume the use of both of my lightsabers is permissible?  
The reptilian man nodded, but instead of saying anything just waved one scaly hand. Suddenly two floating probe droids appeared from behind him, each one with a syringe filled with some sort of liquid. Warning bells blared in Alana's head, but before she could even open her mouth both probe droids had passed through the briefly flickering stasis fields and had come in contact with the boys. One of them injected a strange yellow-green liquid into Jayden while the other one injected a clear fluid into Zeth. The effect was instantaneous: Zeth fell to the ground and his eyes became the only thing that could move, Jayden's hold body started shaking before he released a bloodcurdling scream of pain and too fell to the ground. Terror reflected in her eyes, Alana glared at their captor and demanded:  
-What did you do to them?!  
The Trandoshan merely gave a shrug:  
-{ This is a precaution- just so you don't renege on our agreement. The soft creature in red is now paralysed and your friend... A nerve toxin is eating away at his nervous system. His is a most painful procedure I'm told and just a warning- he won't last more than 10 minutes, 15 maximum. But I have the antidote.}  
Alana's hands clenched into fists and she whispered, anger prominent in her voice:  
-Let me guess: If I win within that time limit - you'll give it to him?  
Rrask showed her an animalistic smile:  
-{Yes.}


	37. Chapter 36 - Debts and Confrontations

Chapter 36- Debts and Confrontations

Alana instantly felt much more in control of the situation the minute she felt the cool hilts of her lightsabers in her hands. Somehow, with her weapons in hand she always felt more stable - like she was able to keep a semblance of a grip on the situation. However, Alana's gaze didn't stray from Rrask for even a moment. Her mind was focused on one thing and one thing only: defeating him. Inwardly, Alana vowed to herself that's that would be what she would do - no matter what it took. Her life was the last one at risk, besides, to her, it was also the least important, as illogical as that was.  
The Trandoshan drew his blade and Alana ignited her lightsabers following his cue. She was aware of the odds she was up against, but she wouldn't lose. She'd die before she let anyone lose their lives due to her being too weak. Raising his arms, the Trandoshan declared:  
-{May the Scorekeeper grant her favour upon the victor!}  
Alana didn't say a word as her opponent gripped his warblade again. For a second she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, reaching into the Force to center herself, but for nothing more. For a moment everything was still, there was no movement at all - the calm before the storm, before everything burst into complete and utter chaos as violent as the raging on a stormy night.   
The Trandoshan rushed at the girl and she used his momentum to her advantage. His size and speed was so great that he wouldn't have time to stop before reaching her, timing it perfectly, Alana deactivated one of her lightsabers and used one hand to push off the Trandoshan's shoulders midair, effectively flipping over him and sticking a balanced landing behind him. Rrask hurtled forward, unable to stop himself - a minute later he slammed into the wall. Peeling himself off, he growled and this time waited for the Jedi to attack, but Alana had no intention of doing so, she knew that would put her at a distinct disadvantage. Realising he had no other option but to attack again, Rrask leaped at her and this time the Jedi had to block. Both of her blades locked with his warblade, he was forcing her to use all her physical strength to counter. Damn it, if he had figured out her weakness so early this was going to end very badly. Deciding to take a chance, Alana removed one of her blades and pivoted with a single quick burst of her strength to slice at her opponent's side. Rrask had barely enough time to shove the Jedi away before she sliced through his scales.   
Alana's mouth twitched as she hurtled to a stop from his shove by turning the momentum into the strength for two progressive backflips: she knew where she could get ahead now. She was much smaller than Rrask and she was far more agile so she could use that to her advantage- however, the Trandoshan's brute strength was not to be underestimated. Alana leaped at her enemy, twisting mid-jump to land a kick right across Rrask scaly face. The Trandoshan grabbed her leg and using it a a grip threw her across the spacious room, while a normal human would most definitely have ended up in a crumpled broken heap Alana's natural agility let her take advantage of the situation and turn the speed into movement. Instead of hitting the wall face first, Alana planted her feet on it for a second before flipping backwards - pushing off the wall and sticking a balanced landing. She turned back to Rrask a tiny proud smile on her face, her opponent growled: the little soft creature was far too flexible for him to easily swat her, but perhaps there was another way. Rrask raced at the young woman with his warblade raised. Alana met him head on with a strike of her own. When the cortosis weave blade met plasma there was a ripple in the air from the Force. Alana didn't wait, she quickly disengaged herself from the blade lock and attempted another strike this time on his cybernetic side. Her adversary didn't halt either and aimed for her legs making the Jedi jump and miss her intended target slicing a side of his face instead. Rrask gave an angry hiss, intensifying the speed and force of his strikes, making the girl go on the defensive. Alana had to draw upon all of strength to block his strikes, shifting from one Soresu stance into another. The Trandoshan could sense that her strength was waning with each block and he smirked. That irked the Jedi immensely and taking a chance she ducked under a swipe and began spinning her in a figure of eight making the reptilian step back to avoid getting chopped up. Alana smiled: even Grievous could be learned from. Her blades forming deadly arcs of green and violet colour. The tables had turned and now the human had the upper hand. Forcing Rrask to go on the defensive, Alana advanced - charging through his blocks like a wildfire through a forest. A moment later she had her lightsabers in a scissor formation at his neck. Alana raised and eyebrow expectantly. She had won. However, the next moment a blinding pain exploded down her chest,making the Jedi drop her lightsabers and double over. She pressed her palms to her chest and drew one hand shakily away to see it covered with bright crimson blood. Damn it, no! Not now! Black spots started dancing in her field of vision. Alana felt her legs beginning to buckle under her and she sank down onto her knees, fruitlessly trying to staunch the blood flow. She'd been warned about this....  
Alana sat on a medical table in the Medbay, impatiently tapping her left foot as she watched a middle-aged female Jedi healer with dark hair tap something into the databanks, consulting with her medical droid every so often. Alana's desire to get out of here was growing stronger by the minute. Suddenly the woman turned back around and cast a stern glance at her patient:  
-Alana, we're not done yet.  
Alana cast the woman a pleasing look:  
-Come on, please, Master Sae? We've done almost everything!  
She shook her head:  
-Alana, you know why the last part is important. Now, stop being so impatient and take off the top half of your dress - I need to examine that wound of yours.  
Alana huffed, but reluctantly complied. Master Renata Sae bent down to look at the younger woman's torso. She had two jagged scars running diagonally and crisscrossing across her chest. Renata remembered seeing them for the first time - all raw and bleeding, as though someone had used a vibroknife to try and carve the child's insides out. Since then there had been times, despite how many years passed, when the girl's wound would open up and the bleeding would start. Renata made a point to keep track of those times, it defied all she knew about biology for any race and logically it was impossible, but there she was. As she gently applied pressure to the scars, Renata asked the padawan:  
-Did you hurt your chest in any way lately?  
The girl shook her head, her ponytail swishing behind her:  
-No, since it's not bleeding, is it?  
-Padawan Sheelan, behave yourself.  
-Sorry, Master Sae. It's just it's been 6 years and this is just a scar now.  
The Jedi Master looked up into the impatient teenager's face and sighed:  
-You know as well as I do that it's not just a scar. How many times have I had you in here unconscious from the blood loss, hm? And all because someone pushed herself too far as well as got hit across the chest too hard.  
For a moment the padawan just opened and closed her mouth like a gaping fish, before muttering something inaudible under her breath. Renata Sae raised an eyebrow as she ran a scan down the thankfully closed up gash:  
-What was that?  
-It's not like it's my fault...  
-It isn't, but you are far too reckless. Alana remember - if you push yourself too far these scars of yours will open up and then...  
She trailed off and Alana nodded, pulling her top up again:  
-I know, I'll try my best.  
Alana almost laughed at her own words, she would have if it she didn't feel like something was slowly ripping every cell in her torso apart. She'd try to be less reckless? Fat chance of that. And here she was now: bleeding to her death though her enemy hadn't even struck her there. Ugh.  
Rrask stared down at the little creature in confusion- she had won and he hadn't struck her across the chest so why was she bleeding? Odd. And then a thought struck him - this must have been the Scorekeeper's doing, she was saying that the fight had yet to end. Rrask nodded to himself: so be it.

==SW: LB==

TK's systems where shut down and his power core was nearly fried, he was basically doomed but for one odd system that had been installed in him since his creation. That system was nearly untraceable, but it was most effective- he was already halfway done with his repairs. As soon as the main power core started up all the other systems did as well. TK gave a confused whistle as he took in his surroundings: at least a dozen deactivated droids, an unconscious organic with pieces of machinery strewn all around him. Odd, the last thing his memory core brought up was him fighting beside Shadow and Phantom. Hmm...  
It took a moment for TK to notice that a previously disabled program had also become accessible - assassination protocols were to be enabled. TK gave a bewildered whirr: this never happened unless someone who his basic systems would register as his Master was in mortal danger or his Master had given him a command to destroy an enemy. TK instantly pulled out his long range scanner. A moment later the data feed started coming in and he could see powerful brainwave readings fluctuating in a room not too far from his current location, it was also the room where the bio signatures of the idiot captain and the Jedi were emanating from. That's where he was supposed to go then. TK hesitated for a moment before enabling his assassination protocols program - he hoped it would work.   
Suddenly TK's back pair of appendages suddenly drastically elongated and his main body straightened out from its previously diagonal leaning position while his front "legs" were removed from an what looked like an external casing and formed a pair of arms and hands. His entire body had changed from that off an odd astromech droid into one of a model closer to a protocol one. TK lifted up one of his hands and was pleased to find it still worked:  
-Assesment complete. Assassination protocols activated. Readings stable. Primary objective: aquire an adequate weapon, secondary objective: rescue the Jedi. Afterthought: Maybe the idiot pilot too.  
TK's voice was much deeper than his usual one and thankfully his binary language didn't interfere. His head was the only part of his body that had remained the same from his astromech form and he swivelled it as he looked around. He noticed a blaster rifle on the back of the drunk organic and made his way over to him before bending over and retrieving it. Maker, it was far easier to roll around rather than use these appendages - how could organics do this all their life?! Maybe that's why they often became woefully incompetent. He checked to see if the rifle still worked:  
-Weapon is considered adequate. New primary objective: rescue the somewhat competent sentients from whatever mortally dangerous situation they've gotten themselves into. Time to go and fry some organics!  
TK unlocked the door from the console and using his legs sprinted off towards the room where Alana and the idiot captain supposedly were. It had been a long time since he'd assumed his primary assassin form - oh, this was going to be fun.

==SW: LB==

Alana barely noticed the hits the Trandoshan was landing on her body. They burned sure - immensely so, but it was nothing compared to the feeling of somebody trying to rip her every cell in two. This was far worse than the other times. Why? Just another question that was going to go unanswered. For the first time in her life Alana was sure she was going to die. And the strangest thing was that she wasn't scared in the least, she felt calm. A moment later she felt him stab her through her stomach and she couldn't hold back the scream that was ripped from her lungs. Alana was so so tired and her body hurt so much. She could see a pool of blood forming beneath her. A faint smile ghosted across her lips - that was it then, she lost - maybe in death things would be better. Alana slowly felt her heavy eyelids slide over her eyes, the last vestiges of her energy - her life draining away, even the Force was out of her reach now. She knew she had lost their duel - this wasn't dishonourable. In fact, had Rrask not taken this opportunity he would have been considered a failure by others of his own race. On her last breath she whispered:  
-Jayden, I'm sorry...  
This was how it ended then....   
The sound of rushing water suddenly was all Alana heard. She forcibly opened her heavy as durasteel eyelids to see herself standing on Aroko at first glance. No, that wasn't it. Alana turned to her left and from the beautiful forest planet the scenery turned into a barren rocky scene with a handful of trees scattered her and there. What was this place. Alana turned back to her right to see Aroko's scenery again when she also caught a glimpse of what was behind her: a dark flourishing jungle with many luminous plants lighting a path. Where in the galaxy was she? She looked down at her injuries to see drops of her own blood circling her as though she was standing in antigrav. What was the Force doing to her head?! Couldn't it let her die in peace?! A voice as quiet as the gentlest breeze and as soft as a feather whispered in her ear: "No,child, it is not your time to return to me yet.". Alana started and instantly looked around in shock:  
-Who said that?  
Another voice male and unfamiliar responded:  
-Still clueless and you're supposed to be my blood?  
Alana turned around to see a man standing before her. He wore black and red armour and on his belt hung two weathered silver lightsabers. He had red eyes, a nasty scar that ran down the right side of his face that looked like a nexu had ran it's claws down it, a strange dulled colour of smoky-brown hair and a beard. Just as the young woman looked at him, the much older man looked at her. Force, how she had grown since he'd last seen her in person... She looked more and more like Ala'ila by the way, but her eyes and her hair that hadn't been allowed to reach brown nor blonde that came from her mother and his son. She was a mixed blood alright. Not a child of Aroko or of Ceperion and most certainly not of Ienam. Forever the odd one out. Hmm, that seemed to suit her just fine. The girl narrowed her blindingly bright midnight blue eyes at him:  
-What do you mean your blood? Who are you anyway?  
The man gave her a mock bow:  
-Darth Karred, formerly Kayin Sheelor - Dark Lord of the Sith. And you are my blood, granddaughter, make no mistake of that.  
Alana looked at him thunderstruck and completely dumbfounded, simply blinking in utter shock. He sighed:  
-You can't tell me you're that surprise. Surely, you've sensed along the dark power within you? The Dark side's pull?  
The girl frowned, disbelief flickering across her face:  
-It pulls at any Jedi.  
-To those who are weak-minded or desperate? Perhaps, but not like it does to you. No matter how much you try, blood of my blood, you will never be a true Jedi with the purity they so desire.   
Alana sighed before rubbing her brow:  
-I'm definitely hallucinating. Yep, this is definitely a pre-mortem hallucination. Lovely. Simply wonderful.  
The man claiming to be her grandfather laughed:  
-Do you really find my story that difficult to believe?  
-Oh, not at all! I meet my Sith grandpa's that - may I add I've never seen before-every other day and we sit down for caf and ice cream!  
Alana responded sarcastically, causing Karred to chuckle:  
-I see your point, but believe me: you are my own flesh and blood.  
-You're asking me to trust the word of a Sith, the Dark Lord no less.  
-Who also happens to be your grandfather, young lady.  
-Who probably tried to kill me at least once, even though I don't remember it.  
-Well, that doesn't count then, does it?!  
-Oho, so you did?!  
-I never said I did!  
-Oh, you implied it!  
-I did not, impudent child!  
-Did too, crazy geezer!  
-Did not!  
-Did too!  
-Did not!  
Suddenly Alana laughed and shook her head, murmuring wryly:  
-I really am losing it if I'm dead and arguing with my Sith grandfather.  
He patter her on the arm sympathetically, barely suppressing a laugh:  
-Don't worry, dear, we've all been there,-unexpectedly he sobered up,- but you are wrong about one thing. You are not dead. Not yet, anyway.  
Alana looked up at him, her eyes widening:  
-What? But this place--  
-Is merely a projection of your mind - it's offering you a path to take. It is showing you your roots, where you are from - what your blood is. I can save you from death, but that will require you embracing the darkness within you - at least partially. The Dark Side is very powerful indeed, but it cannot function without control and narrow-minded fools often fall under it's control, going mad. Are you like that?  
Alana frowned:  
-...I don't know...  
Karred raised an eyebrow above his scar:  
-What are you willing to risk to stay alive? For another chance? What are you willing to give?  
Alana was silent for a moment, her head lowered before she looked up. A flame brighter than any before was burning in her eyes that were like a kaleidoscope shifting their colours between midnight blue, silver and yellow:  
-Everything. To save the others:Jayden, TK? Even Zeth? Everything. I don't care about light and dark - to save people and what I care about I would willingly become the evil that I seek to destroy. I believe you and if that is really the truth - then so be it.  
Finally a proud look appeared on Karred's face:  
-Unexpected, but worthy of one of our bloodline and worthy of the last name Sheelan. I'm warning you - this will hurt. Reach out with your emotions - your fear, your hatred: use the Dark Side.  
Alana bit her lip, but a moment later opened up and did as she was told. Karred nodded and began to reach out himself, however the type of her dark emotions surprised him. She had fear - fear for her companion's lives since she had truly grown attached to them, she had anger - anger at herself for being weak and so on. They were not true sith emotions so they were weaker, but it was enough. Latching onto the darkness emanating from her, Karred called out to the Dark power within her and slowly like a drowsy monstrous beast that had been dormant for far too long it awoke, before exploding with it's power at the first moment of full consciousness. There. His work done Karred faded out with a ghost of a mysterious smile on his face.  
Alana felt a burning sensation spread from her chest to her fingertips, as something akin to an enormous entity arose within her. It was as if someone had undone the lock to a sealed away part within her and all the power burst out. The darkness enveloped her, but to her immense surprise it didn't snuff out her spark. She could feel it weighing on her mind, trying to overpower her, but Alana resisted drawing on her emotions and her memories for strength to ward it off. She was breaking a taboo to all Jedi already, she wasn't about to become a puppet as well. She would never be anyone's puppet, be it the Jedi Council or the Dark Side. Her broken cells instantly began to knit themselves back together and the dark blood, the dark power within her body surged - replenishing what she had lost. This battle was far from over and that was a fact.

==SW: LB==

Tenebris jerked awake as the wave that had been sent throughout the Force washed over him. Something was wrong. Or at least something was incredibly close to going wrong. He checked the readouts of his ship's systems to find they were all green. He looked out of the cockpit to see the sun slowly rising over the horizon on Belsavis. Everything around him was normal, so why had he detected such an large fluctuation within the Force? It was unexplainable...  
Unless... No! Tenebris frowned: he had a sneaking suspicion, but to think that she'd go to such lengths?! Had she really abandoned the Jedi's idiotic rules so quickly? Throughout the years he had observed her she had always struck him as a person who stuck to what she had been told, at least she had for the past six years. So why would she suddenly...Could it be that her past self had come knocking? If that was so and someone or something had really triggered her memories and full power's return then he would have to drastically accelerate his plans. However there was something else...Something elusive and dark.   
Tenebris' yellow eyes widened: he knew that presence. His left hand clenched into a fist and anger flared up in his eyes. Through gritted teeth, he whispered:  
-Master...  
That presence belonged to his Master who had been struck down many years ago. Unfortunately not by him. What was his presence doing here? Shouldn't he be long gone? Maybe his mind was simply playing tricks on him? Tenebris shook his head to get his jumbled thoughts into order. Enough was enough and he had had it up to his throats with his Master playing games with him while he had been an apprentice and he was not about to tolerate it now! Tenebris pressed the button that unlocked the cockpit and as soon as it slid open he jumped out, landing onto the moist from dew, grassy plain on Belsavis. He threw back his hood and unhooked his lightsaber, narrowing his eyes. Seemingly to no one he declared:  
-I know you're here. Come out, Master.  
For a moment there was no answers before a sense of amusement resonated through the Force. Tenebris ignited his lightsaber, the red blade with a black core ignited with a familiar snap-hiss. He looked around himself warily, expecting the only man who he had truly once feared to come out from anywhere:  
-I've had enough of your games! Why can't you stay dead, old man?!  
A disembodied voice laughed:  
-Now where would be the fun in that?! Don't tell me you still fear me, boy?  
Tenebris's grip on his lightsaber tightened and he spun around when he heard a twig snap to be met with just a rather small Mookla, a carnivorous creature native to Belsavis, stalking towards him. Tenebris released a tiny sigh and with a flick of his wrist killed it, snapping it's neck and crushing it's heart in one go. A swift and painless death, he was too on edge for much else and he had never derived any pleasure from pointlessly using his power on animals. The disembodied voice of Darth Karred made a thoughtful sound:  
-Your power's haven't diminished, I see.   
Tenebris glared as he responded, venom evident in his voice:  
-I grow stronger by the day, old man. It is you who has become weaker.  
Darth Karred laughed- a laugh that sent a shiver down the other Sith' spine, before finally materialising in full armour before his apprentice:  
-Weaker? You think I have grown weaker, boy?! You forget just who I am!  
Tenebris took a step back as he unexpectedly recalled the reach of him Master's power. Karred reached out a hand and used the Force to grab the younger man in a choke hold. Even though Tenebris tried to break his Master's hold, he once again realised just how powerless he was before him. Again. He would always be that boy that had obeyed his order to discard all his weaknesses. Tenebris hated Karred with a passion, but even that right now was not enough to break his Master's hold on him. As his apprentice tried to break his Force choke in vain, the Dark lord hissed:  
-Do not forget your place, apprentice! I was not the Dark Lord for nothing. My power is far greater than yours.  
Tenebris stopped struggling and finally Karred let him down. The younger man choked out as he tried to catch his breath:  
-There will always be those who are far more powerful than you!  
Karred's masked face and his silence finally reawakened a long forgotten emotion in Tenebris - fear. The silence was deafening. Unexpectedly, Karred spoke:  
-Yes, I suppose there will be and there have been, but do not presume yourself one of them, apprentice.  
-I have long stopped being your apprentice, old man!  
The next moment a torrent of Force lightning engulfed the younger Sith Lord.Anger rolled off Karred in waves:  
-You speak as though you have outgrown me, boy! I will have to remind you of your place! Kneel before me!  
Tenebris could barely choke out one word over the intense pain that his whole body was experiencing:  
-Never!  
-You will kneel before me!  
The lightning intensified and unexpectedly a force rushed through Tenebris's body, causing his legs to buckle under him and making him to fall to his knees. The lightning stopped. Shakily Tenebris looked up to see his Master tower over him. Swallowing his pride, he whispered:  
-Forgive me, Master. I shall never doubt your power again.  
-This is your last chance, Valoren Tenebrae.  
Tenebris swallowed his unease as his Master used his true name, reminding him of the leverage he had over him. He bowed his head and moved to kneel on one knee:  
-Yes, dark lord.

==SW: LB==

TK rushed into the room from and stopped on one of the overhead passageways that were fastened to the ceiling. The scene that spread out before him was most peculiar. Alana was surrounded by a bright crimson glow - one that even replaced her eyes and he could sense immense power fluctuations from her, he also noted that her chest was stained with blood - presumably her own. The captain and his loud compatriot were both in stasis cages and while the loudmouth was as still as a stone the captain's body was contracting with minor spasms. There was also a Trandoshan within the room. TK's system quickly ascertained the elimination of this enemy as its main priority, but he altered that to checking up on the captain by prioritising his medical programming. He walked over to the point where the walkway hung over the stasis cages and jumped down.  
Alana finally regained her footing and glanced towards the source of the noise to see a droid with a body that faintly reminded her of TK's and TK's head in an assassins droids shape. The droid quickly shut downs the stasis fields before turning to her:  
-Assessment complete. Jedi girl, please focus on the Trandoshan while I attempt to stabilise the idiot captain and the loudmouth.  
Alana blinked in surprise before cautiously asking:  
-You're not TK, are you?  
The droid gave short nod:  
-I am, this is assassin form. Now, focus.  
-Right...  
Alana sighed and turned back to Rrask, who was watching her warily:  
-{Jedi magic saved you. You broke oath}  
Alana shook her head:  
-Firstly, I made no such oath, secondly - I did not use the Force to save me. Let's just say there was a small bit of external otherworldly interference.  
The Trandoshan tilted his head slightly to the side before hissing:  
-{Fine, small soft creature, we shall resume this fight. However you are running out of time - 5 minutes left, maximum}  
TK's voice sounded off from the side:  
-I am afraid the brute is right, the idiot captain is dying. By my calculations he only has 3-4 minutes left to live until his central nervous system is completely poisoned. Permission to execute the brute and loot his corpse?  
Alana raised one hand to stop the assassin droid:  
-Denied. I don't go back on my word - if it's a fight you want, Rrask, it's a fight you'll get. TK?  
-Yes?  
-Do not interfere, unless I say so and not even then ,until I'm done.  
-That order is self-contradictory, but understood.  
-Good.  
Alana ignited her lightsabers and the two plasma blades materialised with a familiar snap-hiss. Rrask charged at her with his warblade raised and Alana parried, sticking oddly close to the Trandoshan but far enough so that he couldn't throw her anywhere. However, just as before they were at a stalemate and time was ticking. Alana could barely see Jayden's light anymore. She pushed harder, discarding the Jedi's lessons of locking away her emotions and instead using them to spur herself on. Her blades struck with more ferocity and strength with every second, but even that was futile. She couldn't outmatch Rrask. She might as well have been trying to convince a Jawa not to take apart an extremely curious piece of machinery for all she had accomplished- she was failing and Jayden was going to pay for her failure. She couldn't allow that to happen! Karred's voice echoed in her mind, asking her what she was prepared to give and she oddly enough heard herself answer - everything. Suddenly, she heard a voice in her head:  
-You will not beat him if you keep getting distracted like this.   
Alana started and nearly lost her grip on her lightsabers from the shock, only managing to regain her bearings at the last moment. Ducking under one of Rrask numerous slashes Alana thought back:  
-Who are you and how did you get into my head?!  
The voice coming from what seemed like the back of her mind huffed:  
-Always acting the aggressor when someone comes too close. We really should get that temper of ours under control.   
-"We"?!  
-Yes, we. Who do you think I am?  
-I am really going insane if I'm hearing voices in my head.  
-No, we're not going insane. Bleh, this'll take too long to explain right now knowing how dense we can be - just trust me-well, you, okay?  
-Why should I?  
-Because I know how to save flyboy over there. I know how to beat lizardman. Oh, and I'm a bit smarter than you when it comes to strategies.  
-....Fine, we'll do this your way.  
-Our way.  
-Fine. What do you propose?  
-Erm, you are not going to like this, but you'll have to trust me. There's no other way to save flyboy and the other one.  
Delivering an overhead strike which nearly cut off Rrask's head, Alana whispered under her breath:  
-And why am I not going to like this?  
The voice hesitated for a split-second before replying:  
-You'll see in a moment. Just don't freak out, okay? Trust me.  
Alana frowned and mentally retorted:  
-That's not very reassuring, voice!  
-My name isn't voice! Ugh, you know what - let's do this, no point in stalling. I keep forgetting how stubborn I am.  
Suddenly Alana felt her consciousness retreat to the back of her mind and now instead of her controlling her body some other force was in control and she was simply watching, unable to interfere. Her body moved under that somebody's control, executing an extremely precise sequence of slashes that Alana recognised as form 7 - Juyo. Alana felt shocked though none of that shock was shown on her facial features: she had never been able to use Juyo without nearly slicing her own arm or leg off. This shift in attacking patterns seemed to throw Rrask for a moment and let Alana get a few good hits in before he adapted. Whoever was controlling her body seemed to recognise this too and quickly shifted from Juyo to form 4 - Ataru, another aggressive form Alana had never had the patience for. Once again the tides shifted in Alana's favour. Still, Ataru had never been her strong suit for two reasons and one of these reasons was impossible for even a Master of Ataru to overcome - Alana wasn't physically strong enough for aggressive forms like form 4 and Rrask had realised that too. He pressed his attacks, only slightly thrown off by the Jedi's shift in tactics. From her back seat in her mind Alana could only wince as she felt her strength slowly begin to wane, but her other part didn't seem daunted in the least - she flawlessly shifted to the defensive form - Soresu and expertly countered Rrask's attacks, before abruptly changing to Form 5 - Shien mid-leap and striking a serious blow onto the Trandoshan' dominant arm. As she landed, the Jedi twisted in the air and employing Shii-Cho, the first form sliced the Trandoshan's warblade in half. A split second later he was on the floor with her blades either side of his neck and his warblade lay at least a good two meters away from him. Out of breath, the Trandoshan barely managed to get out:  
-{I acknowledge your victory! The scorekeeper shows her favour upon you, small soft thing.}  
Rrask fumbled at his belt for a moment with Alana still keeping him pinned to the floor with one leg for precautionary measures. He held out a two small injectors which the Jedi took. Alana's other self along with her looked at the two injectors before unexpectedly Alana found herself back in control and throwing one of them to TK and saying:  
-Inject that one into the captain, TK.  
The droid gave a swift nod in assent and swiftly injected the antidote into the boy's neck. Instantly the Mando's vitals signs started getting back to normal and ,apart from a cut on the lip, externally he was fine. Alana could see his Force-presence growing brighter with each passing second, regaining it's grip on life. She walked over to where Zeth was paralysed and crouched down, carefully she injected the antidote into his blood stream. He was fine apart from a few grazes he had gotten when he had fallen down. Alana gave a sigh a soon as she saw Zeth's finger's twitch, the numbness wearing off and stood up. Finally, she turned back to the issue of a voice in her head, but no matter how much she called out to it there was no answer. It was gone. As was the feeling of the dark side surging through her veins. Sighing, Alana made her way over to the Trandoshan who was still recovering from their battle and sat down beside him. There was a silence between the two before Rrask finally said:  
-{You are a strange one, little hunter}  
Alana made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob and replied:  
-You're a tough opponent to beat, Fess. So what now?  
The Trandoshan sat up and pulled one of her small hands that still held her lightsabers to his heart and answered:  
-{Now you kill me and spare me the indignity of having my lifetime's score stripped.}  
Alana's dark blue eyes widened and she instantly shook her head:  
-No, I know that--  
Alana never did get to finish what she knew because the next moment she felt a danger in the Force and reacting on instinct, she shouted at TK to get Jayden and Zeth out of there and jumped out of the way, dragging Rrask with her. And just in time, the next moment a plasma grenade exploded in the spot where they were obliterating everything at once. Alana let go of Rrask and stood up, once again fully alert. A moment later, when the smoke cleared she saw a group of men standing in the overhead walkway - the same men who had attacked the building where the party had been held. Their cyborg leader looked only mildly surprised to see Alana glaring up at him:  
-Ah, little meddling Jedi - so this is where you scurried off to. Thank you so much for weakening our former leader for us. Now, I can finally lead the Howling Tempest to it's glorious future.  
Alana shot scoffed:  
-A glorious future under the lead of a backstabber like you? I have a feeling you're not going to throw tea parties and invite everybody to them, are you?  
The cyborg chuckled and pulled out a rocket launcher aiming it at the Jedi:  
-'Fraid not, it's time the Howling Tempest gang be restored to the glorious organisation it once was. Now, the real question is - will you survive the next blast?   
Alana narrowed her eyes up at the man:  
-You know as well as I do that lightsabers will cut through that missiles in a second ,so what in the blazes are you going for?  
The cyborg leader, Dumas Lotg, gave a smile that sent shivers up Alana's spine and not the good kind:  
-Ah, you're quick on the uptake, little girl. It's a pity I can't bring you to the Star Cabal alive. You see even if you cut my next shot in half it will explode behind you, right onto your wounded friends.  
Alana froze, satisfied with her reaction Dumas droned on:  
-But then again, a Jedi wouldn't really care that much about them. No attachments, am I right?  
The men behind him chortled. Dumas gave a small wave before firing the weapon:  
-See you on the other side, Jedi!  
When Alana realised what was happening it was already too late. She had only one choice - use herself as a way to stop the missile. But before she could even do anything she saw a huge explosion and she was pulled into someone's embrace to shield her from the shrapnel and dangers of the explosion. Alana shut her eyes as the smoke billowed out across the room and just pressed closer to whoever was shielding her, sensing no hostile intent from them. A minute later when the smoke had cleared somewhat and her eardrums had recovered from the ordeal at least a bit, she pulled back to see a familiar face and a pair of worried green eyes. Jayden was shielding her from the blast while Zeth was crouched down on the floor with his hands over his ears. She quickly ran her eyes over his face and apart from a blooming bruise on his right cheek that had been caused by a particularly large metallic object hitting them and a trickle of blood running down from his mouth he was fine. Since he hadn't managed to cover his ears in time and had instead been focused on pulling Alana of the way of the explosion Zeth's own projectile was going to cause when it hit the missile, his ears were still ringing. He mouthed "are you okay?" to which she quickly responded with a small nod. Realising that as soon as the last of the smoke cleared they would once again be in immediate danger, Alana turned to their tracker killer droid that was still in assassination mode:  
-TK, can you go eliminate those organics for us?  
The droid instantly stood up and pulled out his rifle:  
-With pleasure! I'll try to save you some.  
Was all he said before charging towards their attackers. Alana carefully pulled away from Jayden and pulled him up, Zeth also stood up with them - with a bleeding ear. As soon as she hoped the ringing in their ears had stopped Alana hastily thanked them:  
-Um, thank you! I think I'd have been blown to bits without you two.  
Zeth was about to cockily wave her thanks off when Jayden cut across him, looking at his partner with both concern and slight anger in his eyes:  
-What were you thinking?! Why in the galaxy was your first thought to sacrifice yourself?! Alana, value your life a bit more, will you? If not yours, then remember the bond we share.  
The mention of the bond was what deterred Alana from arguing back, she hung her head and quietly responded:  
-You're right, I'm sorry. I should have tried to avoid a confrontation.  
Jayden sighed and ran a hand through his already messed up jet black hair:  
-That's not what I-- You know what, let's leave this 'til we get back onto the Storm. We need to deal with those men first.  
Another voice sounded from behind the teenagers:  
-{Your friend is right. My second in command will bring down the facility with him if he has to. Your droid will not be able to handle him alone.}  
Alana turned around to see Rrask unexpectedly bending onto one knee before her, she opened her mouth to speak but he held up a hand to halt her:  
-{I owe you my life, soft little hunter. I pledge myself to serve you and your legacy as I now owe you a life debt that cannot be repaid in any way. You are from now on a Ghrakhowsk, an I see now you are the one the Scorekeeper had marked as her Herald of Victory. I ask for only this honour, Herald: let me repay my life debt to you.}  
Alana's eyes were as wide as saucers by the time Rrask had finished speaking. She was simply speechless. Zeth sighed and rubbed his brow:  
-Yeah, I don't speak Trandoshan so I'm just going to go and help your droid with those idiots. Hurry on up, Callen, or I'll win.  
Jayden glanced at Alana before picking up his blasters from where Rrask had laid them after capturing them. He placed a hand on his partner's shoulder:  
-Listen to your instincts and you'll be fine. Don't worry about me, Ordo and I can't have you protecting us all the time so deal with this and then help us finish those jerks off.  
The next moment he ran off to join into the fray. Alana shook herself and barely managed to get three words out:  
-But I didn't-- I mean I didn't to do anything to deserve a life debt! All I did was pull you out of the missiles way!  
Rrask shook his head:  
-{No, Herald, you did much more than that. You showed me the way the Scorekeeper intended for me to take and you saved me when I was your enemy although that act could have cost you your life. I owe you a life debt.}  
Alana was lost as to what to do:  
-But a life debt is the most solemn debt in your culture! Besides I don't even believe in the Scorekeeper!  
-{And I owe you that, Herald. You may not believe in her but you are her chosen, her herald of victory. You saved me both physically and spiritually, Herald.}  
Alana sighed and a ran a hand down her face:  
-I know there's no dissuading you of this. Very well, I am honoured to accept your life debt and to become your- what was it- oh ,yes Ghrakhowsk. Sorry, I'm really not well-versed enough in Trandoshan culture. For now why don't we get rid of those betrayers,hm?   
-{With pleasure, Herald. Go on ahead, I shall grab my rifle and join you.}  
Alana shrugged:  
-If you're certain. Don't take too long.  
-{I believe you will do fine, Herald. You are the Herald of Victory after all.}  
Was all that Rrask said before going off to retrieve his weapon. Alana sighed and merely shaking her head, marched off to help the boys and TK.

==SW: LB==

Jayden's whole body hurt, but he wasn't about to give Ordo the satisfaction of getting one up on him. He knew he was pushing himself and that he was acting stupid considering he had just narrowly escaped death, but he couldn't just sit back and rest up. He was Mandolorian, damn it! It had been mental torture as well as physical to be paralysed with immense pain and just watch his partner get beat down before unexpectedly getting her second wind, he was a Mandolorian and yet he hadn't been able to avoid capture. What kind of sorry excuse for a Mandolorian would he be if he just sat in the back and nursed his wounds while Alana and the others fought. No, this was more than a rivalry with Zeth - this was a matter of pride and of personal honor.   
Jayden ducked behind some sort of generator and retaliated with a few shots from his blasters. They shot back. Jayden sniped two more upon climbing onto the generator. However, he was so focused on his precision that he forgot all about watching his back. He only turned around when he felt another presence extremely close to him and very hostile in the Force. He rolled out of the way just in time to avoid getting beheaded by a human twice his size. A giant or something? As he slashed again, Jayden responded instinctively- he pushed, but in the turmoil of the moment he had exercised his limited powers in the Force and instead of physically pushing the man he Force shoved him into the opposite wall. Jayden looked down at his hands in surprise: well, that had been unexpected. Jayden shook his head and jumped off the generator, right onto one of the two bulky battle droids the men had brought with them. The droid instantly tried to throw him off, but Jayden held on. Infuriated, the droid decided to run into a wall. Timing his attack perfectly, Jayden waited for the droid to nearly run into the wall before running up the wall itself and flipping. Mid-flip he shot out the droid's power core with two precise and deadly shots from his custom blasters.   
As he landed in a crouched position, Jayden grinned: if anything this certain got the blood running. This fight certainly wasn't easy, but they were more or less evenly matched.  
He was right. Not too far from him Alana was finishing off the second battle droid, while Zeth used his wristband to blast a group of the blady's supporters into oblivin. TK had chosen a higher vantage point and was simply killing extremely large groups by generously spraying blaster fire all around himself, occasionally picking off a few annoying stragglers that came too close to the idiot captain or the Jedi girl. Meanwhile Rrask was also doing his part and was being as efficient as TK in taking down enemies. Of course, none of them may have necessarily chosen this battle, but this one was one they were determined to win for each of their own reasons. For Alana that was to save the politicians, for Jayden, Zeth and Rrask - it was a matter of personal honour. And TK? Well, TK just wanted to have a bit of fun and if he could fulfill his primary programming while doing so? All the better!   
Slowly the enemies numbers grew smaller and smaller, but as they grew smaller their opponents also grew weaker in strength and sustained more injuries. And Dumas understood that defeat was inevitable. So he did the next best thing. Finally, as the last of his followers fell and his adversaries regrouped before him, he was ready. He jumped down from the walkways and stood before them, hands folded behind his back. Alana raised one of her lightsabers at him, exhausted but undefeated:  
-This your final chance to surrender. Do not repeat your comrades mistakes.  
The cyborg shook his head and grinned:  
-Oh, Jedi - you really are so naive.   
-That may be so, but if you force my hand - I will destroy you. Make no mistake about that.  
-Oh, I believe I am not the one making the mistake, Jedi. After all I am the one who's holding a detonator that will flood this base and that will is set to a dead-man's switch.  
Alana's hand wavered. If she killed him they would all most probably die. She hesitated, however Shadow did not. A moment later Dumas lay dead on the floor - shot through the heart and an explosion sounded. Alana cast a glance at Shadow who merely shrugged:  
-I believe it's time for us to clear out. Oh, and sorry about your base, big guy but to be fair you did try to kill me.  
Rrask waved it off:  
-{ I've always preferred land anyway. Herald, where are you going?!}  
And indeed Alana was sprinting off into an entirely different direction from the hangar bay. She called back over her shoulder:  
-You guys go ahead! I need to do something first!  
Zeth was about to protest when Shadow grabbed him by his arm and started dragging him off. He calmly explained:  
-Do not waste time arguing with that girl, she will not relent. She is a strong young woman, she can take of herself.   
-I don't like this.  
Shadow gave a small sigh and slipped back into Jayden Callen:  
-To be honest, neither do I, but I believe in her ability to take care of herself.  
TK flew alongside them, showing off his jetpack:  
-Oh, I would be more worried about your survival than her's, idiot captain and loudmouthed organic.  
Jayden threw TK a glare:  
-You know, I liked you better as an astromech. You were less annoying that way.

==SW: LB==

Alana ran through the flooding corridors of the underwater base to the central control center where she presumed she would find the cryo-rayshield controls. The alarms blared and a female voice instructed all personnel to head to the hangar bays and to get onto a submersible as soon as possible. At least everyone was getting evacuated, that was a lot off Alana's mind. She frowned as the light suddenly turned an orangey-red colour - signifying that the base was close to sinking below crushing depths. Slipping on the water already in the corridors, Alana fell down but promptly picked herself up and turned a sharp corner that would lead to the control room. To her dismay she found it locked. Sighing in annoyance, Alana pulled out her green lightsaber and plunged it into the door, cutting herself a way in. Hey, like her Master always said: if there isn't a way in - make one. The frown on her face hardened as the water level reached her ankles - this was seriously getting annoying the second time around. Her comlink beeped and Jayden's voice sounded:  
-You done yet?  
-No, ran into a slight security issue.  
-Need backup?  
-Callen, get yourself into that sub and get out of here. You need to be seen by a doctor.  
-Sheelan, don't change the subject. Do you need help or not?  
Alana gave sighed and responded:  
-Unless you can miraculously blast a blastdoor open faster than a lightsaber can carve through it - then no. Get out of here - I will not have you drowning on me again!  
Her voice was slightly hoarse. Absentmindedly, Alana noted how her prediction had come true. Jayden's voice was concerned:  
-Alana...  
-Go, I'll be fine! You know me! This isn't the first time this happened, hunter, and may I remind you that I was the one who had to save you last time we nearly drowned?  
She could almost see Jayden's slight grin as he responded:  
-Only after I saved you from becoming crab chow, Master Jedi. Alana, I better see you on the surface in no more then half an hour, you hear me?  
-Roger that. May the Force be with you, Cap'n.  
-Good luck, princess.  
That was almost like their way of saying goodbye now. Funny, how that had occurred - Alana mused as she cut through the last part of the door. However one she had carved out a circle she encountered another problem: the door's metal was so thick and heavy that with her depleted strength level she couldn't make it budge even an inch. Well, this was an issue. One that was soon resolved as Alana found herself being moved aside by a scaly hand and saw Rrask bashing out the circle. The an opening appeared. Alana stared at the Trandoshan for a moment before shaking herself and rushing into the room with him following after her. As she accessed the controls to the cryo-rayshield Alana asked:  
-Rrask, why are you here? Where are the others?  
-{Do not worry, Herald. Others are gone. I will not abandon the Herald.}  
Alana sighed as her fingers flew across the controls, disabling the shielding's first stage:  
-Rrask, you really don't owe me anything.  
-{Herald, you truly are too unsure of yourself. Herald's pair was right.}  
Alana did a double-take at Rrask's words, nearly messing up the second stage of the deactivation:  
-My who?!  
-{Herald's pair. As others may say mate?}  
Alana shot Rrask a look asking him if he was insane:  
-Firstly, humans call them lovers and secondly, I most certainly do not have a lover!  
-{Herald, doesn't love her dark haired friend?}  
-Who? Jayden? No way! Never. He's a close friend and I care about his wellbeing, but that's all. And before you ask Zeth is most definitely not one either.   
-{Strange then, that Herald was so furious when I poisoned Shadow}  
Alana shrugged as she worked on the final deactivation stage:  
-It's not strange. I've known Jayden for just over a month and I don't like it when other people hurt my friends.  
-{I must have misinterpreted the signs then. Forgive me, Herald.}  
Alana waved it off:  
-Don't worry about it. Just don't give me a heart attack like that again. There! I'm done disabling the cryo-rayshield. Let's get out of here!  
Rrask offered up no objections and the two bolted out of the room. As the facility sunk lower Alana began to find it harder to draw air into her lungs and that she was beginning to get dizzy. She lost focus so much that she tripped over a fallen piece of machinery. Hearing her cry out, Rrask instantly stopped and doubled back to be beside his Ghrakhowsk. He crouched down next to the girl:  
-{What has happened, Herald?}  
Alana stood up with the help of the wall and but winced when she put weight onto her left leg:  
-I think I twisted my ankle. Don't worry, let's keep moving.  
Unexpectedly Rrask silently scooped the young Jedi up and ran off towards the hangar bay. Alana opened her mouth to protest, but wisely shut it again. This was no time to be playing the hero. Rrask charged into the hangar bay to find no subs left. Uh Oh. Well, this was not the way he had expected to die. Unexpectedly, Alana tapped him on the shoulder:  
-Try that wall over there. Here, use my lightsaber. I noticed that it sounded hollow when I crashed into it on my way here.  
Rrask nodded and carefully took the lightsaber Alana handed him. Placing her down for a moment, he carved an large square opening in the wall. To his surprise he found a sub stowed away in what looked like a secret garage. Alana smiled and limped over to stand beside him. Rrask looked surprised:  
-{Herald, what are you doing?}  
Alana simply shot him a small grin:  
-Don't worry about it. You're about to see just how useful "Jedi magic" can be.  
Alana took a deep breath and closed her eyes, reaching into the Force. It's familiar warm presence enveloped her and slowly, to Rrask's surprise, the submersible lifted and started floating towards the entrance water in the hangar bay, just before the rayshield that kept the water out. With a plop if finally landed in the water, guided by Alana's hand. Hearing the sound, the young woman opened her eyes:  
-Well, that should do it. Let's hope this scrap still works?  
-{Smart, Herald. You really are the Scorekeeper's chosen.}  
Alana snorted:  
-I doubt lifting a large submersible with the Force marks one as the Scorekeeper's chosen. Otherwise she would have a whole herd of chosen ones - lots of Jedi can do this. Now, let's go.  
Rrask shook his head at the girl, but picked her up anyway and carried her over to the submersible entrance where she asked him to put her down. Alana bit her lip and, hoping this worked, electrocuted the submersible with a small storm of Force lightning. To her luck, it worked and instantly the ship powered up and just in time. Alana and Rrask climbed into the sub and closed the door just as the rayshield's generators broke and water came flooding in. Alana powered up the controls and input their destination not too far from the settlement where they had landed the Crimson Storm - just not where everyone would be arriving: most would be going to Jahnae or Gasha as a default. Alana pushed the lever forward just as the wave came back and pushed them out of the hangar bay and the submersible headed towards the ocean surface.

==SW: LB==

Jayden was pacing back and forth in front of the Crimson Storm with TK, back in astromech form, shadowing his footsteps and Zeth leaning against the open boarding ramp. The other Mandolorian had no idea why Callen thought that Alana would pilot a shuttle here, but then again he knew her better. So far. Jayden kept his eyes fixed on the ocean's surface. He knew his decision to come here seemed illogical, but something told him that Alana would be here. He hoped. The sun was slowly starting to peek out over the horizon. Absentmindedly Jayden noted that this sun was also the star that Alana had managed to pull them away from when they had come into this system, pulled out of hyperspace.   
Jayden's musing was cut short by the arrival of a submersible on the ocean surface. It looked a bit older than most but as it floated closer to the bay, Jayden felt Alana's unmistakably bright presence inside. The door opened and out came the very same Jedi although she was limping. Jayden helped her jump the gap by pulling her over to him. This girl was nothing but trouble. Rrask, who had mysteriously disappeared before their departure p, climbed out after her. Jayden sent him a grateful nod which the Trandoshan returned before walking off somewhere. He'd be back. Jayden shook his head as he watched Alana sit down where she stood and fix her eyes on the sunrise:  
-You are a walking, talking trouble magnet.  
She smiled back at him:  
-Look who's talking, mr.let's try to assassinate the kriffing chancellor.  
Jayden rolled his eyes as he heard Zeth give an incredulous laugh behind them:  
-You tried to kill the chancellor, Callen?  
Jayden yawned and lay down in the platform not far from his partner, closing his eyes, he offhandedly replied:  
-Yeah, something like that happened a while ago.  
Zeth shook his head at the other sleepy bounty hunter:  
-You are officially insane, murderer.  
Jayden waved a hand, so beyond caring what nonsense Zeth was spouting:  
-Whatever you say, psycho. Talk to me when you've tried to kill the chancellor and get taken down by a girl who you accidentally become Force-bonded with.  
He heard Alana stifle a laugh beside him and smiled, TK also added his own piece adding the fact that Zeth also needed to get an awesome droid like him to join him. Alana and Zeth rolled their eyes while Jayden opened one eye:  
-Thanks, tin can.  
TK's reply was that he as the idiot captain was welcome. Still an idiot though. Jayden closed his eyes and enjoyed the warm feeling of the early morning sun's rays tickling his face and the sound of water splashing nearby. Suddenly he heard Alana say:  
-This really had been one crazy trip so far, huh?  
-Beep.  
-It's not over yet, princess. Just a request?  
Alana smiled and looked over at Jayden who had his arms folded beneath his head and eyes closed lazily:  
-Hm?  
-Can we stay away from water planets for a while? Sorta had enough of drowning.  
Alana laughed, Zeth snorted and even TK chortled. Jayden was grinning too as he tried to protest:  
-Hey, twice is one too many!  
Alana shook her head and squeezed out:  
-Sure, Jayden. Whatever you say, hunter.  
-Thanks a bunch, princess.  
-My pleasure, captain seatamer!  
Jayden opened his eyes and flicked Alana on the arm as the girl laughed:  
-Oh, now that's just going too far!


	38. Chapter 37 - The Cleansing Rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'm done with another chapter and to be honest I think it's my best leaving chapter yet. Emphasis on the word leaving, because we all known that those ones are my weakest by far. It's also only been a week since the last update, but that's probably because this has been one of the few chapters where I knew exactly what I was doing. Normally I have a vague idea of what I'm doing and just go with the flow - that way the chapter is more interesting both for you guys and for me, besides my characters rarely do what I tell them to. They're really rebellious so I've given up and just follow their lead. Anyway, enough of my rambling about stuff that makes me seem insane. Enjoy!
> 
> P.S. When I put { marks there it means it's in another language that I can't find a translator or a dictionary for. In Rrask's case it's Trandoshan. That's all!

=====SW: LB=======  
Chapter 37 - The Cleansing Rain

It was two days later when the Crimson Storm's repairs were finally reaching completion thanks to the tireless work of Rrask's crew. The Trandoshan had approached the owner of the ship asking if he and his men could help out in any way. Jayden and Rrask had talked for a bit before working out a deal and letting all grudges go. Zeth and Jayden hadn't been able to restrain themselves from punching each other numerous times, but this time Alana simply rolled her eyes and retreated back into the ship to check on it's repairs. Rrask's crew was composed of oddly nice and talented people who when not your enemies were pleasant conversationalists. To put it simply Alana and the others finally managed to get some much needed rest and medical attention. The tunnel that gotten blown up was also slowly being rebuilt and being as guilty as they were of it's destruction both Alana and Jayden tried to help out with what they could. Soon enough the Storm was repaired and the time to leave came.   
That day Alana was sitting in a cantina with Zeth, TK and two of Jayden's teammates: Seila and Alda. Jayden had wondered off somewhere saying that he had some business to take care of and there was no way he was going to endure any more of his friend's and rival's prodding, but they were perfectly welcome to go on. His friends seemed to take him up on the offer.  
Alana's first impression of the twi'lek and the rattataki was very positive indeed: the jedi took an instant liking to them. Alda Nimilin was a red-skinned twi'lek with black stripes on her lekku and warm blue eyes - she was Heim's (another teammates of Jayden's that Alana had yet to meet) wife and she often assisted his group on their numerous jobs, Alda seemed to be the more gentle and even tempered of the three, but from the stories Seila had told them so far the woman could easily hold her own. The other woman was Seila Aliita a rattataki with purple eyes (not a pure-blood rattataki definitely then) who despite her sharp tongue and incessant teasing cared for Jayden a lot, much like a rebellious aunt who teased and prodded but loved her nephew. Currently Zeth was debating (ahem, arguing) with Seila whether freighters or non-militant starfighters were more useful in the long term economy during the war. Unexpectedly, Zeth turned to Alana who had been absentmindedly stirring her drink, eyes drifting aimlessly around the cantina:  
-Hey, Angel, what'd you think?  
Alana's dark blue eyes snapped to the young man who was addressing her:  
-Oh, sorry, I wasn't listening. What was the question again?  
Seila answered for Zeth:  
-Well, this dumbo thinks that non-militant star fighters should be mass produced while I say they should mass produce freighters! Which one do you think is better?  
Alana tilted her head to the side, rifling through her limited knowledge of starship economy:  
-To be honest, I think a balance should be found. However, if just one - freighters.  
Seila gave a triumphant smile:  
-Atta girl, Alana! You owe me twenty credits,prick.  
Zeth rolled his eyes and slid the required amount over to the persistent Rattataki, before turning his eyes back to the only enigma in the room:  
-Why'd you side with her, my love? Am I not good enough for you? Must you seek another in my presence?!  
Seila laughed while Alana looked mildly offended:  
-Okay, four things,my friend, four. Firstly - I am not and will never be your love, secondly- I have to admit I like the Crimson Storm better than any starfighter so freighters are better in my opinion, thirdly - I do NOT swing that way, no offence Seila.  
The rattataki snorted and waved off her apology:  
-I don't either, so we're in the clear. Do go on.  
The Jedi gave nod and fixed her gaze back onto the Mandolorian:  
-And finally- I'm a Jedi and we don't do relationships.  
Seila gave an annoyed hum at Alana's last statement:  
-You know I've always wondered why that is? Was the founder of the order afraid of love or something?  
Alana turned to look at Seila and made a face:  
-No, not exactly. See, love is an emotion that can overrule all reason and calm, it's a very powerful emotion, but most Jedi believe it will only cloud your judgment and lead you down a path that you don't want to tread. Jedi have to be calm and reasonable when making decisions as they can affect many - that's why most are forbidden to love.  
Alda, who had been oddly quiet before this, unexpectedly chimed in:  
-I do see the reasoning, but it is still quite a confusing concept. Care to give us a hypothetical situation?  
Alana frowned in displeasure as they touched on the topic that caused the biggest rift between the order's and her beliefs: love in all it's forms and ways. Nevertheless, Alana shrugged and complied:  
-Well, let's try this: a starship's engine blows up and you have a choice - save all the passengers or save the captain, your lover, risking the lives of the other passengers.   
Zeth frowned:  
-That's quite a harsh situation you made up there.  
The look set on Alana's face was grim as she gave a shrug:  
-There are worse ones. At least this is my way of somehow justifying that rule. However, I don't agree with it.  
Seila raised an eyebrow, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes:  
-Oho? And what is your point of view on love?  
Alana looked down at her clasped hands:  
-Jedi believe love will lead you to become selfish, possessive, easily prone to hatred and anger - they believe it will lead you down the path to the Dark Side. They believe love will destroy a person, no matter what type it is. I disagree. Love in its purest form is a source of great strength, it heals and nurtures - it can save a person from darkness. There was a certain Jedi who said something along these lines: " Love doesn't lead to the dark side. Passion can lead to rage and fear, and can be controlled...but passion isn't the same thing as love. Controlling your passions while being in love - that's what they should teach you. But love itself will save you, not condemn you." I believe he was right, though my words may not count for much seeing as I've never been in love or felt much of any love before.   
She quietened, her face downcast and her body stiff. She'd gotten carried away - a tendency she had when she got passionate about what she was speaking about. Zeth was the first to break the silence that had settled over them like a heavy blanket:  
-Wow, that was deep. I don't really get it, but don't worry, love, no one shall tear me from you! I shall draw my sword and lash out at fate itself--  
A voice that everybody of that little group knew all to well cut across him:  
-Ordo, need I remind you that you suck when it comes to Melee weapons? I'd rather you not slice my partner's arm off while you're so gallantly defending her from an intangible mythical character.   
There. He had come and shattered it again. Jayden Callen seemed to have a special talent for that. Seila grinned at his reappearance:  
-Ah, Jayden! You just missed a very interesting conversation that was focused on Jedi and their views on love. Alana gave a very impressive speech, with a quote and all.  
Jayden snorted at he slid into a seat beside Alana:  
-You're talking as if she baked a cake and put a glazed cherry on top of the whipped cream.   
-Am not! Am I, little prick?  
Zeth gave a shrug:  
-As much as I hate to agree with Callen, he does have a point.  
Seila made a motion a though he had shot her through the heart and with an exaggerated desperate look turned to Alda:  
-My lifelong friend, shall you abandon me too for that shallow fool?!  
Alda chuckled as Jayden shot Seila a mock-angry glare:  
-Hey! I resent being called a shallow fool!  
TK cheerfully piped up from the side stating that while he wasn't a shallow fool he was most certainly an idiot captain who just happened to be insane. Jayden threw the droid a look:  
-That isn't much better, walking scrap heap!  
-Beep-blip-woo!  
-No, you're not always correct.  
Zeth jumped into the conversation:  
-Oh, I disagree- that weirdo droid has a point.  
-Bzzt-frotz!  
-I am not a loudmouthed Mandolorian!  
Alana rolled her eyes as the men and the droid set about arguing again. Ignoring them expertly, Alana turned to the two women and moved over to sit by them:  
-You know I never got to ask how you met Jayden. I assume he told you how we met?  
Alda nodded:  
-Oh yes, Seila had a field day when she learned that you had kicked Jayden's butt.  
The rattataki took a sip of her drink before making an innocent face and protesting:  
-What? His ego was getting inflated, a good pounding was exactly what the medical droid ordered. Besides, it was all worth it since he got to meet our sweet Jedi friend here.  
Alana gave a small smile, putting her drink down:  
-Its probably more of a bad thing, rather than a good one.  
Seila shook her bald, tattooed head and wagged her finger at the younger woman sternly:  
-Now don't you dare start thinking like that, young lady. It's like my dear crazy auntie used to say: bad things are just good things in disguise.  
Alda made a sceptical noise and with a light air of humour inquired:  
-Was this before or after she inhaled baradium powder to become one with the shyracks?  
Seila gave a staged tragic sigh:  
-After. Though, mind you, she became one cheery rattataki - even wanted to start up her own therapeutic clinic. Granted, she wanted to do that in the middle of a jungle swarming with kinrath but hey, she had dreams.   
The twi'lek shook her head as she chuckled, her lekku swinging behind her:  
-You certainly take after her in the comedy department,-Alda turned to Alana who was watching the light-hearted banter with a smile,- Sorry, hon, we tend to get carried away from time to time.  
Alana waved off her apology with a small grin:  
-Don't worry about it. I'm beginning to see why Jayden can keep up with my craziness - it's because he grew up around such amazing and unique people.  
A shadow passed over the woman's faces and, though it vanished just as quickly as it had appeared, that did not escape Alana's notice. Alda gave a small smile:  
-Well, I wouldn't say he grew up with us really- we've only known Jayden for 7 years and he's always been more or less of a loner.  
Seila gave a hum of agreement:  
-Yeah, we've only known that loveable little jerk a while and he's the independent type. A lone wingmaw you could say. Which is why I'm extremely happy that someone as sweet as you can put up with him.  
Alana gave a light laugh:  
-It's more like he puts up with me. We drive each other up the wall half the time with each other's recklessness. I'm surprised we're both still alive at this point.  
Alda shook her head exasperatedly:  
-That boy! He hasn't changed a bit in that regard since we met him. You probably don't know this but he managed to steal a major bounty right out from Heims and Seila's noses when he was 10.  
Alana turned to the Rattataki:  
-Is that how you met him?  
The woman nodded:  
-Yep. Heims wanted to choke the brat, but even at that age he managed to overpower both of us quickly. Despite his half-starved appearance that boy packed some serious punch. After that we decided that he had serious potential and dragged him back to House Salakotori with us - that's the short version of how we met him anyway. Turned out to be a good move on our part in the end - the little squirt became a bounty hunter in the most elite house that same year.  
Alana choked on her drink upon hearing the last sentence. Coughing and clearing her windpipe, she exclaimed:  
-I thought you said he was 10 when you met him?!  
Seila raised an eyebrow in confusion:  
-Yes, he was and that was the same year he became a bounty hunter. Sure, the old man didn't let him take major jobs 'till he was 11 and even after that he had to tag along with us for another year, but yeah. Why? Is that really so surprising?  
Alana made a strange motion with her hands as she countered:  
-Well, yes, it is. Isn't that a bit too young to get involved in such dangerous work? How in the galaxy did he manage to stay alive all this time?  
Seila shrugged:  
-The kid's mighty talented and he's got luck that would last some of us two lifetimes. Though on the other hand--  
-Seila, enough. He's never even talked to us about this and we have only rumours to go on, this is Jayden's business.  
Alda threw Seila a sharp look, signalling that she should shut up. Alana sighed and leaned back in her seat:  
-Jayden's had a complicated history, huh?   
The twi'lek shrugged:  
-That's what made him into who he is. But you should know - everything Jayden does, no matter how dumb it may seem - he does it for a reason. It may not seem like he cares sometimes, but he really does. Jayden isn't the kind of person who open up to others easily.  
Alana gave a small smile:  
-Oh, believe me - I know. We're getting there by taking baby steps, but I know. I barely know anything about him despite traveling with him for a little over a month now, still it's more than I know about myself ironically enough.  
When both woman looked at her in confusion for further explanation, Alana gave a small smile and elaborated:  
-I'm an amnesiac.  
Both women's eyebrows shot up before Alda cautiously asked:  
-If it's no secret - how much of it did you lose? A few months maybe?  
Alana shook her head:  
-It's not such a big deal, but 10 years. I have no clue what happened before six years ago. I don't need pity, really. I'm just fine with it as I would be without it.  
The twi'lek and the rattataki exchanged a look, before Seila unexpectedly grinned:  
-Well, it seems Jayden has found some interesting travelling companions after all.  
A familiar male voice spoke up unexpectedly close behind Alana:  
-I've done what?  
Alana started and turned around to see her teammate resting his elbows on the back of her seat, looking at Seila and Alda expectantly. Zeth and TK had also seemingly finished up their argument and were also watching them. Seila gave a grin and leaned forward:  
-Oh, we were just telling your partner about all the times you screwed up. You know, the usual.  
Jayden shot Seila a glare:  
-You better not have.  
-I so did. Right, Alda?  
The red-skinned twi'lek held up her hands:  
-Hey, no comment here.  
Jayden snorted:  
-An information broker who won't give me any information?   
-To be fair I'm a bounty hunter first, info broker second. Again, no comment on what Seila was doing. I'll just say it was a very enlightening conversation- wasn't it, Alana?  
The teenager smiled, catching onto their idea:  
-Oh yeah, I learned so much new stuff about you Jayden.  
Jayden's face was positively panicked for a moment before he recomposed himself:  
-Seila, once I find out what you told her I'll have your head.  
The rattataki laughed and threw down a bunch of credits on the table before jogging out of the cantina calling:  
-That's my cue to go, then! It was awesome meeting you, Alana!  
Jayden ran after her without a word. Alda shook her head and heaved a sigh:  
-I swear, she's like a child. Well, I better stop him from murdering her.  
Alana looked uncertain for a second as she asked:  
-Would he be mad at you for telling me what you did?  
Alda shrugged as she placed her own share of the tip on the table:  
-Most probably, he doesn't like it enough that we know him so well. Still, he'd probably be more mad if we told you the rumour we'd have heard.  
Alana's eyes widened:  
-Rumour?  
Zeth nodded, chiming in:  
-Yeah, the one about Shadow's possible past. There's tonnes out there though.   
Alda raised an eyebrow:  
-And how do you know it?  
Zeth shrugged:  
-It's not like I don't have my own contacts in the underworld. In case you're wondering, Angel, this new one is nothing nice, but then again people have always attributed Shadow's lethality to his upbringing. Wonder which one's true.  
Alda shot the other Mando a look:  
-You shouldn't. The ones that seem to make sense are few, but none of them nice. Besides, it's none of our business what happened to Jayden.  
Zeth raised his hands up in surrender as he too stood up:  
-Hey, the less I think about that asshole the better. Well, it was nice seeing you again, Angel, but I've gotta jet. Just got a new job to take care of on Bespin, urgent. It's a big galaxy, but we'll meet again. Maybe this time without Callen in the world of the living.  
Alana's eyes instantly turned as cold as the weather on Hoth. Zeth backed away and facepalmed:   
-Right, forgot you actually like that bastard. Do not worry I'll save you from his vile clutches soon enough! Anyway, see you around.  
-Goodbye, Zeth Ordo.  
-Cold, but I'll take it. Alda?  
The twi'lek raised an eyebrow:  
-What is it?  
-I still have the right to challenge you to that drinking contest!  
The twi'lek shook her head in exasperation:  
-How about you become a full-fledged adult by galactic standards first, hm? Mandolorian adulthood doesn't seem to be appreciated much around here.  
Zeth winked:  
-Then you've only got a month to wait.  
Alda made a shooing motion:  
-You'll lose your target.  
-Good point. Bye, Angel!  
Zeth disappeared out of sight and Alana followed Alda out with TK on her heels. The twi'lek glanced about and listened before sighing:  
-Yep, I lost them alright. Though they won't be hard to find.  
She tapped a button on her chrono and a small blinking light showed up on a grid of the the city. Alana looked surprised:  
-You placed a tracker on Seila?  
-Yeah, you have no clue how useful it's come in when she goes on her binge drinking sprees. Well, it was really nice meeting you, Alana, but I've really got to go. Take care of Jayden for us, will you?  
The Jedi shrugged as she smiled:  
-I'll try, but no promises. I can barely keep myself alive.  
-Then you'll be better off together. Hey, TK, was it?  
The astromech at Alana's feet trilled an affirmative. The twi'lek crouched down in front of him and whispered loud enough for Alana to hear:  
\- They both are really reckless, so take care of those two for me, will you?   
TK extended a metallic appendage and saluted Alda, chirping an agreement. She smiled and stood up:  
-Well, see you later?  
Alana nodded:  
-Bye, Alda.  
The twi'lek smiled at the human woman and jogged off. Alana smiled before sighing:  
-I always meet such strange people don't I, TK?  
-Beep. Bwee-reet?  
-Probably. Let's go, I have two more stops to make before we leave first.

==SW: LB==

Alana knocked on the door and was quickly met with a familiar face of a togruta woman - Kaara Phirash. She smiled and opened the door, welcoming the young Jedi in:  
-Ah, Alana! I assume you're stopping by to say goodbye?  
Alana smiled at the unintended rhyme and nodded stepping into the apartment with TK right behind her. Kaara looked behind her before closing the door:  
-Is your friend not with you today?  
Alana gave a shrug:  
-Jayden is a little preoccupied today, but he told me to pass on his gratitude and to say bye to the kids for him.  
Kaara gave a small sigh and shook her head:  
-We should be thanking you actually. You managed to get that gang under control as well as help us out with the kids. We'll miss having you around.Oh, TK, if you're interested in seeing the twins they're on the roof.  
The droid grumbled something about having no idea what Kaara meant but still went towards the rooftop. Alana shook her head at him:  
-I swear he is so determined to prove that he doesn't like organics when he actually does. The liar.  
Kaara shrugged:  
-It's his own way of expressing himself. That's quite a personality glitch he has there though, should it be like that?  
-I have no clue to be honest, TK isn't my droid really. He's our friend, but we only met about three weeks ago.   
-And you trust him?  
-With my life,- Alana answered simply,- Force knows how many times he's saved it. Fearing the unknown, the unusual is natural but wrong in my opinion. By fearing it we restrict ourselves, we don't have any room to grow, change.  
Kaara threw Alana a thoughtful look:  
-Are you certain you're 16?  
Alana gave a light laugh:  
-I was the last time I checked. Why?  
-That's not the typical thing a 16 year old would say. Come to think of it, your friend's outlook on many things is very different from standard of his age - Vadak came to that conclusion after their conversation yesterday.  
Kaara explained as she walked towards the staircase that lead to the rooftop with Alana following her. Alana made a slight face at that:  
-Jayden's life is something of a mystery. Even to the people who've known him for a while.  
Kaara raised an eyebrow, the white tattoos on her face elongating:  
-Why is that?  
Alana's answer was nearly emotionless, detached:  
-Everyone has their own skeletons in the closet.

==SW:LB==

Jayden was walking through the marketplace in Jahnae which was just as busy as it had been the last time he'd set foot there. He had ended up wandering through there after chasing Seila through half of the city and just to see her get away on the Hidden Spectre with Heims. Alda, who'd shown up soon after, simply assured him that Seila had been joking and although he had been the topic of the conversation they hadn't touched upon anything personal. Even so, Jayden couldn't quite dismiss the unease that he felt building in the pit of his stomach. He knew Seila meant well,but there were things he wasn't ready for Alana to know about him. It was hypocritical of him, Jayden mused - he told people that it mattered who they were now rather than who they had been in the past and yet he hid who he had been. Did he fear he would be judged for it? For what he had done? No. The answer was instantaneous. The corner of Jayden's lips tugged up into a humourless, almost dark smile. No, he didn't fear judgement. Force knew how many times he'd been damned, cursed, judged and even sentenced to execution (the nicest of which was being fed to the Sarlaac in the Great Pit of Carkoon while other were a little more... creative, to say the least). No, Jayden didn't fear condemnation in the least, judgment and curses were old friends by now. It was like the looks of anger, fear and loathing directed at him no longer bothered him at all. Her seen them far too often as Shadow and that didn't bother him. Not much did. Maybe it would have worried Jayden Callen, if not for the fact that he discarded, locked away that part of him when he went to work. Sometimes he wondered if he was losing his humanity during those moments. He feared that, but not much - it was more of a background fear, natural and suppressed. There were time he didn't notice that he had slipped into Shadow and that worried him. Were the lines between Jayden and Shadow really becoming so blurred to him? He didn't know..  
Spurred on by these dark musings, the switch between Jayden Callen and Shadow was accidentally flipped. The darker side came out, but he didn't even notice. Therefore when his comlink beeped Shadow's first move was to reach for his blaster. Thankfully, common sense snapped in quickly enough and he avoided making a scene. Heaving an annoyed sigh (directed more at himself than at anyone else), Shadow pressed accept:  
-Yes?  
-Jayden... No, wait, you're Shadow right now, right? What happened?  
-Nothing did. What were you saying?  
Alana's voice was hesitant but she replied:  
-I'm going to see Padme. Do you want to come?  
Shadow retreated, making room for Jayden:  
-Sure. Meet you at the hotel entrance?  
-See you there.

==SW: LB==

Alana glanced up at the sky when she felt something wet land on her head and drip down from her bangs onto her forehead. She looked up at the sky to see dark clouds sliding over the blue expanse that the sky over Jahnae usually was. The next second rain started pouring down onto the streets of Jahnae, hard. Alana, who was close to the hotel anyway, raced into it's lobby with TK whistling in alarm and discomfort behind her. Finally catching her breath, Alana looked up to see a familiar face with an extremely amused expression on his face:  
-Well, well, did you fall in the ocean on your way in? Or perhaps took a dip in the fountain?  
Alana threw him a look as she moved her wet bangs out of her eyes:  
-Very funny, hunter. Pure comedy gold.  
-I do my best, Master Jedi. Though it really came down there.  
Alana nodded:  
-I've never seen a storm so bad here before. I know we've only been here a week, but the weather here is normally clear.  
TK, who was using some weird object to dry himself, piped up from her side stating that H'kigs, the original population of Bestine IV, believed rain to be an act of cleansing. It marked the end of one life "adventure" and the beginning of the next. Alana looked out at the rain pouring onto the smooth paved streets of Jahnae and a thoughtful expression appeared on her page:  
-The end of one and the begging of another...  
Jayden picked up on her train of thought:  
-Quite symbolic, isn't it? At least for us.  
Alana nodded:  
-Sure is.  
TK gave a highly sceptical string of beeps and whirrs. Alana looked down at her chrono:  
-Stars, is it really this late already?! We better hurry.  
She started walking towards the elevators at a brisk pace. A moment later Jayden and TK caught up, with the former shooting her a slightly confused look:  
-Why are we hurrying again?  
As Alana pressed the button to request an elevator, she explained:  
-Padme - that is Senator Amidala, leaves at 3 in the afternoon today according to GST (Galactic Standard Time), so I have to talk to her before that.   
-She knows you're fine, right? I know we didn't visit her over the past two days.  
-I talked to her on the holo and she's been busy dealing with the fallout of that party.  
Jayden instantly straightened up, Alana's words piquing his interest:  
-What fallout?  
Alana crossed her arms over her chest:  
-I'm not sure.  
TK unexpectedly chirped behind them that he knew. Both teenagers turned to look at the astromech:  
-You do?  
-Beep.  
-What is it?  
In a long string of binary sounds TK explained that oddly enough the planet Sullust had declared that it formally was leaving the Confederacy of Independent systems and would take neither side in this war. It also turned out that the sullustan who'd been at the party had been in fact been their ruler and somehow now a new ruler was appointed. It wasn't even a usurper as the legal documents were all there and it had been written in the representatives will that that particular person was to take over. Jayden rubbed his chin thoughtfully:  
-Any names?  
TK buzzed a negative, but stated he'd check in with his contacts soon enough. Neither the Jedi nor the bounty hunter dared ask who those contacts were. There was a soft "ping" noise and the doors of the elevator slid open. Alana stepped out into the corridor with her companions close behind her, she stopped before the guard guarding the entry to the senator's room. One of them spoke:  
-Declare yourselves.  
Alana suppressed a tiny sigh, but complied:  
-Jedi Padawan Alana Sheelan, student to Master Lionis. My associates are Jayden Callen and TK-26, I formally assume any and all responsibility for their actions.  
The guards ran their eyes over the extremely odd group, but nevertheless stepped aside to let them pass. As they stepped inside, Jayden whispered:  
-Nice one.  
Alana's lips curved up into a small smile:  
-Jedi status can be pretty handy sometimes.  
-Yeah, but compared to that being one of the galaxy's most infamous bounty hunters is like an all-access pass.  
-Bzst-blip-frotz-beep!  
-I guess you have us beat then. Slicing is super useful.  
Suddenly a familiar face stepped out of the room. Alana took a step back so as not to crash into her:  
-Tekla?  
-Ah, hello, Miss Alana. Are you here to see the Senator?  
Jayden gave a nod and answered for the Jedi:  
-Well, that's why we came here, but if this is a bad time we can leave. I'm sure Alana can contact the senator whenever we reach our next destination from our ships holoterminal.  
-The Storm has a holoterminal?  
-Yeah, I'll show you when we get there. Guess, we best get going then.  
Tekla held up a hand to stop them:  
-Actually I think the senator could really use some advice right about now.  
Alana and Jayden exchanged a bewildered look and TK gave a low incredulous whistle. Alana decided to double-check:  
-You want us to give her advice? Us as in: an amnesiac padawan, a bounty hunter that was involved in a plot to kill her and a evolving droid?!   
The handmaiden had a small smile on her face:  
-Why, yes. Milady has always admired your unique view of the world. Do go on in.  
Alana cast a glance at Jayden who shrugged:  
-Hey, you heard the lady.  
Alana gave a sigh, but after letting Tekla move aside, she pressed the button on the control panel that would open the door. It slid open and Alana was met with the sight of a familiar living room only this time rain was pounding furiously against the glass windows, drops creating rivers as they slid down. On the farthest sofa sat the senator of Naboo, she looked lost in thought. Alana stepped into the room with her friends, the door sliding quietly closed behind her. When the senator didn't notice the movement Alana walked over to the nearer sofa and quietly cleared her throat:  
-Ahem.  
Padme jumped, startled by the unexpected appearance of somebody in the room. Moments ago it had been empty and she had been left swimming in her own muddled thoughts and now Alana, Jayden and an odd droid Padme could have sworn she'd seen once before next to them. Alana looked at her with concern in her eyes, as she sank down onto a sofa opposite the one Padme was sitting on:  
-You doing ok?   
The senator put on a fake smile:  
-I'm fine, just lost in thought.  
Alana wasn't fooled for a heartbeat:  
-This is about Sullust, isn't it?  
The older woman raised an eyebrow:  
-You know about it? How?  
Alana nodded her head to the droid beside her:  
-I happen to have an expert slicer with me. Padme Naberrie Amidala meet TK-26, or just TK. If he acts weird in any way just roll with it - he's a nutcase alright.  
TK gave a short offended chirp which caused Alana to smile and retort:  
-Oh, come on, you know I say that with love.  
-Beep-frotz.  
-Someone's grumpy.  
-When is he not?  
-Fair point.  
Alana looked away from Jayden to see the Senator from Naboo watching with a smile. Sighing, Alana leaned forward and looked at Padme evenly:  
-Padme, I'm asking as your friend to tell me what's going on. Please?  
The older woman hesitated before giving a curt nod:  
-Alright. This will take a bit of time though.  
Alana motioned Jayden to sit down next to her, but he shook his head - preferring to remain standing behind her. Padme took a deep breath before beginning to speak:  
-As you know Sullust was attempting to negotiate an agreement with the Republic so they could rejoin it, however both representatives were murdered.  
At this point Alana interjected:  
-The Mirialan man was a spy.  
Padme's brows shot up in surprise:  
-Sorry?  
-I'm saying the man going by the alias Riqo Calbra was a spy, you may want the Chancellor to look into his contacts more throughly.  
-Did he work for the Confederacy?  
This time Jayden was the one to answer:  
-No, he worked for a separate organisation. One that the Republic is foolish not to deem at threat, but that's beside the point. He's the one who helped those goons get in.  
The senator tipster her head to the side thoughtfully:  
-That's odd. I wonder what his motives were? In any case, a message came this morning from the capital of Sullust. The message stated that they were formally renouncing both the Republic and the Confederacy.  
Alana frowned:  
-That's unsettling. Did they declare neutrality and join the alliance of unaligned worlds?  
Padme shook her head:  
-No. This is what worries me more - they stated that they were joining the True Order.  
Alana cast a glance at Jayden:  
-Any idea what that is?  
Jayden shook his head, a serious expression on his face:  
-No. The only well known Orders I've heard of is your Jedi, the Nightsisters and the destroyed Sith Order. However...   
Jayden trailed off for a minute before turning to TK:  
-Hey, tracker, what can you dig up on the underworld's ruling status?  
TK asked to give him a moment and sure enough a moment later he projected a chart that he had compiled from the data he had dug up. Jayden crossed his arms as he looked at the chart:  
-It's as I thought. The underworld is split into three ruling core groups, it has been for about 5 years now. The Hutt Cartel, the syndicates and finally this mysterious organisation - I don't even know it's name. It appeared as a tiny group nearly 6 years ago and rapidly started growing in numbers and power, nowadays it controls a quarter of the Galaxy.  
TK gave an affirmative chirp, backing up the bounty hunter's statement. He also explained that even the Hutt's were scared to cross them which was highly unusual. Padme frowned as she studied the chart:  
-What do you know about this organisation?  
Jayden shrugged:  
-Apart from the fact that it's massive? Next to nothing. One thing I'm certain of though - their leader is not a normal being.  
Alana crossed her arms:  
-Could he or she be an AI?  
TK buzzed a negative: he'd have noticed if one had been sending out commands, besides the Luminous Engine had been shut down for quite some time now. Alana raised an eyebrow:  
-The Luminous Engine?  
TK replied that it was irrelevant and a long story. Padme summed it up for them:  
-So you believe that this shadowy organisation is this "true order"?   
Jayden shrugged:  
-It's a possibility. They certainly have the guts to do something like this. However it seems we're shooting in the dark as of now. A word of advice if I may, senator?  
-Yes?  
-Don't mention our speculations to the Chancellor.  
Padme raised an eyebrow at Jayden's advice. Realising that Jayden was making her friend suspicious, Alana quickly covered for Jayden despite sharing his strong misgivings when it came to the head of the Senate:  
-What Jayden means to say is that we shouldn't add more troubles onto the Chancellor's plate. He's busy as is. Besides our assumptions don't have concrete proof.  
There was a pause before the senator gave a tiny sigh and nodded:  
-You're right. The stress must be getting to me.  
Deciding to take that as their cue to leave, Alana stood up with a small smile:  
-Get some rest before leaving, Senator. May the Force be with you.  
Padme managed a tiny gentle smile:  
-And with you, Master Jedi.

==SW: LB==

Alana was towel drying her wet hair after coming out of the shower when there was an echo of a knock at the base of the ship. After double-checking that her drenched from rain and freshly washed usual outfit was in the dryer, Alana finally straightened her light blue t-shirt and started making her way to the source of the noise. Noting that Jayden was still in the refresher and TK was replacing his damaged power core (something the little astromech had been grumbling about not having enough time to get done for the past two days), Alana couldn't help but quietly murmur:  
-I wonder who'd come calling personally in this weather...  
She reached the ramp controls panel and pressed open, summoning her one of her lightsabers to her hand with the Force just in case. The ramp slowly slid down to reveal a familiar and very wet Trandoshan standing in the pounding rain. Recognising Rrask Alana hurriedly told him to come in and he gratefully did as he was told. As she ducked out of the storage room after closing the ramp again and tossed him a dry towel, Alana asked:  
-Why didn't you holo me? There was no need to go out into that typhoon!  
-{Herald, no need to worry. Water is good for the skin.}  
Alana sighed and took the towel he was offering back to her. As she put it into another machine she stated:  
-That's not my point. Granted, I know next to nothing about your biology, but you could get sick.  
-{I am strong even among my brothers. There was something I wanted to tell you in person, Herald}  
Alana turned around to face him and crossed her arms over her chest:  
-What is it?  
Before Rrask could answer, TK rolled into a corridor and gave a sharp whistle of alarm. Hearing TK's whistle, Jayden walked over to see what was going on. Alana had to stifle a laugh at the sight of him. He looked very funny, but oddly adorable at the same time. His dark hair that was normally a bit messy was even more messed up due to the fact that it was wet, his eye brows were raised above his green eyes in surprise and he was holding a towel like one would a weapon of some sort. Seeing that it was a familiar face, Jayden relaxed. Freeing one hand, he held it out to Rrask:  
-Hey, big guy. You could've just called the Princess you know?  
Alana sighed:  
-That's what I told him! He says it's important we speak in person.  
-That so?,-the Trandoshan nodded,- Well, TK and I'll give you some one on one time then. Come on, tin can.  
TK gave an offended beep, but still followed Jayden into the cockpit. Alana waved Rrask over and motioned for him to sit down on the couch in the common area, but he preferred to remain standing. Alana copied him, only leaning against the sofa slightly as she continued her slightly futile attempt to dry her hair after placing her lightsaber down on the couch. She glanced up at the Trandoshan, curiosity glittering in her vibrant dark blue eyes:  
-What was it you were going to say before we got interrupted?  
-{Ah, yes. Herald, I and a few members of my former gang will be leaving soon. We shall all go our separate destinations.}  
-You're leaving Bestine IV? Why?  
-{My former followers have decided to seek a different path somewhere in the galaxy. Though many will remain here to undo the damage we had wrought, some will leave. As will I. I hold no love for water planets and I seek to continue my hunts, both in honour of the Scorekeeper and of her Herald of Victory -you.}  
Alana gave a small sigh:  
-I see, well I can't blame you for wanting to leave this world. Jayden over there is no different and I'm not arguing with him. However, Rrask, could you perhaps do me a favour while you're on your hunt?  
The Trandoshan gave a small nod:  
-{Name it, Herald. I will honour any wish as I vowed.}  
Alana gave a faint smile as she remembered Rrask vow to protect her and her legacy. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her misgiving and her ambivalent thoughts. She made herself face Rrask when she spoke:  
-This is something I don't want you to take lightly and something I want you to refuse if you believe it absurd and too dangerous. I'm conflicted about asking you to do this, I do not wish to endanger your life, but I cannot do this myself. Rrask, a new player has emerged onto the main playing field, but Jayden says it has slowly been growing for over 5 years now - a shadowy empire that spans for over one third of the galaxy. We don't event know it's name, but we speculate that it may be this "True Order". If you come across anything that could be connected to it, if you have the chance to learn anything about them - please find out what you can. Just don't risk your life or lose it for my request, alright?  
There was a pause as Rrask didn't reply straight away. He could see that the Jedi was troubled by this "True Order" immensely, she hid her fear well and her unexpected compassion and care for him was something he had not expected. Were all Jedi like this? He didn't know. His kind had always had problems with them. In any case she was an unusual one as was her partner and astromech. Finally, Rrask spoke:  
-{Herald, I am surprised by your concern and I am grateful for it, however I will readily take on this task. I am not one to balk at such a challenge.}  
-If you are certain.  
-{I am, Herald. I vowed to protect you and your legacy - so I will not join the Scorekeeper anytime soon. I will honour my life debt to you.}  
Alana didn't trust herself to say anything so she simply nodded, before whispering:  
-May the Force be with you, Rrask Fess.  
He gave a small bow before replying:  
-{ May the Scorekeeper help you in your hunts, Herald}  
Alana gave a small laugh:  
-With the way my life has been going I need all the help I can get. And if your Scorekeeper deems me worth lending her help to who am I to say no?

==SW: LB==

About half an hour after Rrask had left, Alana wandered into the cockpit to see Jayden and TK debating where they should go next. Seeing his partner in the cockpit with a confused expression on her face, Jayden turned to her:  
-Hey, I was just about to go look for you. Where are we going next?  
Alana considered his question for a moment before asking:  
-Why are you asking me?  
Jayden gave a sigh:  
-Because before we got stuck in hyperspace and here we visited Corellia which was for my mission. And I have yet to tangle out the puzzle Kalleg told me.  
Alana sat down on the copilot's chair, her expression thoughtful before her eyes widened slightly in surprise. She unexpectedly turned to TK:  
-TK, can you bring up the galaxy map again? And zoom in on the are next to the Senex-Juvex sector.  
TK gave a confused whistle, but complied. Alana stood up and looked at the map, aware that both of her companions were watching her. She looked at the map and gave a curt nod before turning to Jayden:  
-What was it that Kalleg said?  
-Well, you translated it as "The spectrewolf orbits the planet that creates a right angle with the planet prison of old and the flaming planet that will bring change to the new." Why?  
-I think I've figured out what he meant. Look at this,-Alana pointed to an area of the holographic map TK was projecting,- Here's Belsavis - it was a planet the republic had used as a prison back in the Cold War though now it's just a colony. This is the planet prison of the old - Belsavis. Now onto the flaming planet that's supposed to bring change to the new... That's a trickier one. It's definitely not Karfeddion - that's an agricultural world with a horrible trade that I'll not even mention, it's not Cyphar, not Dorvalla either - it's a mining world. That leaves... Mustafar. It fits, a volcanic world. I have no clue what he meant by saying that it'll bring change to the new, but I doubt it matters too much.  
Jayden stood up too:  
-That means all that's left is to form a right angle,- he traced one over the map with his finger,- Asmeru. The planet is Asmeru. That's where the Spectrewolf is. Though he's probably already left. Thanks, TK.  
The droid shut off the hologram before giving a concerned whistle. Jayden nodded as he leaned over one of the ship's control panels:  
-I know. Damn it, I was so close. He's probably going to be laughing his head off.  
Alana looked between the droid and the Mandolorian, extremely confused:  
-Am I the only one here who has absolutely no clue who this Spectrewolf guy is? I mean I remember that spy mentioning that he worked for him and that he had noticed Shadow. Force, no... He's the one you're hunting.  
Jayden nodded and finally looked at her, his eyes grave:  
-Yes. The Spectrewolf is... I guess the easiest thing to call him is a master manipulator and a mass-murderer, but he's something much more complex that that. Anyway, we've gotten off track: it's your turn to choose where we're going.  
Alana looked at the rain pounding against the viewport and finally said:  
-The closest planet I have to visit for my mission is... Oh, you're going to love this.  
Jayden raised an eyebrow, getting very suspicious:  
-Why is that?  
-It's Rodia. The next youngling is on Rodia.

==SW: LB==

Commander Arc was standing at the holoterminal with Captain Twos and discussing the best way to launch the next assault against the secret Seperatist factory they had located as well as how to best fortify the capital - Iskaayuma, when an ensign rushed up to them. He was out of breath and looked very nervous:  
-Commander, an unidentified vessels just dropped out of hyperspace!  
The Captain and the Commander exchanged a look. They both knew that no normal ship's would even approach this system for fear of getting blasted while the battle between the Republic raged on on both the planet and in realspace above it. Besides it was well past midnight so even if a spacer had miscalculated their jump they would quickly jump again and not stick around. That left only a handful of options. Commander Arc turned to the Ensign:  
-Is it one of our?  
-No, sir.  
Twos raised an eyebrow and suggested:  
-The Seps?  
The Ensign shook his head again:  
-No, sir. It appears to be a cargo vessel.  
-What model?  
-We have no idea, sir. It's been so heavily modified that we can't tell.  
Twos frowned:  
-Is it friendly?  
Before the Ensign could reply the whole bridge was thrown into chaos as two Seperatist ships emerged from behind the planet where they had been hiding, they had broken off from the enormous fleet that had been on standby. Blaster fire ensued, but to the surprise of the people aboard the Vindicator only half of the blaster fire was aimed at them. It seemed the Seps weren't holding back as they assaulted the oddly nimble and strange cargo freighter. However the ship seemed to be piloted by a skilled crew as it was dodging nearly every shot the turbolasers aboard the ship sent it's way. Commander Arc turned to the nearby communications crew and ordered:  
-Open a direct channel to that ship!  
-Yes, sir!  
A moment later the hologram of a young woman and a man popped up. Two young people, still in their teenage years along with an extremely odd droid in the background. The young woman was speaking:  
-This is the Crimson Storm. Requesting assistance from the Republic cruiser Vindicator.  
Commander Arc pressed a button that let them communicate:  
-This is Commander Arc aboard the Vindicator speaking. Identify yourselves.  
The girl looked up at his voice and quickly replied:  
-This is Commander Alana Sheelan, I am part of the Jedi Order and part of the crew aboard this vessel. We formally request your assistance. Do you read us?  
Twos turned to two the Commander:  
\- We have to help them!   
Commander Arc nodded:  
-Activate the tractor beam and bring them in! Bring up the deflector shields and focus all firepower on the Seperatist vessels!  
A resounding series of "Sir, yes, sir'"s rang out across the bridge as the others rushed to follow the Commander's orders. He meanwhile strode out of the bridge with Twos right behind him. As they headed towards the hangar the commander muttered:  
-I can't believe that I didn't recognise Commander Sheelan right away!  
Twos shrugged behind him:  
-I didn't either. For one thing she looks a bit different, not just visually, but something about her has changed.   
As commander Arc turned the corner he frowned:  
-The Jedi were right. She did come here. Does it mean that the Death's Hand is with her?  
-I'm not sure, but I think it's best if we trust the Commander on that. She is not foolish enough to join forces with a man who would endanger her or the Republic war effort.  
Twos supplied as he followed Arc. As they reached the hangar Commander Arc put on his helmet and said:  
-You're right. Maybe the she and her team could help out General Mundi on the surface.


	39. Chapter 38 - Attack on Rodia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'm back. And before I let you start reading this can I just say this chapter is weird, however every scene no matter how stupid or how seemingly rushed it is it all has a point. You'll see later. Hmm, there was something I wanted to add, but I can't seem to remember what it is. Right, I'll edit this if I remember. Anyway, Enjoy!
> 
> P.S Rodia seems like it may be my lousiest planetary arc yet. Meh. Oh and it's 8100+ words. Have fun.
> 
> =========================

Chapter 38 - Attack on Rodia

Alana quickly threw on her usual clothes as the ship docked. She double-checked that her lightsabers were in place before her eyes stopped on the strange object Rrask had given her right before leaving. It looked like something that could be used to magnetically seal two ends of a broken pole together or something, the only apparent difference was that this one was smaller and thinner and that the longer edges could be folded in so Alana could carry it in one of her belt pouches, all Rrask had said that this would help her once she mastered how to use it. Whatever that meant. Alana sighed and stepped out of her quarters (technically they were the crew quarters as her bed was one of the lower bunks of two bunk beds that stood there, but so far she was the only crew member that slept there) locking the door behind her. She met Jayden in the corridor and he threw her a look that spoke volumes to her, but he simply gave her a nod. She gave a small smile and placed a hand on his shoulder, her eyes asking a silent question, his answer was a sigh and the barely audible word "Yes". He looked so uncertain that Alana had the unexplainable urge to hug him, but she quickly rid herself of that strange longing and returning that small nod turned away. The ship's ramp was lowered and TK was waiting at the top of it for them. As Alana approached it he gave trilled a concerned query:  
-Beep-dee-blip-dwoo?  
-I'm sure it'll be fine. Just don't say anything stupid or do anything stupid, ok?  
-Beep. Dee-treet?  
-I didn't say you were an idiot. Just a bit careless.   
Behind her Jayden couldn't suppress a snort:  
-Like you have any room to talk?  
She sent him a small grin as she retorted:  
-I never said I did.  
-You're impossible.  
Alana simply smiled in response to his exasperated statement. Maybe she was impossible, but she knew he meant well with his comments. In a way it was almost their thing, the lighthearted teasing, the banter with TK's occasional comment which reminded them of how weird or childish they were both being. Alana's smile faded when she saw that Commander Arc was waiting for her along with.... Twos?! The clone who's life she'd saved back on the Atlantida was standing beside the Commander with Captain markings on his helmet. Stars, she'd only been gone for... a month and a week. Had it really been that long?   
Alana nodded as she came to a stop before the two clones:  
-Commander Arc, Captain, its good to see the two of you again.  
The two saluted her:  
-Same here, Commander. Are you here on a mission from the Jedi Council to assist General Mundi?  
Alana frowned:  
-Master Ki-Adi Mundi is here? No, I'm here on a mission from the council -yes, but I'm not part of the war effort.  
-I see. In any case we should probably acquaint you with the situation in Rodia's surface,-Twos hesitated-, Will your companions be joining us?  
Alana's answer came instantly and in such a tone of voice that left no room for argument:  
-Yes. They are vital to my mission's success and I personally vouch for them.  
Commander Arc gave a nod:  
-Very well then. Please follow us to the bridge.  
Alana nodded and began to follow Twos and Arc into the ships many winding corridors. Through their bond Alana heard Jayden speak:  
-Someone is getting authoritative.  
-Hey, you were the one that said I'm way too naive as it is and I won't hide anything from you or TK in any case so why should you be left out?  
-Just saying. I could be your enemy, you know?  
-Riiight, because my enemy would totally care about my health and wellbeing.  
-It could be a ploy. You know: get close to your target and then stab them in the back when they trust you.  
-Now, I know you're definitely not my enemy.   
Hearing the notes of laughter on her voice, Jayden frowned:  
-How so?  
-You're not that sort of person, hunter. Also my enemy would know that his strongest emotions get transmitted over the bond.  
-Dammit, princess!  
-Nope, definitely not my enemy.

==SW: LB==

Alana rubbed her temples in circles, trying to calm the headache that was building up there as she looked at the hologram that was being projected before her. As far as Twos and Commander Arc had explained the capital city of Iskaayuma was under attack from the Seperatist's forces as well as the small surrounding settlements, their forces were just spread too thin on the planet's surface to deal with it all. When Alana asked what had brought on these attacks Commander Arc had replied that apparently there had been some deal between the Rodians and the Seperatist's before Senator Farr had broken it off and this was the backlash. She'd heard of that deal as whispers of it had traveled even in the halls of the Jedi Temple a while ago, but not much more. She couldn't even imagine that the worm known as Nute Gunray would have the guts to retaliate like this, so this must have been Dooku's handiwork. Alana frowned as she scanned the hologram again, it was late and her brain was barely functioning, but she forced herself to concentrate. Turning towards Twos, she asked:  
-Where are Master Mundi and his forces?  
The clone captain leaned over and pointed at a jungle area not too far off from Iskaayuma:  
-They're holed up over here. However, they don't have the necessary firepower to push those clankers out from the west entrance.  
Unexpectedly Jayden stepped forward and pointed at a spot near the west gate entrance. A spot that looked like it was meant for shipments from other cities to travel to and fro:  
-What about here? What if a small group could sneak in here and knock out the heavier hitters quietly so the main forces would have an easier way to plough through the others?  
Commander Arc leaned forward:  
-Hm, I didn't think about this approach before.   
Captain Twos nodded:  
-It could work, but you'd have to be crazy to volunteer to do a run like that. It's very risky.  
Alana crossed her arms over her chest:  
-But it's a risk we have to take. And lucky for everyone here we do have people who are just the right amount of insane to try this.  
TK gave an exasperated whistle before chirping a query. Alana smiled:  
-Yes, TK you can "blow stuff up".  
The droid instantly perked up and gave a cheerful string of beeps. Jayden sighed from Alana's side:  
-I assume you're volunteering us for this suicide run?  
She grinned:  
-Who else? Look at all the times we've survived against odds that are lower than this. I'd say we're only at 9.5 on a scale of one to ten at how screwed we are.  
Jayden shrugged:  
-Well, when you put it that way - guess I'm in. In any case there's no way I'm leaving the two of you to do this on your own. You're a little too likely to get blown up in the process of blowing those mechanical menaces up.  
Alana rolled her eyes, but turned to the two clones:  
-Right, I guess we have a game plan, boys.  
Commander Arc ran a hand down his tanned face:  
-Commander, with all due respect, I have yet to hear a decent plan.  
Alana smiled:  
-That's because there isn't one yet. We have the base idea so we'll be fine. It's easier to adapt if you don't plan out every single detail and make it up as you go along. Oh and TK, download the relevant data please.  
The droid whistled a cheerful affirmative and rolled over to plug into the mainframe. As the two men looked incredulously at the teenage girl, Jayden sighed:  
-She's very creative, but somebody has to knock some sense into her from time to time. You see now why I'm here?  
Commander Arc looked between the girl and the boy before nodding:  
-You all have my utmost respect.

==SW: LB==

Alana woke up in the middle of the night from another strange dream that as always made her want to cry out in terror. She sat up in bed and focused on getting her breathing under control first. Another dream or vision, Alana wasn't sure which. This time she saw an enormous fleet come closer towards a planet with two moons that looked like it was a forest planet. That planet seemed so familiar but Alana couldn't quite place her finger on what it was called, especially in the panicked state her mind was in. She sighed as she swung her legs off the bed. When had she slept through the night fully last time? She couldn't remember. Alana glanced at her chrono to see that it was 04:32 in GST and since they had planned to go down to Rodia at oh-seven-hundred she saw no reason to go back to sleep.   
Alana quickly dressed and armed herself before silently stepping out of there's quarters aboard the Crimson Storm. They had chosen to say there, feeling safer there than in the Vindicator's crew quarters. TK had decided to remain in full power mode to watch over them and their ship while they slept. Alana couldn't suppress the wry smile that flitted over her lips as she stepped out into the common area: there hadn't been much need for that. Softly, so she didn't startle him too much Alana spoke up:  
-Why aren't you sleeping?  
Jayden turned in the direction from which the voice had come to see a form he recognised as his headstrong companion approaching him and sitting down beside him on the semi-circular couch. It looked like she hadn't been able to sleep much either. A ghost of a soft smile resided upon his lips as he countered:  
-I could ask you the same thing.  
Alana shrugged:  
-Oh, the usual - weird dreams that make me wake up an inch away from screaming.   
-Why don't you scream then? It might help.  
Alana laughed and shook her head:  
-Help give you and TK a heart attack? Possibly, but no thanks. I'm pretty good at controlling my emotions when I just wake up.  
-So when you wake up is okay, but during the day that control goes on a holiday?  
-Pretty much.  
-You are one weird Jedi.  
Alana grinned and suddenly imitated a voice that Jayden had only heard a handful of times, but was fairly certain that it belonged to the Jedi Grandmaster:  
-Room to talk none you have.  
-Are you...imitating the Jedi Grandmaster?!  
-Doing that I am.  
-Why?  
-Fun it is.  
Alana replied cheerful mimicking the Master's speech pattern good-naturedly. Jayden rolled his eyes:  
-You are crazy.  
-Crazy I am not. Boring you are.  
-Oh, I'm boring, am I?  
He ventured, challenging notes in his voice. Hearing them however only made Alana's smile turn into a grin as she continued:  
-Yes, exactly that you are.  
-Oh, you've crossed the line, princess.  
Jayden declared, tackling the young Jedi with an array of tickle missiles as a retaliation. Alana instantly collapsed into bouts of overwhelming laughter, helpless against Jayden's relentless tickle attacks. He was grinning brightly:  
-Now you'll see the full power of the tickle side! It is far more powerful than your light or dark! Give in to the tickle side, unleash your laughter!  
Alana shook her head through her laughter as she fruitlessly tried to shove Jayden's hands away:  
-Never!   
-And now young Jedi, you shall laugh!!! Death by tickles!  
He attacked her with another barrage of tickles and didn't stop until she finally lifted her hands in surrender. Lifting an eyebrow expectantly, Jayden waited for her to at least somewhat catch her breath. She breathlessly choked out:  
-I surrender, oh lord Jayden! Teach me the ways of the tickle side, Master.  
Jayden made his best exaggerated evil mastermind face and slowly drawled:  
-Good, good, apprentice. Soon we shall conquer the galaxy with our powers of the tickle side!  
Alana merely shook her head unable to laugh anymore. Jayden smiled and just proceeded to rub soothing circles on her back, calming her nerves. Once she finally had a semblance of a grip on herself, Alana looked up at her companion. It was dark, but Alana could still make out the bright smile on his face. She inwardly sighed with relief- that dark and brooding expression was nowhere to be seen. Alana sighed and sat up properly:  
-Are you ok?  
That smile faded slightly and Jayden gave a non-committal shrug of his shoulders. Alana folded her hands on her lap and cautiously ventured:  
-Do you want to talk about it?  
Jayden leaned his head back and closed his eyes, sighing:  
-There's really not much to talk about. Today would have been my mother's 41st birthday.  
Alana's eyes widened when Jayden mentioned the mysterious woman who had given birth to him. Whose death, Alana presumed, along with other things had set him down this path and eventually led him to meeting her. Her voice barely audible, she whispered:  
-Your mother?  
Jayden nodded, his eyes getting a far away look as her remembered his mother:  
-Her name was Lea Alde originally, later Lea Callen. She was beautiful and very smart. She had long chocolate brown hair, like really long and she had the same eyes as me - green, only hers were brighter, kinder, gentler than mine are. My mum was a politician who actively tried to steer the Galaxy away from war, but during the skirmishes dad had with other clans she was an excellent military strategist. She often thought outside the box - a lot like you. She was also very patient, but could get very passionate about certain subjects. Everyone loved her.  
Alana was listening to Jayden quietly and attentively, she was so focused on him that she hadn't even noticed that she had subconsciously gripped his hand in an attempt to lend him her own strength. Jayden continued with a small smile on his face:  
-Her parents were Alderaanian nobles, but she was in no way the stuck-up little princess they wanted her to be. She was very rebellious during her teenage years and after leaving home on a diplomatic mission to Mandolore she met my dad. My dad was a born and bred Mandolorian in the old ways and my mum was a rebellious noble woman and well - she fell in love with him. She married him against her parents wishes and they settled down on Mandolore. A year later I was born and well, the rest is a different story.  
Alana gave a weak smile:  
-You really love your mother even now.  
Jayden finally opened his eyes and unexpectedly said:  
-Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayali, gar darasuum.   
Alana furrowed her brow as she haltingly translated:  
-"I'm still alive, but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal." What's that?  
Jayden gave a wry smile:  
-This is a daily remembrance of the departed we have. Our people never truly leave us. Nu kyr'adyc, shi taab'echaaj'la - "Not gone, merely marching far away": that's a phrase we have.  
Alana gave a nod of understanding:  
-It's a bit like what the Jedi say : there is no death, there is the Force. They believe people become one with the Force when they die.   
Jayden made a sound that signified him agreement:  
-It's strange how two cultures have similar-ish beliefs, but they still went to war with each other so often. Probably because of the different views on violence. You know, if the wars hadn't nearly wiped the Mandolorians out I'm fairly certain you and I would be enemies right about now.  
Alana gave a hesitant dip of her head, before pulling her knees up to her chest and tucking them under her chin, she wrapped her arms around them. This sort of position had always made her feel more secure, safer - another barricade erected between the merciless, unforgiving world she lived in and her fragile heart. There was a lull in their conversation before Alana whispered, plaintively- almost like a small child:  
-I don't want you as my enemy. You're my friend and I would never ever be able to lift my hand to hurt a friend.  
Jayden gave a light laugh, making her fears seem illogical. In truth Alana knew they were, but something beyond the billowing clouds of amnesia in the back of her mind stirred. A fear that had no rational explanation surfaced unbidden, a fear that was not as baseless as it seemed perhaps? Alana wasn't sure. Jayden shook his head, bringing her back to the present:  
-Don't worry about that. First of all - I've experienced betrayal time and again and there is no way in this universe that I'm willing to inflict the same pain upon another person. Secondly, the prospect of a war between the Jedi and the Mandolorians seems nearly inconceivable now and even if it did happen, which it won't, I believe that unless the Jedi did something truly atrocious - I would not get involved. I may be Mando'ad, but I will not commit mass murder unless someone gives me a logical explanation and one that I can see the point in. Force knows, how much blood I have on my hands already.  
His mind slipping off into dark thoughts, Jayden glanced down onto the palms of his hands. In the dark it was almost like he could see the thick, crimson blood on them. Jayden closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself. He would not lose control. Suddenly the uneasy silence between them was broken by the sound of wheels going up the ship's loading ramp. A moment later TK appeared in the common room, projecting light into the room and causing both teenagers to squint. Alana held up a hand to block the light that was streaming right into her eye:  
-TK, point that somewhere else, please.  
The droid chirped a short apology before asking why in the blazes where they not asleep. Jayden's answer was a shrug and a grumble about droids not being able to understand organics, to which said droid retorted by saying organics were far less efficient and so was their mindset. Before this could escalate any further Alana held up a hand to halt the verbal match the two were having:  
-Guys, its way too early to be arguing. Seriously it's like,- she cast a glance at her chrono,- 6 minutes past 5 am. Like I said: way too early. Anyway TK - any news?  
The droid gave a whistle and reported while there were no military updates, he had noted that the mess hall had opened up and perhaps it would be prudent of them to eat before the hall was overrun by hordes of organics. Jayden shrugged and exchanged a glance with his partner, before standing up and saying:  
-We might as well.

==SW: LB==

While the Vindicator and her two sister-ships kept the Seps distracted a small shuttle weaved through the battle and ducked into the atmosphere of the green and light blue coloured planet that held the second orbital position in the Tyrius system - Rodia. The battle above the planet had drawn all the Seps attention so the small shuttle slipping through the battle went unnoticed. However, that shuttle was not as unimportant as it seemed. Aboard it resided a Jedi padawan, the Death's Hand in full armour, an odd astromech, Captain Twos and an odd 5-6 clone troopers.   
As soon as they entered the atmosphere the clone captain shouted:  
-I seriously suggest that everyone hold on to the railing, because dodging those anti-aircraft guns is not going to be easy!  
Heeding his warning, Alana tried to grab onto a handrail, but didn't manage in time, which caused her to nearly fall over as the shuttle made a horrible sideways lurch. She would have ended up flat for her face if not for a certain someone grabbing her upper arm to steady her. A familiar voice spoke over the chaos:  
-Hey, princess, what do you think hold on means?!  
-Now is seriously not the time, hunter!  
-Alright, then when is the time? I'll see if I can alter my schedule for you.  
Alana shot him a glare and retorted:  
-That's so sweet of you! Hmm, how about never - that work for you?  
The Mandolorian pretended to look at his chrono:  
-Nope, I'm afraid I'm busy at never o'clock. You free at any other times, Master Jedi?  
Alana rolled her eyes as she barely managed to grab onto the railing:  
-How about we postpone this until we're safely on the planet?! That work for you, cyare?!  
-Whatever you want, honey!  
-Ugh, you are impossible!  
-Right back at you, princess!  
Another voice called over the tumult, Twos's voice:  
-Commander, as much as I hate to interrupt your extremely amusing lovers spat - now is really not a good time.  
Alana shot the masked trooper with a small silver two emblazoned on his helmet a glare:  
-Captain! You know what? Forget it. Let's just all focus on getting down to the surface in one piece.  
-Yes, Commander.  
Unexpectedly Alana felt a strong sense of danger ring out in the force and the next moment her bad feeling was confirmed as the shuttle began to plummet. She hear alarmed cried and shriek of surprise that was unmistakably TK's. She shouted over the utter chaos:  
-What's going on?!  
She could feel Twos's unease and frustration in the Force. His voice betrayed that frustration as he yelled back:  
-Those blasted clankers! They shot down our starboard wing! Brace for a crash landing - this is going to be a rough one!  
As soon as those words left the clone captain's mouth the ship started spinning and Alana felt immense heat emanate from their right side. The remains of the wing had burst into flames. The smoke, spurred on by the warm wind of Rodia's atmosphere, started funnelling into the ship, obscuring everyone's vision and making Alana, the only one without a helmet with an air filter, start violently coughing. Acting on impulse, Alana used the Force to purify the air that she drew into her lungs by using a force ability called breath control. Instantly breathing became easier, but they were all still falling and none of them could see. Covering her mouth with her hand as she coughed, Alana pulled on the Force before using one mighty burst of Force energy to push the smoke out. However, she hadn't anticipated the side-effect of her Force push: the ship spiralled sideways and finally crashed into something with such force that caused the engines to explode and the ship to finally stop falling.   
Slowly Alana opened her eyes and picked herself up off the floor, scanning her body for any critical injuries. Thankfully, she only had a few minor bruises and a few scratches - she'd gotten off lucky. Instantly remembering about the others Alana whipped her head around to look at them. They were all sprawled out on the floor and some were dangerously close to the burning engine, even TK seemed to have shorted out from the impact. Unsteadily, Alana stood up and made her way over to TK who'd been tipped over. With a little effort she righted the droid before flipping his circuit breaker. The astromech instantly came back online and gave a confused whistle as he assessed their surroundings before noticing Alana and chirping a worried question. She shrugged as she stood up:  
-I don't know. I hope they're alive - I mean their force presences are still here. I need your help waking them. But first...  
Alana turned towards the exit door and using the Force ripped it off, tossing it a little while away. She sighed and turned back around: she was already starting to burn through her Force reservoir and rather quickly. She shook her head at her selfish thoughts before crouching down next to her Mandolorian partner. She was about to try and shake his shoulder to rouse him when a curious thought occurred to the young Jedi. Biting her lip nervously, Alana reached out through their bond and gently let her true Force presence brush against his. Instantly Jayden sat up and released a groan. Retracting her presence quickly, Alana placed a hand on his shoulder:  
-Easy there, you just came to. We crashed. You okay? Any injuries?  
His voice as always altered by his helmet, he replied:  
-Feel like I got hit by a bunch of Sandpeople with their gaffi sticks, but other than a few bruises I'm good. Thank the Force for beskar.  
Alana shook her head and gave a watery chuckle:  
-You always have the weirdest descriptions. Come on, help me wake the others.  
Approximately five minutes later Alana, TK and Jqyden had managed to wake all the others clone troopers. Thankfully the clone's armour had protected them from most of the blast and aside from a few tiny shrapnel impalements that posed to no serious threats they were in shape to move. However, their crash and the separatist attack had taken the lives of both pilots as Twos informed them. Alana couldn't help but feel that that was at least partially her fault, she had miscalculated slightly and made their plummet to their inevitable doom much shorter, though by doing that she had saved the rest of the passengers lives. Alana sighed: how many more would have to die for her mistakes? Just how many more? Wasn't the number she had already doomed enough? Alana closed her eyes and barely audibly murmured:  
-Stars, please don't let any more of them die because of me...  
Twos turned to her and offered up a salute:  
-Commander, we are able and ready to leave.  
Alana gave a curt nod:  
-Right then. Everyone keep your eyes peeled for any native animals ,though the Rodians have hunted the huge animals to near extinction close to the cities we're in the jungle and with the Rodians away the big predators come out to play,- Alana ordered looking out of the shuttle's exit,-And by play I mean dismember you before swallowing you whole. They're not picky about armour or anything. We have to find Master Mundi's camp as soon as possible. TK, sweep for any electronic anti-predator devices - that should give us a clue as to where they are. Captain, you and your men keep your blasters at the ready. Jayden, you're aerial support along with TK - switch turns. I'll take the lead - I can scan for any enemies,Seps or predators, that way. Is the plan clear?  
The answer to her words was a unanimous chorus of "Yes, Commander" from the clones and a "yes" from both Jayden and TK in Basic and binary respectively. Alana swept her eyes over each of them before giving an affirmative nod:  
-Let's go, men.

==SW: LB==

Alana kept her all her senses on high alert as she walked through the swampy jungle. She was half expecting a predator to jump out at any time and kill her, either that or a battalion of the seps battle droids to appear. Alana shook her head at her own worries: they were just a waste of energy and emotions and she would need all the energy she could get to pull off their scheduled suicide run and not die during it. She didn't even flinch when Jayden suddenly jumped down from a tree canopy up ahead and landed beside her. He'd been taking turns on providing aerial support with TK and so far it had proved most helpful. Thanks to them Alana and the clones had been able to dispatch two Seperatist drones before they managed to report their location, as well as take care of a Ghest and a Savrap before they got too close for comfort.   
Jayden stole a glance at his partners face from behind his mask. She looked extremely tense and he could feel the unease swirling within her with their bond. A part of him was worried as to what was wrong while another kept reminding him of that fight they'd had aboard the Crimson Storm when he'd first noticed just how volatile Alana's temper could be if pushed too far. Oh, blast it! He was worried about his partner and if she decided to be mad at him for pushing her too far then so be it. Deciding to bite the bullet, Jayden quietly probed:  
-You ok? You're so tense you're making me uneasy. Is something wrong?  
Alana shook her head before lowering her voice to his volume and quietly responding:  
-No. It's nothing important.   
-It's important if it's making you that uneasy. Come on, tell me, please.  
Alana sighed before forcibly relaxing her body:  
-Alright. I hate warzones, they make feel... Drained somehow.  
-Is that it? Nobody likes warzones.  
Alana shook her head once again, glancing around them:  
-It's more than that. How do I put this... It's like I can feel my life essence being slowly sucked out of me when I'm in one. It's like the Force is using me to heal the wounds within it.  
A voice sounded off from the side. A voice Alana knew:  
-Impressive deduction, Padawan.  
Alana whipped around along with Jayden to see a Cerean man with a blue lightsaber ignited before him. He swiftly deactivated it and hung it back on his belt at the sight of a fellow Jedi. As soon as Alana recovered from her shock, she gave a small bow:  
-Master Mundi! I'm sorry I didn't notice you sooner.  
-No harm done, young one. I wouldn't be much of a Jedi Master if I let you sense me when I was hiding my aura.  
Alana frowned:  
-Ah, that makes sense, but why would you need to hide your aura? Should I try and conceal our-- I mean mine too?  
The Cerean Jedi master raised an eyebrow at her slip up, but merely gave a small nod:  
-That would be a wise move, padawan. We do have a force-sensitive enemy on the planet.  
Alana's facial expression grew grave:  
-Who is it?  
\- Assaj Ventress. Dooku's pawn.

==SW: LB==

Alana was pacing under the canopy of the tent that served as a makeshift headquarters, her arms crossed over her chest and her pretty face set in a frown. Jayden was leaning against one of the supply crates and calmly trying to asses the situation, ignoring his partner's impatience completely and looking even more impassive in his full armour. TK was standing in the center of the tent. All were waiting for the Jedi Master to finish talking to Captain Twos so they could discuss their suicide plan with the both of them, well Alana hoped that at least this plan wouldn't end with a near death experience. Still... This mission had ended up having more complications than she'd expected. Alana absentmindedly walked over to Jayden and hoisted herself up onto a supply crate, sitting down on top of it. There was a bit of silence before Alana groaned and mumbled:  
-Why can this never be easy?  
Jayden snorted as he humorously responded:  
-Well, what fun would life be then? It's be boring if everything went well.  
Alana sighed:  
-It's like the law of the world: if something can go wrong it will.   
-My life story.  
-Join the club.  
Alana impassively commented. Jayden couldn't help raising an eyebrow at her cold comment, there was still much about his partner he didn't know and to be frank some parts seemed like they were better left buried and forgotten. Unfortunately, both Jayden and Alana had a bad habit of getting into situations where they didn't belong (TK just went along for the company). Swinging her legs back and forth Alana quietly murmured:  
-I'm worried about the youngling...  
Jayden gave a nod, his expression serious behind his helmet:  
-Don't worry, TK and I will help you with this and we'll do this as a team - like on Duro.  
Alana finally smiled:  
-Like on Duro, huh? I still haven't gotten around to thanking you for that yet.  
Jayden frowned, confusion emanating from him through their bond:  
-Thank me for what? You thanked me for picking you up before Grievous squashed you already.   
Alana shook her head. Tucking and annoying strand of hair behind her ear, she explained:  
-I never explained what had happened in the temple. I mean I enumerated a few things while we were at Corso's, but other than that I haven't said a word.  
-I'm guessing that ghost didn't invite you for a picnic. That was so rude of him.  
Alana snorted:  
-As if. He first tried to kill me, before issuing a challenge.  
-A challenge?  
-Yes. He said if I could get to him, we'd have a fair fight. However he warned me that he would try all in his power to break me before I could get to him.  
-I doubt it was that easy for him. You're nearly impossible to crack.  
Alana looked up at Jayden from her interlocked fingers and he was stunned to see that haunted look in her eyes. Just what had happened down there? Alana sighed:  
-If only it had been that easy. He preyed upon my mind, my fears. The first thing I saw was how I was cast aside by the Jedi, how I killed my friend, how I betrayed the Republic and I believed that illusion wholly - it was insanely lifelike. It very nearly broke me. It would have - if not for you.  
Jayden sighed and took off his helmet so she could see his face:  
-What do you mean "if not for me"?  
Alana gave a small smile:  
-My comlink rang and broke me out of the illusion. You called me. You pulled me from that nightmare. TK helped too. So, thank you.  
-I swear I will never understand you Force-users, but I'm glad we're a team too.   
Alana's smile faltered:  
-Though that wasn't all that happened...  
-It was worse, wasn't it?  
Alana gave a nod:  
-After free falling a few good meters and fighting off scores of ancient battle droids I fought Desolous. At first it was fine, we were at a stalemate, but then... You know the phrase knowledge is power, right? Well, it's true. Especially when you know what your enemy fears the most.   
Jayden's green eyes were serious as he spoke:  
-He figured it out didn't he? Your greatest fear. And he tried using it to beat you.  
Alana shrugged, but when she spoke her voice was hollow:  
-One of them anyway. He didn't just try to beat me, Jayden, he did win. He broke me.   
-Then how...  
-It's a miracle I was saved really. At one point there I wasn't really sure whether I was alive that day. I saw you and TK die because of me. I saw you die. I fear seeing people who I care about die because of my mistakes and he used that fear against me.  
Jayden gave a single small nod:  
-I know that fear. But why us? Why not your Master or your friend?  
Alana spread her arms, indicating she had no idea. Though a moment later her face was clouded by a thoughtful look:  
-Although...  
-I'm guessing you have a theory.  
-It's not so much a theory as it is a baseless speculation.   
-Let's hear it anyway.  
Alana looked down at her clasped hands and hesitantly spoke:  
-I think it's this bond.  
-What do you mean?  
-Well, look at it this way - my life and my fate are seemingly irreversibly tied to yours. We share emotions, sensations, occasionally even thoughts. You also seem to be able to decipher me better than anyone I've met so far. Maybe that's what irks me about you. So far you and TK are the only ones I've really ever been able to be my full self around - even with my Master I wasn't so free. As cliche as this will sound - you and I are basically acting as two halves of a whole now and when a half is lost... Well, saying chaos ensues inside the remaining half would be the understatement of the century.  
Jayden crossed his arms:  
-So, what you're saying is that if one of us dies or falls into a coma there's a high possibility that the other will lose their life too?  
Alana had a strange smile on her face as she confirmed his suspicions:  
-Pretty much. Seems like you're stuck with me, hunter, through it all. I think we can do it together.  
Unexpectedly a mischievous sparkle appeared in Jayden's eyes as an amusing idea popped up in his mind. He slowly leaned forward towards the young Jedi and with a faint teasing note he whispered:  
-Who knew the princess could be so romantic?  
The tips of Alana's ears heated up as she retorted in a low whisper:  
-I didn't mean it like that!  
Suppressing a grin at her flustered but slightly mad expression, Jayden leaned forward another inch:  
-How did you mean it then, princess? Because it sounded like you're attracted to me.  
Alana's ears proceeded to turn pink from embarrassment, but the glare she shot him was as powerful as ever:  
-In your dreams, laserbrain.  
Jayden could feel her slight panic through their Force bond. He had to really try to stop a huge grin from making its way onto his face, if he'd known that pushing these buttons on the princess would be so fun he'd have done it sooner. There was no way he was going to relent now! He leaned a tiny bit closer:  
-Hmm, maybe. Unfortunately my dreams aren't as pleasant as that, your highness.  
He was so close and yet Alana found herself rooted to the spot. Her eyes were drawn to his like two opposite poles of a magnet. Her eyes were wide with surprise and as he looked at them from close up the Mandolorian was surprised to notice a few light blue flecks in the sea of vibrant midnight blue. Subconsciously Alana let her hand slide up to rest on his chest, an action neither of them seemed to notice. Jayden's eyes shone with pure amusement as he continued teasing his partner:  
-You really should be more careful around men, princess.  
-And what is that supposed to mean?  
-It means that you're an attractive young woman and you should be careful who you are around.  
At those words Alana's competitive and stubborn nature kicked in and she leaned forward too, glaring at him:  
-I can take care of myself, thanks.  
Jayden couldn't suppress a smirk from sliding onto his face:  
-Really?,- he reached to cup the back of her head, refusing to let her move away,- I'm a guy too, you know. In any case, what would you do if someone was to do something to you right now without your consent?  
Alana's voice dropped to a hushed whisper as she didn't break eye contact with her partner:  
-Like what?  
-Kiss you for instance.  
Alana couldn't suppress a small confident smile from flitting across her lips:  
-I'd slap them at least. I have a good arm and I'd say I'm pretty accurate.  
Jayden grinned:  
-Even me?  
Alana leaned forward so his nose was touching hers and with a playful smile retorted:  
-You especially.  
Jayden let her go, laughing. She had won their little game - a joke. Alana grinned in response. Alana didn't notice that she was no longer sitting on a crate and that Jayden had one arm around her waist and was holding her other hand while she had one placed on his chest to push him away just in case until TK trilled a warning. Her eyes widened and she stepped away from the triumphantly smirking Mandolorian instantly. Jayden was grinning as he slid on his helmet again. Their cheerful mood dimmed considerably when they saw the expression Master Ki-Adi Mundi was wearing when he approached the hologram of the city TK was projecting. Something had happened.

==SW: LB==

-The unrest in the capital is growing and our secondary forces are being wiped out so we have to act fast. Commander-- Wait a moment. General, we have news and they're not good.  
-What are they, Captain?  
-Apparently those clankers are rounding up the civilians in the main plaza and assembling a firing squad.   
Just as Captain Twos finished speaking a repeating beep came from a small holoterminal within the tent. TK shut off the holographic map of Iskaayuma that he'd been projecting and rolled over to the holoterminal. Upon connecting to it he projected a life size image of a slimy weasel known as Nute Gunray. The Nemodian gave a mocking bow before the Jedi Master:  
-Master Jedi, surely you have just gotten the news of what's going on in the plaza? We have rounded up the citizens of Iskaayuma and are ready to execute them unless you surrender immediately. If you insist on waiting we will execute them line by line.  
Alana's hands clenched into fists and her blood boiled with rage, righteous rage but rage nonetheless. The dark blood within her surged, but did not whisper. Not yet. She was about to step forward and tell that slimy worm exactly what she thought of him when Jayden grabbed her arm and shook his head, she couldn't see his expression beneath his helmet but she could sense his disgust and cold detachment through the bond. She sighed and stood still, refraining from alerting the viceroy of the Trade Federation of her presence. She was going to let the Jedi Master handle this and seeing how he hadn't lost the usual Jedi Mastery-y cool they all always had maybe that was a good idea. She sighed: there she went again losing her cool and having to rely on Jayden to keep her from doing something stupid. With a sort of detached amusement she mused that perhaps this was why they had been Force bonded before dismissing that as a foolish idea. Alana watched with baited breath as Master Ki-Adi Mundi calmly responded:  
-Do not be foolish, viceroy. You know you do not stand a chance. Release those people and surrender peacefully. Do not make the mistake of forcing my hand.  
Nute Gunray paused before scoffing:  
-I am not the one making a mistake, Jedi. I will be generous however and give you 5 hours to consider your decision. If by the deadline you haven't decided to surrender - we will shoot. You have no hope of winning so you may as well give up, Jedi.  
The transmission cut off straight after that. The Cerean Jedi turned to Twos:  
-Captain, I want a full report on our troops status and our ammunition level. Please hurry.  
-I'll get on it right away, General.  
Twos saluted the Jedi Master before making his way out of their makeshift HQ. Alana was the first to speak, her arms firmly crossed over her chest:  
-Master, we have to do something. We can't just surrender!  
-Unfortunately I believe we have few other options. We cannot let them endanger the innocents lives.  
Alana was about to argue back when Jayden held up a hand to stop her and spoke up:  
-There is another way.   
The older Jedi raised an eyebrow at the Mandolorian:  
-And that would be?  
Jayden signalled TK to switch on the map of Iskaayuma again and as soon as the droid did so they all stepped closer to the hologram. Jayden crossed his arms as he surveyed the hologram-  
-A multi-staged attack. Though the timing would have to be perfect. We can use our previous idea.  
Alana raised an eyebrow:  
-The suicide run?  
-That will be the basis, yes.  
-Care to elaborate, Padawan?  
Alana nodded and pointed to a cargo delivery area on the hologram:  
-This is where the produce between the cities is shipped by a special automated speeder system. No one will be paying close attention to anything here. A certain person could sneak in in a crate and disable both the droideka's as well as the heavy hitters.  
Jayden frowned behind the mask:  
-That'll have to be you, Alana.  
-Alright then. What are the other stages?  
-The second stage will consist of two points: disabling the anti-aircraft guns and a diversion. I will handle the diversion myself while TK can handle the disabling as long as Alana takes out at least some of the heavy hitters. You smart enough for that, tin can?  
TK gave an insulted beep but stated that he was perfectly up to the task. Jayden continued, pointing to a general entrance area on the map:  
-The third stage will be up to you, Master Jedi. You should contact Commander Arc and request some reinforcements as soon as you receive the signal from TK that the anti-aircraft turrets are offline. As soon as you have them push into the city. If the three of us were successful you should meet only moderate resistance that should pose no problem. Alana, as soon as the general makes his way into the city rendezvous with him and free the hostages. I will cover you as will TK. That should work.  
The were a few minutes of silence before Master Mundi nodded:  
-Smart plan, young man. However, how can I trust the word of two perfect strangers. Even if Padawan Sheelan vouches for you what is to stop you from turning on us?  
Jayden narrowed his eyes behind his mask at the man:  
-If you don't believe my sincerity look into my mind, I will not resist just this once.  
Alana shot Jayden a warning look, alarmed at his proposition. She couldn't see his face, but through their bond she was certain that he was giving her a reassuring smile. The Jedi Master sat down on one of the crates in a meditative position and wordlessly looked into the Mandolorian's mind. Jayden stumbled as he felt another consciousness collide with his, but was spared from falling over by Alana instantly appearing at his side and supporting him. Less than a minute later the Jedi Master's eyes snapped open and he quickly stood up, looking like he had seen a ghost:  
-You are a strange young man.   
Jayden gave a slightly tired smile, his mind steel reeling from hiding a few memories away from the Jedi Master and being invaded:  
-My intentions are sincere.  
-Yes, I can see now they are. Forgive my harshness. I can see you truly mean to do what you said and what's more you are prepared to risk your life to save Padawan Sheelan should matters come to it.  
Alana looked at Jayden with wide eyes and he sighed as he straightened up:  
-Now that last part was unnecessary. However, will you cooperate with us?  
-Yes, of course. We should get started right away.  
Jayden nodded:  
-Good. I'll relay the plan to the Captain right away. TK, come along.  
As Alana watched her friends retreating figures she heard Master Ki-Adi Mundi speak:  
-Your friend cares for you.  
Alana turned to face the Jedi Master with a gentle smile on her lips:  
-Yes, he does. I know that he would give his life to save mine as would I do the same for him.  
-You two are connected in an odd way...  
Alana shrugged:  
-The Force tied our fates and our lives together. He knows me better than any other person does.  
Master Mundi frowned:  
-Padawan, be mindful of your emotions, of your feelings. I know what it's like to care for people and yet you have to try to not get attached. It's hard, but that is our duty.  
-Master, I'm not really sure what you're implying...  
The Jedi Master raised an eyebrow:  
-Do you mean you haven't noticed yet?   
-Noticed what?  
-Nevermind then, Padawan. Just don't get attached.   
Alana sighed:  
-I know, Master.   
Inwardly she added "It's a little too late now. Both of them are too important to me. I care about them. Stars, what a pathetic excuse for a Jedi I am...". Alana glanced at her chrono and tapping a few buttons set a timer for 4,5 hours. This was not the time to daydream. She had a job to do.


	40. Chapter 39 - Executing the Plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um, Hi! Before we start off can I just apologise for the wait? I've just been having a tough time writing this chapter and as a consequence it's probably horrible. Yes, I know I've criticised my writing before, but this is a new level of horrible. Like I-would-advise-you-not-to-read-this-at-all horrible. Ugh, I just can't seem to make any head or tail or this chapter and it seems like garbage to me. Still, I somehow wrote it and even though it's probably better off in a trash can it's a chapter that pushes the plot along and gives some character development. I said Rodia would probably be my lousiest planetary arc and it's shaping up to me just that. Ugh... Anyway, sorry for the awful chapter and the wait - fingers crossed the next one will be better. Um, at least try to enjoy this disaster please... I don't know...

Had someone told Alana a month ago that she would be hiding in a bush on Rodia with the infamous Death's Hand, a crazy assassin astromech and Master Ki-Adi Mundi, waiting to hijack a speeder, Alana would have advised them to go through a mental health check up, but here she was. The past month had changed Alana in ways that words could not describe. She was different and she didn't care about that. Was she losing herself? She couldn't be sure.   
     Alana was abruptly jerked out of her thoughts when she heard TK chirp that a cargo speeder was fast approaching. Jayden clicked on his comlink:  
-Captain, are your ion grenades ready? The target is entering visual range.   
-We're here, sir. Ready on your command. Boys, ready the droid poppers!  
Alana threw Jayden a look to which he just shrugged his shoulders and protested over their bond:  
-What?! I didn't tell them to call me that, but they had to address me somehow and there's no blasted way I'm going to tell them my name.   
-Fair enough.  
Alana sighed, but turned to face the trail they deduced the speeder would soon appear on. Less than a moment later the aforementioned speeder came into view. Jayden stood up a shouted into his comlink:  
-NOW!  
Three ion grenades came flying at the speeder piloted by a cargo droid and a second later it was shorted out. However, out of one of the attached crates three B1 battle droids popped out. Exchanging a single glance, Alana and Jayden both sprang out of the bushes and rushed at the droids. They couldn't afford anyone getting even the slightest hint of their plan for retaking Iskaayuma. Alana's blades made quick work of two droids while Jayden took down the remaining one. Alana flashed him a smile, their partnership worked as well as usual: words weren't necessary when one could understand the other with just a single look, at least that's what people said. Ki-Adi Mundi, TK and the clones stepped out of their hiding spots a moment later. The Jedi Master raised a single eyebrow at the dismantled droids and at the powered down cargo droid and speeder:  
-Impressive response time. That's quite a duo you two make, padawan.  
Alana gave a simple modest smile:  
-Well, we have been fighting side by side for a month now. I'd say we've both adapted to each other's fighting style and TK usually also has our backs. In any case, we should get going.  
Jayden nodded in agreement with the younger Jedi's words:  
-That would be in our best interests since it appears we're on a time limit. Alana, how much time do we have left?  
Alana glanced down at her chrono on which the timer was still ticking down. She frowned:  
-We're down to about 3 hours and 45 minutes. We took too long getting the whole speeder hijacking plan ready.  
-Well, there's no use regretting that now. We've got to make up for the lost time and quickly.  
-Right.  
Alana nodded. Jayden moved over to one the crate the battle droids had popped out of and after checking it over nodded in approval. He turned to his partner:  
-We're good to go. You ready, your highness?  
Alana sighed at the nickname, but moved closer to the crate:  
-As I'll ever be. And don't call me that!  
-Not the time, princess. In you go.  
Alana shot him a customary glare before climbing into the crate. Captain Twos cleared his threat incredulously as he watched Alana sit down in the crate:  
-Sir, do you mean to tell me you're going to smuggle Commander Sheelan into the city like this?!  
Jayden shrugged:  
-Yeah, why not? It was more or less her idea in the first place.  
-But, sir--  
Alana cut across him with a bright smile:  
-Relax, Captain, this'll be fun.  
-With all due respect, Commander--  
Ki-Adi Mundi shook his head:  
-Captain, it's a futile argument. From what her Master has told us of her she's very stubborn.  
Jayden nodded:  
-I can attest to the truthfulness of that statement. It's a 100 percent true.  
From behind Jayden TK suddenly rolled up and grumbling something about wasteful organics slammed the top of the crate on to it. Then he turned to them and gave annoyed whistle stating that weren't they the one that were worried about the shortage of time?!  
   A moment later Alana felt the crate begin to move which meant that someone had reactived the droid and the speeder as a consequence. She quietly disengaged the biolock on her lightsaber's carriers. Show time was coming up very soon.

==SW: LB==

Jayden sat down on a crate in the back of their makeshift HQ, a tent. His hands were interlocked and he was looking down at them blankly, not really seeing them. His mind's was elsewhere, his thoughts flitting about on a distant plane. He wanted to take off his helmet, to stop hiding for at least a bit, but he knew that moment was over. He didn't trust anyone to not recognise him and turn him in if they ever saw his face again. If they hadn't realised that he was Shadow yet then they were either oblivious or didn't pay much attention to detail, in any case he was stuck being restless like this until he heard from Alana. Under his mask the corners of his mouth twitched: he trusted the most unlikely, the strangest and yet most intriguing person in the whole galaxy - what was up with that? As his eyes slid over to TK who calculating the best escape routes out of Iskaayuma, Jayden couldn't help but marvel at the people fate had made him cross paths with. He'd often thought this, but fate really was having fun by messing with him if it even existed. He'd once heard a phrase from someone, he didn't really remember who but it stated that there is no such thing as coincidence- only inevitability.  
   Jayden was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice that so,done was standing before him before a shadow was cast over him. He looked up to see the Cerean Jedi Master standing in front of him. Under his mask Jayden raised an eyebrow:  
-Can I help you?  
The Master sank down onto the ground in a meditative position nnot far from him. He was silent for a moment before replying:  
-Perhaps. Would you answer my questions?  
-That depends.  
-I see. Then allow me to ask you this: Is there anyone on this planet that you would trust? A person who's every question about yourself you would answer, Shadow?  
Jayden couldn't stop a small humourless smile from flitting across his lips at the name he had adopted when he became a bounty hunter. His answer was hesitant:  
-Yes, there is a person who I trust completely on this planet, however I would not answer all the questions she would pose. I know she wants to understand more, but she respect my privacy and for that I'm thankful.  
-You really do worry about Padawan Sheelan's view of you.  
Jayden shook his head:  
-No, I don't. I know what she sees me as and knowing Alana's stubbornness I doubt she would change her opinion too easily.  
-So she knows all the atrocities you have committed in the past and yet she follows you?  
-She doesn't follow me and I don't follow her, we are partners, equals.   
Master Ki-Adi was silent for a moment before pointing out:  
-You and your companion are changing that girl.  
-Fearing change is wrong, it's a natural part of life.  
-And yet embracing change is not always a good thing. You two may start her down a path that she won't be able to turn away from later.  
Jayden raised an eyebrow:  
-I can only assume you're talking about Alana turning to the Dark Side? The usual gibberish?  
He could hear the disapproval in the Jedi's words:  
-It is not as foolish as you may think, Shadow. Once she goes down that path she may never recover. She is reckless, impatient, stubborn and impulsive as it is, but you and your companion are throwing her into greater emotional turmoil.  
Jayden snorted:  
-If you seriously think that Alana's going to go psycho by hanging around me and TK then you really don't know that girl. You never did. The Force may have set me on a path that led me to meeting her and though I've only known her for a month - I know more about her than any of you.  
-And what makes you so sure of that, bounty hunter?  
Jayden crossed his arms:  
-You really don't know her if you think she will go down the "dark path" as you call it just by caring about her friends. Alana is strong, much stronger than any of you have ever given her credit for, but she is suffering. She always wears that bright smile to hide her pain, to conceal it all from you. She is both weak and strong at the same time and your mistrust hurts her a lot, but you never saw that, did you?   
The Jedi Master sighed:  
-Has she ever said that to you?  
-Partially, but I don't need to hear her say that to know. You haven't realised the connection between two of us yet, have you?  
-There is something that binds your fates together, but it's elusive..  
Jayden shook his head:  
-It's a Force Bond. The two of us were drawn together by the Force itself. However, that not the only reason I know her better than you do. Maybe you should try getting to know her instead of treating her like she's a ticking quantum bomb about to explode any second, huh? You Jedi never change.  
Jayden swiftly jumped off the crate and disregarding any words the Jedi said walked out of the tent. He easily scaled up a jungle tree next to the camp and sat down there. There, concealed by the foliage, he took off his mask and allowed himself to breathe. He didn't regret what he'd said to the Jedi one bit, but he worried it could cause even more tension between Alana and the Jedi Order. Why was she even part of it if they treated her like that? Was that why she was so worried about the Sith kid they'd met on Duro, because she knew what it was like to be constantly scrutinised? To walk around with people being wary of you and expecting you to turn on them at any moment? Maybe she was stronger than even he gave her credit for.   
   Jayden glanced down at the camp from his perch to see someone of the clones looking around, trying to find something. Probably looking for him. Well, he wished them good luck with that. Unexpectedly a female voice in his mind whispered:  
-They don't trust you...  
Jayden froze up as he recognised the voice:  
-Get out of my mind, witch!  
-Now, now, my dear boy, is that any way to treat and old lady friend? Especially when she showed you so much...  
-How are you even speaking to me right now?!  
-Always so aggressive! I suppose that's what makes you so alluring... As to your question? I still have that connection to pull on, but it seems now that there's another one too...  
Jayden gulped as he felt her rifling through the area she had called the "Chest of the Heart" once, he couldn't stop her - he knew she had paralysed him:  
-Get out of my head!  
-Tsk, tsk, patience is a virtue. You can try all you like to use Shadow to push me out as you always do, but you cannot break this connection by yourself, you know that.  Now, what is this other connection?  
As she touched their Force Bond Jayden saw a few flashes of that same face. Dark blue eyes, a small smile and the occasional adorable childlike expression. He braced himself for what would inevitably come. There was a pause before the voice of that woman drawled:  
-So, you have formed a connection with another girl? Hmm, she doesn't seem that remarkable really - even a bit plain, but her eyes... Those are quite the eyes, I'd love to have them myself. You know, I'm not sure if I should be jealous or not - seems she's a Jedi.  
-Leave Alana alone.  
-Her name is Alana, is it? She is so pure. I may have to pay her a visit sometime soon.  
Jayden felt fear surge through him. He couldn't let this woman get anywhere near Alana or the consequences could be disastrous:  
-Stay away from her!  
-Oh, so you care about her? That does make me a tad jealous. I wonder what a little creature like her has done to become important enough to you that you care about her.  
-Vassalii, don't you dare come anywhere near her!   
-The more you protest the more you compel me to go against your wishes, don't you know that? You should remember that from the last time we met.  
Jayden drew in a shuddering breath and suppressed the memory Vassalii had drawn up. Summoning all his strength he pushed her out of his mind. He could feel her disappointment and anger, but it was soon gone and he could move again. That had not been a nice experience. Well, at least she couldn't bother him for the next few months - he needed to ask Alana to cut this connection somehow. In any case, if he had any more spiritual talks he would go crazy so the sooner Alana called the better.

==SW: LB==

Alana listened carefully as they rode into the city, she didn't want to waste a chance for a grand entrance after all. All jokes aside, Alana knew that one wrong move could screw up the entire plan and cause thousands of innocent deaths so she had to be careful. Luckily for her the Seps droid's weren't too bright. As she heard the speeder's engine power down, Alana tuned in to the conversation that the cargo delivery droid had struck up with what sounded like a pair of battledroids:  
-Sir, I've delivered the cargo from equator city.  
-Good work! Any problems?  
-Slight power malfunction mid-route, but nothing else.   
-Roger-Roger.   
-Signing off.  
The sound of metal against asphalt was heard and Alana held her breath. The cargo droid had moved the vicinity and that left her with what? A pair of battle droids? She didn't want to draw attention to herself straight from the start so maybe slicing up the droids was not an option, maybe she could confuse them. Deciding to just bite the bullet and wing the rest of the plan, Alana pushed off the lid of the crate and stood up. She faked sleepiness, yawning and stretching before turning to the two obviously bewildered droids. Giving them a bright smile, Alana greeted them:  
-Oh, hello, guys! How's your day going?  
The two B1 battle droids exchanged a glance before one of them hesitantly replied:  
-It's been good... What about you?  
Alana grinned as she clambered out of the crate:  
-Great, so far. I fell asleep in a crate and ended up here. Nothing better than a nice nap before a great big new adventure, am I right?  
-A nap? What's that?  
Alana raised and eyebrow, convincingly faking surprise:  
-You've never taken a nap before? Oh, you poor things! A nap is what makes you super powerful and super important so that even every Commander will notice you!  
The battle droids chorused in unison:  
-It does?!  
Alana nodded:  
-Sure does.  
-Will it do the same for the two of us?!   
-Of course, it will!  
-How do we do this?  
Alana smiled: well, this was possibly slightly cruel of her, but she really didn't want to draw attention to herself just yet. She pointed to the empty crate:  
-Get in there and I'll tell you the rest!  
-Roger-Roger!  
The droids obeyed her command with almost what Alana would classify as a childlike excitement. When they were standing back to in the crate Alana approached them and reached for their circuit breakers, lying:  
-Let me just switch the nap module on, ok?  
-Roger-roger!  
Alana flipped both circuit breakers at the same time and both droids instantly assumed their powered down, compact forms. Using the Force to lower the lid on top of the crate Alana gave a satisfied nod:  
-Thank the Force, that's over! I'm not sure how long I could keep that act up...  
Just for good measure though she disengaged the magnetic lock keeping the two crates together and pushed this one away into a corner where there were many identical ones. Now, that this was done it was time to move to the more difficult to task. Her first objective was to locate the west entrance. She needed to get a higher vantage point.   
    Alana glanced around herself before she spotted something like an unused hologram pole jammed into a nearby building. That would work. Alana climbed up to the top of the stack of crates and using the Force for a boost jumped up. She just barely managed to grab onto the pole. Pulling herself up so she was hanging on by her elbows, Alana looked around. She needed to get up to the roof as soon as possible because from there she'd be able to locate the west entrance. Alana but her lip as she contemplated the sensibility of grabbing onto a nearby electrical line that was hanging a bit further up. When her arms started hurting Alana decided that the time for thinking was past. Shakily climbing up to stand on the thin pole and nearly losing her balance in the process Alana jumped up to hang onto the line. Alana knew that she couldn't hang on long enough to climb across, so she did the next best thing. She used her legs to grab onto the cable first and then she pulled herself up from her upside down hanging position. Nervously Alana stood up and stuck out her arms to balance herself. Looking around herself, Alana mumbled:  
-Now's when I wish I was born with wings...  
That's when she saw that a young Rodian child was looking at her with wide eyes. Slowly moving closer to the child and consequently a windowsill by walking on the cable as though it was a tightrope, Alana smiled:  
-Hi! I would wave if I wasn't afraid of um,-she winced when she saw how high up she was,- well, falling to my death.  
The child leaned her head to side curiously:  
-Miss, why are you doing that? It's dangerous.  
Alana sighed as she continued carefully walk across the cable:  
-Trust me, kid, I know. Unfortunately, there's no better way to do this. If I went into a building the camera's would spot me and I'd have half of the occupation force here gunning for me.  
The child frowned:  
-Are you one of the bad guys?  
-Depends on whose side you're on. The Seps say I'm a bad guy while to the Republic I'm just another peacekeeper turned soldier for freedom. Or something like that.  
-Those cylinders on your belt - they're for lightsabers, aren't they?! You're a Jedi that's come to free our city, right?!  
Alana smiled at the kid's excitement:  
-Yep. However, I really need to get up to the roof and I can't go inside buildings.  
The child straightened up:  
-I've got an idea. I can help. For now get onto this windowsill and stay here, ok?  
Alana jumped into the windowsill and nodded:  
-I'm not going anywhere.  
The kid gave a quick nod before dashing into the room. A moment later an overhead window dropped down a level above Alana. The small Rodian girl poked her head out:  
-This help?  
Alana smiled:  
-Thanks a lot!   
Using another burst of Force energy Alana jumped up to hang onto the window. She easily pulled herself up and finally gave a sigh or relief when she saw that the rooftop was less than 2 meters away, she could get up there with a normal jump most probably. Alana turned to the little Rodian girl. She looked no older than 3, maybe for 4 at most. Her skin was a lavender colour and her eyes were a dark blue-black hue. Alana held out her hand:  
-Thanks for the help, I'm Alana Sheelan. And you?  
The child beamed as she shook Alana's hand:  
-I'm Kii Thanakion. Nice to meet you, Master Jedi.  
Alana unexpectedly felt something odd in the Force. She momentarily closed her eyes and was somehow unsurprised to feel the Force flowing through this child. Kii seemed to be the youngling she had been looking for. She would have written this off as luck or coincidence had she not known that the Force worked in mysterious ways. Alana studied the child for a moment before asking:  
-Kii, how old are you?  
The girl looked at her hand before holding up 3 fingers:  
-I'm 3 and a half years old.  
Alana smiled, but inwardly she mused the Kii was a little older than usual for her to be taken to the temple. Still, a lot of Force-sensitive children grew up in odd circumstances so the age of the child when they joined the Order varied, but it was normally no older than 5. She focused on Kii again:  
-Kii, listen to me: the city is about to turn into a battlefield. I want you and your loved ones to stay inside, ok? I may be a Jedi, but I'm not invincible and I'm not perfect - people will die if they get caught in the crossfire. Do you understand?  
The youngling nodded:  
-Yes,m'am! We'll stay inside and lock the doors.  
-Good. There's also something else I want to talk to your parents about, so you'll see me after the battle.  
-I will?!  
Alana nodded:  
-I promise and I never ever break promises.  
-Ok.  
-Be careful, Kii.  
Alana warned the girl as she stood up. She crouched down before jumping up and grabbing onto the roof ledge. She easily pulled herself up onto it and stood up. Alana closed her eyes. She stood on the flat rooftop, reaching out into the Force searching for the highest concentration of hazy static presences. Opening her eyes, Alana walked over to other side of the roof and finally she found the deadly group she had been looking for. There were at least a dozen droidekas, definetly more than 20 B2 battle droids and unsurprisingly a swarm of B1 droids, Alana even spotted 5 tanks reinforcing the groups from the sides. No wonder, no one hand managed to break their blockade - it was near impossible. Now she understood what Jayden had meant by saying it was a suicide run, anyone crazy enough to try it would almost most certainly die. The odds of surviving were almost a million to one. The chances of even a Jedi Master surviving were almost none.  Dooku was serious about holding this city, wasn't he? Too bad she didn't agree.  
   Alana Force pulled her lightsabers to her hands from their carriers. She was about to ignite them when she heard a voice, so much like the artefacts voice yet not it, whisper:  
-Do not be foolish, child. I cannot protect you from your fate if you choose this path.  
Alana started at the sound of the voice.Softly, she whispered:  
-Who are you?  
There was no answer. Who in the galaxy was that voice and what did they mean by protecting her from her fate? Alana hesitated. Suddenly charging straight into the enemy's path wasn't looking like the only option at all. She scanned the scene before her, there had to be some way for her to even the odds. Her eyes landed on a shied generator and a radio tower next to it, an idea sparked in her mind. If she could reroute the generators power to the radio tower and send a wave that matched the shutdown sequence to the droids around that area she could even the playing field drastically. Of course, that all depended on the "if". Good thing she wasn't a pessimist then.  
   Alana backed up a bit before running and leaping off the rooftop towards the next one. She had a plan now, all that was left was to execute it and try not to die along the way.

==SW: LB==

Alana made sure to be as quiet as possible as she snuck towards the shield generator. She did not need everyone rushing off to kill her no matter how flattering that would be. Her lightsabers were in her hands but they weren't ignited just yet. Alana's eyes scanned the area as she peeked out from her hiding spot. She counted two droidekas, about 10 B1 battledroids milling about, a trio of B2 battle droids and a pair of mobile blaster turrets. Well, this would be fun. Alana decided to take care of the turrets first and then focus on the rest. The Jedi hoped she would be able escape their notice until she at least took out one of the turrets, however that hope was soon dashed as a B2 battle droid declared:  
-Intruder sighted! Intruder sighted! Eliminate!  
As all the enemies whipped around, Alana sighed:  
-And this is why I hate loudmouthed droids.  
There was a familiar snap-hiss noise and the droid's found themselves faced with a lone young Jedi wielding a green and a violet blade. Alana rushed towards the turrets, barely dodging a proton missile a one of the Super Battle droids had sent at her. Alana summoned the Force to her and threw up a temporary shield around herself, preventing the droid's blasterfire from reaching her. Alana knew the shield wouldn't last long so she didn't hesitate for a single moment as she leapt towards the turrets. The first turret met it's end by one of Alana's blades drilling through the power core while the other chopped the head off the droid who was in control of it. Without wasting a single sentence Alana sprinted over to the next one and cut off it's nose before cutting the droid in half. That was also unfortunately the moment her shield ran out. Alana's back was burned by several blaster bolts, her spine and nervous cords seared with pain, but she only winced and gritted her teeth. She would not fall.   
   Leaping high into the air with help from the Force, Alana came back down to earth and unleashed a strong burst of Force energy, utilising the Force Sweep, coupled with a short lightning storm of her making. The Force lightning and the Force  sweep complemented each other perfectly, taking care of the B1 battle droids in a single go, however, the other adversaries weren't as easily beaten. The super battle droids fell over, but quickly got back up while the droidekas wobbled before regaining their balance. Alana barely had time to dodge as a droidekas came barrelling towards her in a its mobile form and luckily for her she fell over, narrowly missing being hit by a proton missile. Alana frowned: the droids were improvising, adapting so she would need to change her tactics too. They were obviously used to her dual bladed Jar'Kai coupled with Niman fighting style as well as her preference to dodging rather than meeting them head on, so she would need to switch up her fighting style and drastically. But how? The droids evidently thought it was bad form to plan while in the middle of a battle as a moment later Alana found herself under fire from two droidekas and running away from a pair of super battle droids who seemed bent on blasting her into cosmic dust with their proton missiles. Well, on the bright side if she survived their barrage Alana would be an amazing dancer! She could even make the "run away from these kriffing battle droids and stupid droidekas while trying to look cool" dance popular! As she was leaping onto a nearby power generator, Alana randomly yelled:  
-Hey, you guys want to be my backup dancers by any chance?! That spots open. I think we'd make a great team!  
The droidekas shot a pair of highly explosive frag missiles at Alana. She jumped down and cartwheeled out of the way. Well, that was one way to say no, but they didn't have to deny it so vehemently. Before Alana could stop herself she blurted out:  
-A simple no would have sufficed!  
The answer was a rain of blasterfire that she had to deflect. As she watched her lightsabers weave in her hands to reflect the blaster bolts flying at her Alana suddenly got an idea. It was risky, highly unpredictable and almost a sure fire way of killing herself... Basically it was just her kind of idea. Alana ducked behind the remains of one of the turrets and shut off her lightsabers:  
-Change of plans, boys, we're playing hide-and-seek!  
The droids swerved around looking for her, but didn't see her. When they finally turned away from the direction she'd been hiding in Alana breathed a sigh of relief. Now, they'd be busy scanning the platform for her and it'd take their little programmed brains a while to remember they could use heat sensors, they weren't TK after all. Clipping her lightsabers onto her belt temporarily Alana set about executing her plan. She crawled over to the fallen battle droid and carefully extracted it's power core and set about reseting it. If she could find a way to overload the power core she'd have a nice neat grenade, not too powerful but it'd do for a diversion, however if she did something wrong during the process she'd blow herself up. And this wasn't even the final stage of her plan! Alana frowned when she realised how tricky this was - she knew how to do it, but she didn't have the necessary tools with her to do it. Taking a deep breath, Alana concentrated and reached out with the Force. Slowly, carefully, using it, Alana rewired the whole thing and when it finally floated down into her lap she gave a sigh of relief, she felt drained, but she could still keep going. Still she hadn't blown herself up yet? That was a plus. Time for stage 2.  
    Alana stood up from her cover and yelled:  
-Time's up, guys! I win by default.  
The droids all rounded on her, Alana grinned - perfect, just what she wanted. She ran to the centre of the platform they were all standing on and soon enough found herself surrounded by the droids. When they were close enough Alana threw down the overcharged droid core, causing it to explode. The blast turned out to be stronger than she'd expected, so strong that had Alana not moved away from it she'd been torn to pieces along with one of the super battle droids. Smoke filled the platform, creating the perfect temporary cover for Alana. Hoping that her intuition had been correct and that she had guessed the use of Rrask's gift accurately, Alana pulled out what a certain Trandoshan had given her. She unfolded it and tentatively edged the end of both of her lightsabers into it. There was a hiss and click as a magnetic lock engaged. Alana's eyes widened slightly as she finally understood what this was for. She had next to no experience with double-bladed lightsabers as far as she knew, but if this managed to save her life Alana would defined make sure to study up on how to use them. She would master what Rrask had wished for her to master, he said she had the necessary qualifications and that this had been passed down his family - she would make this work. Alana flipped the now double-bladed lightsaber and pressed a button on the centre causing the two ends to ignite. She did have to admit that while the two colours looked kind of clumsy like this, they didn't inspire any less awe than a single coloured one would have. Using the Force to clear the smoke around herself with one hand, Alana gripped her lightsaber tighter as she looked at the remaining for droids. It was on.  
     Letting the Force guide her, Alana raced towards the droids. She spun the lightsaber in her hands creating a protective circular shield of blazing plasma against the droideka's relentless assaults, before suddenly stabbing one of the super battle droids through the power core with one end of the blade. She dumped under a proton torpedo before make a quick pivot and plunging the other side into the last remaining B2 droid. She was left facing two droideka's who quickly activated their shields. Alana frowned, the destroyers were equipped with plasma rayshieds - probably the most advanced battle shielding tech yet. Even lightsabers couldn't pierce through it. If they had that here on Rodia this meant that Dooku was definitely up to something, this was way more than just a retaliation for a Senator breaking off a deal! Regardless, Alana had to take care of them somehow as well as warn Jayden and the others about this. EMP grenades were probably the only thing that could effectively take them out and they'd need lots of them. Alana ducked into cover behind a power generator as the droidekas pursued her. She winced as she looked at the numerous blaster burns on her hands when suddenly an idea came to mind. Blaster burns...burns...plasma...energy...light.... She could use Force lightning to wear down the shields before destroying the droidekas! This course of action would drastically deplete the amount of Force energy she had left in her reservoir, but there was no other way. Alana clipped her lightsaber onto her belt and hoisted herself up onto the generator. She took a deep breath and reached out into the Force, she hoped this would work:  
-Hey, bozos! Up here!  
Just as the droidekas began to turn towards her Alana unleashed a storm of force lightning from her fingertips. She however quickly realised that her attack wasn't powerful enough to take down the shield quickly enough. Alana frowned. Force lightning was an inherently dark side Force power so it was ruled by emotions and as per the Jedi Code Alana hadn't been employing those. She'd have to risk it. She remembered her grandfather's ghost telling her that the Dark Side's pull on her would be stronger than on others, because his blood ran through her veins. She also remembered his warning her that should she let the darkness take control it would drive her mad, but this time she'd have to risk it. Too many lives were at stake for her not to. She only hoped that she was strong enough to resist.  
   Alana reached out into the Force and finally turned the key that had been put into the lock of her dark side powers by her righteous rage at Nute Gunray. A burst of power like never before surged through her, the darkness began to coil around her just as the sensation of fire spread through her body. The darkness pulled on her mind, it twisted - begging to be let loose so it could cause chaos everywhere. Alana denied it that freedom and instead channeled it outwards - through her fingertips and at the droidekas. Once again she felt that strange enormous entity within her begin to awake and she had to use all she could to keep it at bay. Anger at Gunray was her fuel and it empowered the Lightning that burst forth from her fingertips towards the droidekas, it bypassed their shields and began to wreak havoc upon their systems. Moments later their shields flickered off and Alana was there with her lightsabers forming one single double-bladed weapon. In minutes the previously formidable enemies lay in pieces before her and Alana finally shut off her lightsaber, sighing in relief. She sank down onto her knees, utterly exhausted. It was finally done.   
    This had definitely been one of her toughest battles, but this had opened her eyes to the fact that she still had a lot to work on. Her lightsaber forms for instance. Alana glanced down at the makeshift double-bladed lightsaber in her lap. She was a practitioner of Form VI - Niman and a user of Jar'Kai, but it was clear to her now that despite what the Masters said that was not enough. One form, one weapon, one fighting style would never be enough, just like one side of the Force wouldn't suffice either. Alana ran her hand along the magnetic seal given to her by Rrask that held the lightsabers ends together, she could feel the remnants of a strong Force presence thrumming within it. She closed her eyes and behind her eyelids she momentarily saw a figure and heard a single whisper "Baresen'thor, Warden of the Jedi Order". Alana opened her eyes and smiled: she had suspected as much. This looked a bit too much like something made from the central piece of a lightsaber and indeed it was, from the double-bladed lightsaber the last Barsen'thor had carried. Rrask had said its been passed down his family line in search of a worthy wielder and it made sense now that she though about it. Rrask's ancestor was Qyuzen Fess, one of the people who'd been close to the Warden of the Jedi Order back in the Cold War. The way these things turned out had always fascinated Alana, she'd once heard the saying: "What you have done is your history, what you have set in motion is your legacy." It didn't really match to this situation, but the general meaning was the same. Every action, whether good or bad left behind a mark, a ripple in the ever-flowing current of the Force. Alana shook her head as she stood up:  
-I need to get moving. There's only 3 hours left.  
Alana pressed the button that undid the magnetic seal and pulled her two lightsabers apart. She slid them back into their carriers and after folding away the lock she slid it back into her belt pouch. She'd definitely need more practice with it if she wanted to refrain from slicing her own arm off. She imagined Anakin's response to that and shuddered: yep, she was definitely getting some training in soon though the question as to who could teach her remained unanswered.   
   Alana scanned the plateau for a security terminal that would unlock the entrance to the radio tower as well as enable her to reroute the shield generator's power to it as well. She found it hiding between the shield generator and the wall surrounding the whole plateau. Alana easily accessed it, but slicing into the security system was another matter. This was a heavily encrypted security system, one she didn't recognise - Alana frowned as the system kept rejecting her commands. Granted, she was no expert slicer, but Alana had thought herself able to manage that much. Unexpectedly Alana felt something warm at her right pocket and looked down to see the artefact from Duro glowing with a brilliant electric blue light. As soon as her fingertips brushed over it she heard it's voice - "Connect". One word was all it said. Alana hesitantly unclipped it and placed it on the terminal. Instantly blue lines spread from it and the whole terminal flashed yellow, blinding Alana momentarily, before she opened her eyes to see a that the artefact was back to its normal white-blue shade and that the system was now fully unlocked. Amazed, Alana picked the artefact back up to feel a sense of smug satisfaction emanating from it. Just what or who was this?! The artefacts presence faded and it cooled in Alana's hand, it had returned to it's normal state. Alana shook her head in wonder - this day kept getting weirder and weirder. Still she didn't hesitate, Alana quickly found the rayshield controls and shut the rayshield preventing her from entering off. Next she quickly searched the system for the power controls and upon finding them hesitated. There was a certain possibility she hadn't considered: the generator could blow up and the blast could destroy half the city. Alana bit her lip out of habit. On one hand she had the slight chance of her actions eradicating the city, while on the other hand if she did nothing all those people in the plaza would definitely die. She looked down at her chrono to see that the timer read 2:55. There was a little under 3 hours remaining. Alana sighed and moved her hand to confirm the reroute command:  
-Here's hoping that some of Jayden's insane luck rubbed off on me.  
Alana's hand hovered over the button uncertainly for a mere moment before she slammed it down. The effect of such an action was instantaneous: the ground beneath Alana's feet began vibrating furiously with the energy that was being recourse to the radio tower. It only lasted for a minute and the moment it stopped, Alana quickly erased all traces of her accessing the network. She spun on her heel and headed straight for the now open entrance to the radio tower. Just before entering the tower Alana got out her lightsabers as a precaution, she was more or less certain that the top level of the tower would have at least minimum security. This was Dooku she was up against and he would never ever make such an oversight as to leave the central communications centre in Iskaayuma unguarded, Gunray was just a puppet - that much was painfully obvious now.  
   Alana was proven right the moment she reached the top step of the staircase that had led up from the bottom. She had encountered only a few probes on her way, which were all lying in pieces at the foot of the staircase, harmless. The communications control room was occupied by three grown Rodians and three B1 battle droids who had their rifles pressed up against the Rodian's backs. Alana frowned and whispered:  
-Gunray... He's using them to block our outgoing communications manually. That means the long-range jammer was destroyed in Commander Arc's and Captain Twos's last strikes against Iskaayuma. Well, he's made quite an oversight. Looks like Dooku's plan was messed up by one of his bumbling minions. Typical.  
Hoping that this worked, Alana shouted in Huttese:  
-Yoieu joniu! [T: Get Down!]  
Thankfully, the Rodians obeyed her without question and dropped down to the floor because the next second all the droids ended up decapitated by a green arc made purely of plasma that was Alana's lightsaber which she had thrown towards them. As it returned back to her Alana deftly caught it in one hand and deactivated it before slipping it back into its carrier. She stepped into the circular room and bent down offering a hand to one of the cowering Rodians:  
-It's alright now, there's no more droids.  
The Rodian man who took her hand and allowed Alana to pull him up. His dark eyes scanned her before he asked, a tremor noticeable in his voice:  
-Wh-who are you?  
Alana showed all three Rodian's a kind smile:  
-I'm a Jedi with the Republic. My name's Alana Sheelan. I have no quarrel with you - you should all go home, the droids outside are gone.  
One of the other Rodian's spoke up:  
-We can really go home?  
Alana nodded readily:  
-Of course. A bit of advice, if I may? Stay at home or better yet evacuate. This city will soon turn into a battlefield. We're driving the Seps out. For good.  
All three of the Rodians nodded and rushed to go down the stairs, finally free. Alana shook her head, but walked over to the primary console. As she had hoped the power of the broadcaster was now at maximum capacity and if she could just remember the shutdown codes. Alana blinked and then facepalmed. She was such an idiot! Of course, the codes would be different for each planet - so what was she going to do? An idea sparked in Alana's mind, but would it work twice? She had no other choice than to pray that it would. Alana unclipped the artefact from her jacket pocket and placed it on the console. It felt warm. Once again there was a flash of light and electric blue lines spread from it and covered the entire console. Soon enough Alana was completely into the system and had located the shutdown codes that could only be the Viceroy's. Alana glanced at the artefact muttered with a bright grin on her face:  
-I have no idea what you are, but I love you!  
She felt a pulse of amusement from the artefact and simply sighed tiredly as she clipped it back to her pocket. Seriously, if the Sith that was hunting her popped out of the ground right now and started ballroom dancing with a balloon Alana wouldn't even bat an eyelash. Shaking her head to make herself focus Alana sent the code to the broadcaster and set it so it would only be broadcast to the Sep's droids, however that limited it to the west entrance. Alana shrugged: beggars couldn't be choosers - if it was just the west entrance then the west entrance would have to do. The young Jedi also pulled up the security camera feeds from nearby the west entrance - she needed to be sure that her plan had worked. Alana took a deep breath as she typed in the "shutdown" command:  
-Let's hope this works...  
She tapped the button and instantly jumped back. The light's on the monitors flashed and finally Alana felt something like a wave of pure energy pass through her before all stilled. She cautiously approached the console as it flickered back to life and not daring to hope, slowly lifted her eyes to the monitor. She couldn't suppress the bright smile that erupted across her face at the sight of all the droids shut down and even the tanks out of commission. She bounced in her toes, trying to keep what little dignity she had left and not jump up and down in childish glee. She'd done it! Her first major military assignment and she'd completed it! Of course, a quarter of it was most certainly just dumb luck and sure there'd been hiccups along the way, but she'd done it! She hadn't failed them!   
   Still wearing that bright grin on her face, Alana switched on her comlink:  
-The west entrance is clear! I repeat: the west entrance is clear! Your move, Shadow.  
She was happy to hear his voice again, as always self-confident and slightly teasing:  
-Took you long enough, princess. Thought I was going to die of boredom.  
-Oh, you won't die of boredom here, I can guarantee that. Dooku was so nice to send us his special new and improved toys to play with. Do pass that on.  
She hard a snort of amusement come from her partner:  
-Will do, your highness. Hope you saved some toys for us.  
Alana sighed tiredly as she slowly plopped down on the floor and absentmindedly rubbed her blasterburns:  
-There's enough for everyone so don't fight over who gets who.  
-Me? Never. The trash can? No promises.  
Alana gave a short laugh as she heard TK gave an indignant protest over the comlink:  
-Boys, hurry up. Time's ticking.  
-Roger that, princess. See you in a bit.  
The call cut off and Alana slowly moved back to sit up against the wall. She had finally gotten settled comfortably when the holoterminal beeped and an image of Nute Gunray popped up. The small holographic figure demanded:  
-Commander, I want a status update now! Commander?!  
Alana gave a soft groan of annoyance, but still stood up. This opportunity was just too good to pass up. She moved to stand in place of the droid Commander and smiled pleasantly at the leader of the Trade Federation:  
-Hello, viceroy.  
-You? Wh-who are you?!  
Alana folded her arms behind her back and regarded the Nemodian calmly:  
-I am Alana Sheelan, part of the Jedi Order and servant of the Force.   
-A Jedi!,-Nute's voice trembled,- How'd you get in?!  
Alana's confident smile didn't waver for single second as she replied:  
-Oh, you know - the non-conventional way. Since Dooku seems to have covered most of the other ways of entry.   
-It is impossible!  
Alana shook her head, a steely look in her eyes:  
-That's where you're wrong, viceroy. Nothing is truly impossible. And you forgot to account for one important thing when building up the barricade: there are those who can think outside the suffocating constraints of normalcy. I am one of them.  
-You are foolish and naive, Jedi brat. You shall not escape that tower.  
-Wrong again, Gunray. Your droids around me are useless pieces of scrap metal now. Face the facts: we are taking back Iskaayuma and there's nothing you can do about it. Good luck, Viceroy. Good luck...  
Alana cut the transmission and nodded to herself. He wanted war? Then war he was going to get. Alana would not back down now.

==SW: LB==

Jayden spotted the tower first and then felt the presence of his partner within it. It had been a rather eventful, but fun flight with TK and him having to dodge the anti-aircraft cannons and artillery turrets. They had opted for using their jetpack and rocket boosters respectively as the distance between the camp and Iskaayuma was quite large, but apparently the droids had really poor eyesight and decided to shoot them out of the sky, though for all Jayden knew they might have been hunting for some bird and they'd just gotten in the way. In any case the had to shut those anti-aircraft cannons and those turrets down and the sooner the better, by Jayden's estimates they only had something like two and a half hours left now. Jayden and TK slowed down as they approached the tower, hovering in the air they both scanned for an entrance. Okay, so Jayden's choice was either to land on the landing pad for a shuttle and walk in through a door like a civilised person or to do stuff the more fun way and break in through the window. He quickly chose the latter.  
   Alana didn't even look up from the console when she heard the sound of glass breaking and someone landing on the floor. Sighing, she commented:  
-Hello, to you too, boys. You are aware that there's a perfectly functional door there, right?  
-Meh. It's more fun this way.  
-Beep.  
-See? Even the tin can agrees with me!  
Alana merely shook her head in exasperation before finally turning to look at her two ultra destructive teammates. Seeing the shadow of seriousness that her face held, Jayden dropped all the joking:  
-What's the status?  
Alana folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the wall:  
-I've taken out all the droids at the west entrance and obviously the shield generator since you flew in here just fine. However, we still have an army and a half against us here. The highest concentrations are at the Grand Protector's Guild Hall and the central plaza. My guess is that Gunray is hiding out in the first building. However, he isn't our concern.   
-Right. How'd you take out all the droids at the entrance by the way? They seemed intact but powered down.  
Alana shrugged:  
-A lot of luck.   
-I thought you Jedi didn't believe in luck?  
-Trust me, if they saw what I did today they'd become true believers in seconds. This stuff is crazy even by my standards.  
-I'm guessing you'll fill me in when we're out of this mess?  
-If you want me to. Anyway, time hasn't stopped - what's next on the agenda?  
TK rolled over to stand beside the Jedi and whistled a suggestion. Alana and he could take out the anti-aircraft turrets as per the plan and the idiot captain would provide a distraction once they signalled him so the Jedi and the Troopers could make their way in. Jayden nodded:  
-Not a bad plan. Will you two be ok by yourselves? It's not that I'm doubting your skills - you just can be a bit reckless.  
Alana raised an eyebrow:  
-This is coming from the man who just came barrelling in through the window? I think we'll be fine, hunter.   
Jayden held his hands up in a gesture of surrender:  
-Hey, I'm just checking. Be careful, princess.  
Alana nodded, smiling wryly at the use of the annoying nickname:  
-You too, Cap'n. Remember, I won't be there to save your butt if you're in too deep.  
-Deal, your highness. Enjoy the show!  
Was all he said before taking off through the broken window. Alana shook her head:  
-I swear...that guy...  
-Bee-reet-droo?  
-Yeah, I know what you mean. In any case, we should get moving too. You may want to plug into the system and download all you can.  
-Beep.  
The silver astromech rolled over to the console and connected to the main network. About half a minute later he cheerfully chirped he was done. Alana exhaled and stood up straighter, making her way towards the staircase:  
-You sure you've got everything you'll need?  
-Bee-reet-beep-whop.  
-Good point. Let's go and take out some anti-aircraft guns as well as kick some Separatist butt.  
-Dee-dwoo.  
Alana rolled her eyes as she ran down the stairs and shot back:  
-I know that doesn't sound inspiring, but just roll with it.

==SW: LB==

Captain Twos couldn't help doubting the plan more and more as time slowly ticked towards the deadline. He knew that the first step of the plan had apparently succeeded since the Mandolorian and the odd astromech had disappeared, but the odds were so incredibly high against them that he just could silence that traitorous whisper of doubt. When he heard the General speak up from behind him he once again wondered if Jedi could read minds:  
-Do you not trust our younger allies to do their part, Captain?  
Twos sighed as he turned towards General Mundi:  
-It's not that I doubt their determination or capabilities, but they're...General, aren't they too young for this? Commander Sheelan is only 16 for example and her Mandolorian friend doesn't seem to be much older. They're still children - not soldiers.  
Ki-Adi Mundi nodded, his countenance somber:  
-Yes, they aren't soldiers. It's true that they're young and ideally they should not be involved in this ghastly war, but we've got to face reality - these young people lost their childhood and carefree youth to the war. In an a peaceful galaxy perhaps they would have been happier, but you've got to admire their courage and their ability to make the best of things. You've know they're not children anymore, captain. Children don't exist on battlefields. For better or for worse - those two will never ever be children again.  
The clone captain's expression was unreadable:  
-You're right, sir. I suppose this has been bothering me since this plan kicked off - I just can't get the Commander's cheerful approach to this whole invasion plan of ours out of my mind. It was... strange, like she was trying to find the fun and the light in everything we did.  
The Jedi Master sighed:  
-We all have our ways of dealing with things and this is Padawan Sheelan's. She faces towards the light and that is admirable, her devotion to it seems unwavering now, but I fear her companions could lead her down a different path. I foresee that she could become a great Jedi one day, but there is a great darkness within her.  
The clone captain looked slightly confused:  
-What do you mean, General?  
-We Jedi are servants of the light side of the Force, while there used to be people called Sith who used the dark side of the Force. The Dark Side is a terrible thing Commander, it is anathema to everything the Jedi stand for. The Dark Sode calls out to those with darkness within them, it pulls at them and finally it corrupts them, after that they lose all reason and sense.  
-And you're saying Commander Sheehan has this darkness within her?  
-She does, but  as long as she follows the Jedi teachings and the Jedi Code she will be fine. You have noticed her loyalty, have you not?  
Captain Twos nodded:  
-She's very devoted to the people in her care and to the Republic. I trust her with my life. She is a little reckless though...  
The Jedi Master smiled:  
-That she is, but as I have learned these things take time to pass. If she doesn't falter from the light, I believe she will be a great Jedi one day.  
-And if she falls?  
-Then great trouble will befall all those who knew her... But, let's keep some optimism, Captain.  
Suddenly the Jedi Master's com started beeping and he clicked it on:  
-Master Ki-Adi Mundi here.  
Alana's slightly out of breath, but otherwise normal voice sounded:  
-Master, TK and I have taken out both the anti-aircraft guns and the artillery turrets. You're in the clear to make your assault.  
-Good work, Padawan. Are you hurt?  
-I took a few shots, but I'll live. Fair warning: the droids are more vicious than usual. Master, please hurry - there's a little under two hours left!  
-We will endeavour to be there as soon possible, Padawan. May the Force be with you.  
-And with you, Master.  
The Jedi Master looked at the clone captain:  
-It seems we have our signal.  
-Yes, sir,-the captain turned towards his troops and shouted,- On your feet, men! We've got a city to retake!

==SW: LB==

Shadow crouched on top of a roof of one of the buildings surrounding the plaza. The scene below him made even his usual ice cold blood boil. Shadow didn't care a bit about these people - he didn't even know them, but the way they were being treated reminded him of some memories he would much rather forget. It was bad enough he had to live with the curse of a perfect memory, but now these bastards were re-enacting a scenario that was similar to what he had gone through. Though, Shadow mused darkly, this time I'm the one above looking down. He hated what he saw, but he didn't dare look away for fear of missing an opportunity.  
   The inhabitants of the city were surrounded by the Seps droids. The Seps evidently didn't discriminate when it came when it came to hostages - there were women, children, even the elderly there. They were a crowd. Shadow could feel their suffocating fear, their desperation and despair. He could hear the wailing, coming from the children and the groans of pain coming from the sick and feebly elderly as they were pressed into line by the droids. He even noticed a few corpses off to the side and then it finally set in: the Seps had never meant to keep their promise or at least not in the sense that most people would understand. He felt sick, disgusted. Shadow's memories overlapped with the scene in front of him and he felt like throwing up. The wails of the children, the whimpers of the elderly the quiet whispering of the adults - it all melded into one horrific sound for him and even his stoic heart was shaken. He felt like the ties from his past were slowly winding around him, coiling around his neck like a serpent might and he started suffocating- he couldn't live through this again. He felt like he was losing his mind when he heard a voice come from his comlink. It was different and for a moment he couldn't recall to whom it belonged, no one had ever been gentle or kind to Shadow... The same voice now frightened and urgent sounded in his head, it shouted one word. A name:  
-JAYDEN!  
That one word was enough to make him snap back to the present. Alana's relief was evident in her voice that came over the comlink:  
-Jayden! Thank the Force, you're back to normal! I nearly lost you for a moment there! Listen, you've got to hurry and create your distraction - times ticking!  
Jayden stood up and pulled out one of his blasters as he scanned the area:  
-Oh, its ticking alright. Don't worry, I have a plan. You just hurry on up here. I'm not sure how much longer these people can hold out.  
Alana exhaled:  
-Right. I'm coming.  
Jayden heard the transmission cut off. He pulled out his second blaster and a dark grin resided on his lips as he whispered:  
-You bastards think you can get away with something like this? Think again. Let's see if we can create a little noise, why don't we?  
With those words Jayden jumped off the rooftop and just as he was in the air he activated his jetpack. He switched the settings on his blaster to flare and fired them both into the Seperatist's crest that hung from one of the other buildings. At first there was an explosion that drew the heads of everyone before it burst on fire. As the flames ate away at the crest Jayden shouted:  
-Hey, Gunray and his droids! Listen up: WE ARE TAKING BACK THIS CITY AND YOU CAN DO NOTHING ABOUT IT!  
The response was a volley of proton missiles fired at him. Jayden steadily dodged them. Perfect. He had their attention and now all he had to do was draw them away from here. He grinned: oh, this would be fun.


	41. Chapter 40 - Chasing Smoke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'm back and with thankfully a much better chapter than the last one - I actually really like this one. It's a mix that doesn't just follow Alana and her friends, but also throws in some other characters you may or may not like (I know my sisters will like this *sighs heavily and laments over why her younger sisters have minor crushes on her fictional bad guy*). Anyway, this is so much better than the last one, but it is also a bit longer. Like 13000+ words - yeah, this is my biggest one yet folks. Sorry....  
> Notes:  
> 1) The language a certain Sith uses is called the high ancient Sith language and yes I'm not translating it for a reason. If you're curious you could try and translate it yourself or wait and see.  
> 2) Backstories and hints at Jayden's past too. Like a lot of hints...  
> 3) Remember that this isn't a fairy tale and not everyone has a happy ending.  
> 4) Please pardon any typos or autocorrects since I'm way too swamped with schoolwork to thoroughly double-check all of this. And, yes, I did proofread.  
> 5) There will be a Life Day special chapter (hopefully) on either Christmas or Christmas Eve. Look forward to some silly Christmas fun with the LB cast and some canon characters.  
> 6) Drop me a line if you feel like it.  
> 7) As always - Enjoy!
> 
> P.S For those who are readings this on fanfiction dot net this will be split up into two parts due to the website having a 10000 word cap for one part, but it's still the same chapter. That's about it!  
> ======SW: LB===========

Chapter 40 - Chasing Smoke

Alana's lightsabers blazed as she cut through droid after droid that stood in her way, TK was right behind her, providing cover fire. The Seperatist's were sure not making this easy especially now that the full assault had begun. Alana and TK had run into a little trouble while deactivating the anti-aircraft guns, but it was nothing a little Force lightning and a pair of blasters couldn't rectify. Slicing another pair of droids in half, Alana used the Force to shove the remaining 5 into each other before frying them with Force lightning. She was seriously fed up and while that wasn't anger it worked as fuel for the Dark Side powers all the same. Still, Alana was careful to keep a lid on her temper and her powers from getting too out of control - becoming a psycho was the last thing she wanted right about now. Just as the droids fell over, TK piped up from behind her that smoke was rising from an area that seemed to be the main plaza. Alana looked up to see that he was indeed correct:  
-Just what in the blazes is Jayden doing?!  
-Bee-deet-ree?  
-Yeah, it's most likely something utterly stupid and reckless. And he tells me to be careful. Seriously, am I that reckless? Actually, don't answer that. Let's just hurry up and meet up with Master Mundi.  
-Beep.  
Alana paused for a moment to sense out the Jedi Master's presence. She could feel thousands of presences that exuded such strong emotions so it was a little difficult to find Master Mundi like this on the go. Alana opened her eyes when she felt him a little off to their right, on one of the main streets. The young Jedi turned to her astromech companion:  
-Come on, I've found him.  
She was about to turn the corner when TK trilled an alarmed warning. Bewildered, the young Jedi turned around:  
-What is it?  
TK hesitated for a moment before explaining that that route was occupied by a trio of droidekas and that someone seemed to be anticipating their moves. Alana frowned, this was not good news. Suddenly she felt a shiver run up her spine, it felt as though she was being watched. Alana turned around in the direction of where the feeling was coming from, but she couldn't see anyone:  
-Strange...  
-Dee-whop?  
-I just had the feeling that someone was watching me...  
-Whee-deet.  
-It could be, but I don't think so... TK, LOOK OUT!  
From behind the corner Alana spotted another squad of B2 battle droids appear. Without hesitating she threw one of her lightsabers at them before Force leaping towards them herself and slicing them in half. TK unexpectedly rolled up to the droid and plugged into his memory core from behind, before projecting a holo recording.   
   The holo showed a dathomirian woman and the same squad of droids. The woman was speaking:  
-I want the little Jedi brat alive and in one piece. Do you understand?  
-Roger-Roger.  
-Good.  
It took a moment for Alana to register that the woman who was speaking was none other than Asajj Ventress. What Ki-Adi Mundi has said was true then! Alana couldn't believe she'd forgotten about someone like her! She had to tell the Master immediately, but she'd have to be careful. If Ventress was anything like Grievous Alana might not be able to get out of a confrontation with her alive, she was nowhere near strong enough to beat them. She knew very well that life wasn't a collection dumb stories where the good guys always won and the bad guys were defeated, but it was all too easy to forget that when you were acting the hero. Alana shook her head as she stood up: she wasn't a hero and she would never be. Anakin's had been forcefully crowned with the title of "The Hero with No Fear" and he hated every minute of it, perhaps it was just a selfish notion but Alana never wanted to be one. She was perfectly content with the way things were - she was just a simple Jedi Padawan that struggled every day to do what she could to help the galaxy, she wasn't someone that people knew and that was just fine with her. She didn't want any more people scrutinising her every move and whispering behind her back - Force knew, the Jedi did enough of that. It always seemed that no matter what she did they would never trust her, but one day Alana knew she would prove herself to them. Alana was jerked out of her thoughts by TK's gentle nudge:  
-Dee-dwoo?  
-Yeah, let's go. We have to tell Master Mundi about this recording. Did you save it?  
-Beep.  
-Great job. Let's go. Is there any other route to reach Master Mundi and avoid the droidekas?  
TK was silent for a moment before whistling that while he had an idea he was fairly sure she wouldn't like it. Alana spread her hands:  
-Hey, I'm fresh out of ideas and I'm running out of energy fast so I'm keeping an open mind right about now.  
TK hesitated for a moment before unexpectedly igniting his rocket boosters and hovering above Alana. The next second something like a handrail with a harness extended from TK's back. He suggested that she should grab on and hold on tight. Alana merely sighed and shook her head as she walked around to the back of the hovering droid and began to strap on the harness under her arms:  
-Do I want to know why you have this?  
-Beep-frotz.  
-Thought so.   
Alana clicked the final fastening across her chest and grabbed onto the handrails. Under her breath, she muttered:  
-I can't believe I'm doing this,-louder she added-, Let's go.  
The droid chirped an affirmative before taking off higher with Alana hanging on behind him. They rose above the rooftops and TK streaked on towards where the signal of the Jedi Master was coming from. Alana told herself to not look down and just hang on tight. The warm air on Rodia whistled in her ears and her hair was moved around violently by the wind, for what seemed like the millionth time Alana wanted to tie it up into at least a low ponytail - long hair and warm atmosphere did not mix well to say the least. TK warning string of beeps caused Alana to open her eyes:  
-Hm? What's wrong?  
-Bree-roo. Beep-blip-dwoo?  
-I'm fine, just not sure how safe this is.  
-Beep-ree-deet-woo.  
-Fair point. I doubt anything we ever do is safe. Just not accustomed to flying like this I guess or flying without a ship or some craft in general. Humans don't have wings for a reason you know.  
-Bee-frotz-blip-grrooo!  
-I agree, it's kinda a waste, but there are people who are afraid of heights you know.  
-Reet?  
-No, I'm not one of them. And anyway...Wait, are you distracting me?  
TK gave what sounded like a sheepish affirmative whistle. Alana laughed:  
-Thanks,bud. That was oddly considerate of you.  
-Beep-dwoo-reet-bzzt!  
-I know, I know. You're a big tough assassin astromech droid and I'm just a puny little Jedi. In any case, thanks.   
TK grumbled something about stupid organics and Alana could swear the little droid sounded a bit flustered. Feeling a strange pang in the Force akin to the one that often alerted her of danger, Alana looked down to see a blue lightsaber glowing amidst a myriad of red and cyan blaster bolts. Ki-Adi Mundi and his assault team were right below them! Alana was about to point that out to her companion when he suddenly stopped and started slowly descending, TK had noticed it too. When they were about four meters off the ground, Alana wordlessly unfastened the buckle of the harness and dropped down into the fray, igniting her lightsabers while in free fall. She a bit clumsily landed right onto a battle droid's shoulders and without hesitating even for a moment backflipped off the droid simultaneously slicing it in half and landed on the ground, sending a telekinetic Force pulse around herself that was so strong that it tore the battle droids apart as well nearly knocked the clones and the Jedi Master over. Deactivating her lightsabers, Alana clipped them to her belt instead of storing them away in their carriers - she had a feeling that she'd need it sooner rather than later.   
   Alana approached the Cerean Jedi Master and gave a small bow of her head:  
-Sorry, I'm late, Master. Ran into a small complication along the way, but I have news.  
-Oh? Let's talk and walk, Padawan.  
-Yes, Master. You warned me about Asajj Ventress's involvement when we first met up and now I see that you were right to be concerned. She's here and she seems to be on her own mission - something to do with a small Jedi...  
Alana's eyes suddenly widened with shock and she stopped dead in the middle of the street littered with droid body parts. If Ventress hadn't meant her and since the droids had tried to kill her countless times she hadn't, that meant... Alana felt her breath catch in her throat. Her mind instantly raced back to the small Rodian girl she'd met and it all finally clicked. Ventress was after the youngling! Alana wasn't sure why and she didn't think she wanted to know. Her mind was a mess of emotion and fragments of long lost order and control, but one thing was clear to the young Jedi: she had to save them!   
    Alana had once told Jayden that she felt responsible for the children entrusted to her and that had not changed since Bburru station. She couldn't abandon this child! Especially not to Ventress! But there were also the hostages in the plaza to think about. What should she do?! In a rare moment of total loss of control Alana's strong internal conflict was reflected in both the Force and on her face, making it clear to both the clone troopers and the Jedi Master that something was very very wrong with the girl. The Jedi Master placed a hand on the padawan's shoulder to get her to focus at least a bit:  
-Padawan, calm yourself. Remember - "There is no emotion, there is peace.".  
Alana couldn't focus on the Master's words, her mind was racing, desperately trying to find a way to save everyone. She didn't know what to do and time was ticking. She could feel the fear and the desperation of the hostages in the Force and she wanted to help save them, but every time she came close to the decision of focusing on them Kii's little, innocent face kept popping up in her mind and her determination shattered. Alana was truly lost. Unexpectedly a voice that Alana had only heard once before snapped in her mind:  
-Oh for Force's sake, will you focus!  
Alana inhaled sharply as she heard the voice again. It sounded like her own, but it wasn't at the same time - it was the same one she'd heard on Bestine IV when she had been fighting Rrask. The voice apparently wasn't done speaking:  
-Get your head in the game, woman! If you want to save anyone then focus! You're impairing everyone else's chances of success with your little freak out.  
Under her breath Alana whispered:  
-R-right...  
-Thank the stars, you're finally listening. You have to chose - either you save the girl or the hostages. You cannot do both in this situation, no matter how much we may want to. Both have a chance of survival however which ones is higher is up to you to determine. Use your brain, it's a good one you're just letting your panic cloud your judgement. Despite the foolishness they may rant on about the Jedi were right to a degree originally, but the true meaning of those words got lost over time. Now focus!  
Alana gave a barely perceptible nod of her head, calming down. She slowly reined in all the control she had lost and his her true emotions from both the Force and her face. She looked up at Master Mundi calmly and seriously, her voice was measured and calm as she spoke:  
-Master, we have a problem. I have figured out what Asajj Ventress is after. I don't know her motives, but this presents a large problem nonetheless.  
-Captain Twos, go on ahead.  
The clone captain saluted the Jedi:  
-Yes, General. Come on, boys, let's move!  
The clones jogged off towards the plaza leaving the Cerean Jedi Master and the padawan alone in the empty street. The Jedi Master's naturally yellow eyes locked onto the girl's midnight blue ones:  
-What is it, padawan?  
Alana took a deep breath before elaborating:  
-Master, do you remember the mission the Council assigned me? Well, I've located the youngling here on Rodia. She's a small child, perhaps a bit older than most, but still a toddler. Ventress is after her, I don't know why and frankly I doubt we have time to speculate why, but I have to save her. I made her a promise and I never ever break promises. I can't let Ventress get her hands on--  
-Go, padawan.   
Alana's eyes widened as she looked up at the Master Mundi in shock:  
-Do you mean it, Master?!  
-Yes, padawan. Children are precious, pure beings- I know that better than you may expect. Save that youngling, we will handle the rest here - you have done your duty now let us handle ours.  
Alana nodded and finally the Jedi Master smiled. Oh, he knew what she was talking about alright though he knew he shouldn't. It was against the Jedi code, but he had often struggled with not making attachments to his family. Ki-Adi Mundi was one of the few Jedi who had been granted permission to marry by the Jedi Council due to the low male birth rate of his species and he had wives and children now. He had to remain detached from them, but the heart and the mind rarely agreed on such matters. No matter how much he tried to not form any attachment to his family there was always going to be a link, a bond between them, like the one between him and Shea as well as his daughter Sylvn. Still, he would always put his duty to the Order first.  
  Alana switched on her com and contacted a certain Mandolorian bounty hunter:  
-Hey, hunter, where are you?  
At first all Alana heard was the sound of blaster fire before Jayden's somewhat annoyed and breathless voice came over the comlink:  
-Oh, just taking care of a certain fan club I seemed to have attracted with my little stunt in the plaza. Security should be much thinner there so you're in the clear.   
Alana shot Master Mundi a look to which her responded with a nod and moved to join the clones in the plaza, she ,however, remained where she'd been:  
-Jayden, we've had a change of plans.  
-What? Why?  
-A new problem has arisen. Asajj Ventress is after the youngling we came here for.  
There was a sound of an explosion and then the soft whisper of Jayden cursing in Mando'a before he spoke tersely:  
-Well, that changes things. You know where the kid is?  
Alana nodded despite knowing that her partner couldn't see her:  
-Yes, I met her earlier. TK and I will head over there right now, I'll send you the coordinates so meet us there when your fifteen minutes of fame are over. I will never understand why sometimes you can be so inconspicuous and other times you attract so much attention.  
-What can I say? I'm just too attractive.  
Alana groaned and rolled her eyes:  
-Yeah, keep telling yourself that, hunter. Whatever helps you sleep at night. All kidding aside, hurry up, ok?   
-I hear you. Be there as soon as I find a way to dump this lot into a nonexistent lava pit.  
Alana snorted:  
-Have fun with that, Cap'n. May the Force be with you.  
-Good luck, princess.  
The transmission cut off and Alana turned to TK to find his projector active and him rewatching the recording on mute over and over. She crouched down before the droid and looked at the holorecording too, before quietly asking:  
-Why are you rewatching this?  
-Beep-reewoo.  
-You're analysing it? Why?  
TK chirped that while Alana was a Jedi, Asajj Ventress had proved very difficult for even a Jedi Master like Luminara Unduli to kill so he was trying to find any weaknesses they could exploit. Alana hummed her agreement:  
-You're right. She also gave Anakin's that scar across his eye. But how do you plan DO to that?  
TK let out a string of whistles and beeps, explaining that while they were subtle the body language of any organic being often gave off clues that helped those who knew how to expose glaring weaknesses that every organic possessed. Alana sighed and closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again and standing up:  
-I see. I hope you can find them, but meanwhile we have to get a move on.  
-Beep.  
TK activated his booster's and rose in the air causing Alana to shake her head:  
-We're flying again, aren't we?  
-Beep.  
-Well, I suppose beggars can't be choosers, but I swear after this we need to get you to take a flying test. I fear for the safety of your future passengers.

==SW: LB==

Jayden huffed as he dodged another volley of blaster bolts before taking out two battle droids with a single shot from each of his blasters. This was getting ridiculous. He needed to find a way to get rid of his little army of followers and get to Alana's location before she, Force forbid, got into a conflict with Ventress without any backup or him knowing - he remembered how close they'd come to losing her after her fight with Grievous. He'd never told Alana this, but her heart had nearly stopped twice while she'd been floating the kolto tank, never mind the countless injuries she sustained. If this Ventress lady was anything like the droid General then there was no way this would end well. Speaking of not ending well.... Jayden had to do a backflip while airborne to avoid a proton missile that was aimed at him. He glanced down to see that the droidekas had finally caught up. Oh, lovely. Simply marvellous. He had to move!  
   Following his gut feeling, Jayden flew off towards the northern side of the city. There the streets narrowed in so that should slow the droid's progress. If anything they were persistent, Jayden would give them that. He landed in a rooftop overlooking a small square that was, thankfully, empty. He quickly pulled up the map of the city that he'd downloaded beforehand and frowned when he saw where the coordinates that Alana had transmitted: right next to the spot from where she'd infiltrated the city. That meant that Alana had met the kid a bit ago and knowing her was already fiercely protective of her. That was another observation he'd made about his female companion - she was fiercely protective over children, those that weren't even her own. She'd explained it as a sense of duty and a love towards them in general, but somewhere beneath that love something else was buried deep down, a longing - perhaps not directly related to children themselves, but it was there and it was strong. He had heard how protective mothers could be when it came to children and he knew all women possessed maternal instincts of some sort, but were those instincts what made Alana so protective of the kids they met and so good with them too? If this was what Alana was like when she had someone else's children under her care, Jayden could only imagine what Alana would have been like if she would end up as a mother. Maybe that's what she longed for - a family to call her own, something that would anchor her to this world. He knew that wish all too well, but he had long given up on it... He loved his grandmother and she loved him back, sure it was a different type of love, but Jayden was happy. He didn't dare ask or dream of more - Fate had never been kind to him and he did not ever wish to invoke its wrath again. Jayden shook his head to focus - now was really not the time to be spacing out. He was proven right the next moment when a blaster shot flew right past him, nearly hitting his helmet.   
   Jayden looked down into the square to see it now occupied by what looked like a mob of Rodians all bearing the same crest on their shoulder - a hollow blue circle with a turquoise arrow running through it and the inside of that circle was coloured in orange. Jayden instantly pulled out his blasters, a grimace on his face. Oh, for the love of of life, out of everyone he could have run into on this planet it just had to be the people who were hunting him across the galaxy. Just perfect. One of them shouted:  
-Come down here, Shadow!  
Jayden effortlessly sidestepped the accompanying blaster bolts and replied:  
-No thanks. The air quality is better up here.  
-Why you--  
-Yeah, I'm just going to cut you off right there, buddy. See, as much as I'd love to stand here and listen to you rant about how much of a blight onto the Galaxy I am before I paint those walls with your blood, I've got places to be. I'm a busy man so I'm going to give you 10 seconds to scram before this turns out to be a full out massacre. I've been wanting to try out a new move lately - I call it "Death from above" and unless you want to be its lucky test subjects I suggest you hurry.   
-NEVER!!  
Shadow's words only seemed to rile up the Rodian's more. Shadow sighed and muttered:  
-Death from above it is...  
Ducking under the storm of blasterbolts, Shadow pressed an icon on his wrist pad that unlocked his missile launcher. Unexpectedly he dived off the roof and while in free fall he launched a pair of heat seeking half-baradium missiles before activating his jet pack and rocketing into the sky. The explosion was enormous, so much so that Shadow's armour got scorched in the process. Once the smoke cleared Shadow observed with a cold detachment that only a few bloody corpses were left and a huge scorch mark - the rest was obliterated entirely. He had warned them, heck - he had even given them a chance to save themselves which was highly unusual for him. Shadow never showed any mercy to his enemies so this rare chance he had given them must have been a result of her influence. So she was having an effect no matter how weak on Shadow's mindset too... Hearing the sound of more of the gang members running out of the building, Shadow pulled out his blasters. However before either he or the Rodians could make a single shot a barrage of blaster bolts assaulted them both. Shadow flew up, out of their reach to see that the droids had caught up to him and we're now engaging the Rodians in a firefight. Shadow gave a satisfied nod and slipped back into Jayden Callen who didn't hesitate and headed for the coordinates Alana had given her. She better not be in over her head just yet...Oh, who was he kidding? Of course, she was. That's what the two of them had in common.

==SW: LB==

Loud music that had no particular taste or genre, countless languages, bright neon lights and swarms upon swarms of beings - the underworld of Coruscant hadn't changed nearly at all since Tenebris had last set foot here 3 years ago. Sure, there were new huttball matches recorder, new arena fights, but in essence the place always remained the same- that was one thing Tenebris knew from personal experience. He wasn't surprised at all, no matter the age, who was in power, war or peace - Coruscant's lower levels remained much unchanged. At first glance Coruscant was the glittering, golden capital of the Republic where the mighty and just (Tenebris snorted at the last word) Senate decided on what was best for the Galaxy and where the upholders of peace resided - the powerful and fair Jedi. It never changed, the propaganda. No one here paid any attention to it of course, but what even this blithely ignorant mass was unaware of was the fact that the Jedi had become blind and that the head of the Senate was a very corrupt Sith Lord.   
   Tenebris frowned, he knew he was taking a risk by coming here, but he couldn't trust his own people to do this, to install a certain piece of machinery. At least that's what he reasoned, but a very annoying and bold voice whispered that he didn't want to risk their lives. Tenebris promptly shut it up again. He was dressed in clothes that mercenary may don and had a blaster at his hip, he had also wisely concealed his lightsaber in the pocket of his jacket by taking it apart. Tenebris had learned to assemble his lightsaber in minutes from experience- it had helped him many times.    
   The Sith Lord paused, someone was following him. Someone that had a fairly dark presence and one that, Tenebris noted with distaste, was tainted by Sidious's. An acolyte, huh? That was foolish of the current Dark Lord. Tenebris was about to slip off into the shadows and kill the in the interloper when a thought occurred to him - the acolyte could have come of his or her own volition, out of sheer misguided curiosity not on orders. This was his opportunity to send Sidious a message, there was no need to be wasteful and dispose of a perfectly good messenger. Yes, that's what he would do. Tenebris subtly raised one hand and used the Force to temporarily mask himself from any wandering eyes, in essence he was invisible. He could sense the surprise in his young stalker and used that moment of confusion to strike.   
  Moments later he had his stalker pressed up against a wall and he was holding a lightsaber to her heart. It had turned out to be a fairly young woman with red hair and silver eyes, which Tenebris was sure were just a cover up for her corrupted yellow eyes. He was ,after all, pulling the same illusory trick. She winced when Tenebris broke through her considerable mental shields and dived into her mind searching for one thing in particular. He pulled out of her mind mere moments later now knowing her name and her relation to his enemy. Tenebris gave the girl a polite smile:  
-Kyrisiel of clan Skirata is it? I know that Darth Sidious is your Master and I have a message for him.  
The girl's silver eyes widened with shock and she whispered:  
-Who are you?  
-What? Your master didn't tell you? My, how forgetful of him. Let's just say I'm a certain person who wants to end your Master's existence and will probably turn the Galaxy upside down on it's head. I have a message I want you to deliver to Sidious.  
Kyrisiel narrowed her now yellow eyes and hissed:  
-What makes you think I will do that?  
Tenebris gave her an almost pitying smile:  
-I don't think, I know. You are afraid, very much afraid and you will find that you cannot channel that fear into power. Now, unless you want to die - which I can assure you I can arrange, you will deliver my message.  
Kyrisiel swallowed. She was cornered and exposed. She knew that this man was much more powerful than he seemed. She wouldn't say he was more powerful than her Master, but that was only because his power was of a different sort entirely. He didn't only have the Dark Side of the Force mastered to such a degree sure he was in control and it didn't destroy him from within, but there was something elusive about him, something that made Kyrisiel think twice about resisting. Very well, she would deliver his message, but she had a condition. She raised her head to meet the Sith's gaze:  
-Fine. I'll deliver the message, but I want to know one thing first.  
-You are rather bold to be asking for something when you have a lightsaber up against your heart.  
Kyrisiel shrugged:  
-Hey, for me it's always been it's all or nothing. I want to know if you're the Sith chasing the girl with dark blue eyes?  
Tenebris raised an eyebrow:  
-You know about that?  
-I've been tailing them since Duro.  
-And yet you dropped the chase?  
-My Master recalled me back to Coruscant. I was on my way to meet him. So are you that Sith or not?  
Tenebris gave a light, humourless laugh:  
-Persistent, aren't you? I could kill you right now.  
-You'd lose your messenger.  
-True, but I can always find another.  
-Then go ahead.  
Tenebris paused for a second before a dangerous smile ghosted across his lips:  
-You are brave and I admire that. You have power, but right now that power is your chains. Remember the Sith code: "The Force shall set me free." Break your chains and you may one day rival your Master.  
-You know he would never let that happen.  
-That's why I'm telling you this so you will know. And to answer your persistent question - yes, I am and that girl you mentioned is my target.  
-Why? She's just a Jedi Padawan of average power.  
Tenebris shook his head in amusement as he stepped back and used the Force to easily disassemble his lightsaber before tucking it away:  
-Average power? Oh no, that girl is anything, but average. You all lack one large key, a vital piece to the puzzle that I have. Even she doesn't know it. Now run along and tell your master this: Nu zinoti kam j'us tuti dari diâ j'us waria mirmohtusi. Asarsû iw ri wo diu titir nindz asima ir.  
Kyrisiel frowned as she watched the Sith with silver hair walk away. Confused, she called after him:  
-Wait, what language is that?  
Tenebris halted for a moment and responded:  
-One that if your Master doesn't understand I will consider him a very poorly educated person indeed. Every Dark Lord should at least know that much.  
-But I don't even understand the language so how can I give him the message?  
Tenebris smiled:  
-Just do it and a piece of advice: learn it, it may help you understand secrets that others never could. Chase your future, young acolyte, or it may very well slip through your fingers..  
And with those parting words he vanished into the crowd, leaving Kyrisiel looking after him in awe. Kyrisiel felt a chill run up her spine. That man was dangerous. Whoever that Padawan was she had her work cut out for her...

==SW: LB==

Kai Lionis sighed as he walked into the waiting hall in the palace on Alderaan which looked like a room that belonged in a museum. True, house Organa was currently the ruling house, but nevertheless pompous nobles infuriated the Jedi Knight and he did all he could to keep his temper. He currently has been asked to wait in here so the person he wished to speak to, Breha Organa, could finish up whatever she was doing. Kai scanned the hall to find a figure that looked vaguely familiar standing there and looking at a real painting, a rarity these days. Uncertain if that really was her, Kai approached the figure and to his surprise found that it was indeed his padawan's closest friend - Emira Leeta. She looked slightly different, somehow older, more tired and her long blue hair had been cut to a shorter length which she now wore in a loose ponytail over her shoulder, tying up only the end with a yellow hair tie coupled with her padawan braid, add the fact that the padawan had donned a regular Hapan soldiers outfit, but without the crest and with a lightsaber at the belt and now she looked like nearly a completely different person  . She'd always liked that colour according to Alana. Kai was careful about approaching her as she seemed lost in thought and judging by the way she looked, this wasn't something she had a lot of time to do lately. Kai cleared his threat quietly when he was standing beside her, trying and failing not to startle the young woman. Emira jumped at the sound and looked away from the painting that had drawn her attention:  
-Oh! Master Lionis, I wasn't expecting to see you here.  
-Neither was I expecting to see you, Emira. How are you doing? You look tired.  
Emira sighed and a dark shadow was cast over her usually cheery countenance:  
-I am, exhausted in truth. No matter what I try, I can't find a single trace of Ayume and when it seems we've picked up the trail it turns out to lead to a dead end. I don't know what to do anymore. We came here so Captain Jag can talk to a friend here who might know someone.  
-Don't lose hope. I know it may seem like I'm being insincere, but--  
Emira shook her head:  
-I know you mean it, Master. Believe me, I do. You must have a reason for being here too.  
-I do, actually. I came here to speak with the queen.  
Emira's eyebrows shot up:  
-The freaking queen?!  
-Language.  
-Sorry. What do you mean the queen? As in Breha Organa the queen?!  
-Do you know another?  
-But.. she's royalty.   
Kai smiled and shook his head:  
-I've known Breha for a while. We actually knew each other as kids.  
Emira stared:  
-You, Jedi Knight Kai Lionis, knew the queen when you were kids?!  
Kai chuckled:  
-She wasn't always a queen you know. I knew Breha back when she was Breha Antilles, a little girl with raven hair that was constantly up in two ponytails and had these huge bows. It honestly looked ridiculous, but I was a bit too shy to say so.  
Emira giggled before asking:  
-This was back when you were a padawan, right?  
-Yeah. We were both 12 and I was way too hyper to be taught anything so my Master just let me play with her. It's been 14 years an we haven't lost touch. Breha was really sweet as a kid, but had a fiery temper too - she seems to have mellowed out now though. Still just as pretty as she was back then, though I guess the appropriate word now is beautiful.  
-Do you--  
Kai laughed and shook his head:  
-No, no. Breha's like a sister to me, I've known her for a while so it's weird to even consider that. I know her husband Bail Organa, we're fairly good friends really - he asked me for advice on how to court Breha after they just got married. It was a political marriage that grew into a love. Anyway, what were you looking at?  
Emira nodded her head towards the painting behind her. The painting depicted two young girls playing on the steps to House Antilles . He recognised one of the girls while the other he didn't know. He recognised the girl with  short black hair and hazel eyes as one of Breha's two sisters - the older one, Tisha Antilles, she'd been older than Breha by quite a few years. He'd seen Tisha a few times, but apparently she'd been born weak and according Breha she'd died a little over a decade ago. The other woman however didn't seem to be at all related to the Antilles and instead bore some similarities to the now elderly Lady Alde. She had bright green eyes and what some would describe as chocolate brown hair, a pretty little girl really. In essence though she also bore some striking resemblance to Lord Alde too. An Alde perhaps? Kai had never seen her before. Emira tilted her head to the side, studying the unknown little girl:  
-I wonder who she is...  
An elderly male voice sounded from behind the Jedi:  
-Ah, that's a personal favourite of mine. I managed to send it to Breha as a present before my wife burned it.   
Emira and Kai turned around to see the elderly Lord Alde walk up to them with the assistance of a cane. He looked to be in his final years and yet his green eyes still shone brightly with life. Kai and Emira quickly gave a small bow as per Alderaan's customs:  
-Lord Alde.  
He waved their bow off hastily:  
-There's no need to bow to a decrepit old codger like me, now if I were my wife that'd be another story. I'm just an old man who came to see the paintings here again and walk the gardens, it soothes my soul and I can get away from my wife for a bit. Call me Jaceus.  
He chuckled to himself, before raising his eyes up to the painting. A fond smile lit up his wrinkled face:  
-This is my favourite piece. I assume you recognised Trisha Antilles, young man?  
Kai nodded:  
-Yes, but I've never met the other girl...  
The man sighed:  
-Nor will you. She isn't here anymore.  
Emira frowned:  
-As in - not on Alderaan?  
-No, child. She died 13 years ago. Today would have been her 41st birthday. That's my daughter - Lea Alde.  
-I'm sorry...  
-Don't be, girl, she's in a better place now. Force knows how happy I am for her...  
Kai crossed his arms over his chest:  
-Still, I think I would have met her if she'd been alive and here 13 years ago. She's quite a bit older than Breha.  
Lord Alde, Jaceus,  nodded:  
-Yes, she is. She's the same age as Trisha was, but if you recall Breha's mother was quite old when she gave birth to her so Trisha was quite a bit older than Breha. You know, I doubt you would've met Lea even if you were on Alderaan all those years ago.  
Kai gave the man a confused look:  
-Why not?  
The man gave a laugh that promptly turned into a cough. Once her recovered from it, he explained:  
-Lea was always a rebel. She never liked the rules and lessons of being the perfect noblewoman her mother forced on her, she wanted to be normal unlike her sister - Luha. So when she left Alderaan for the first time alone on a diplomatic mission to Mandolore she was ecstatic. Naturally, fate ordained that she would meet her chosen partner on that mission and she fell in love. She never told her mother who he was when she returned home and assumed a long distance relationship with him as she was furious enough as it was, but she told me. "He was a man with hair as dark as the night" she told me "and eyes as warm as the Caf you drink every morning, Dad. He was so kind and brave, he was also so mysterious...". The man Lea fell in love with was a Mandolorian and truly a very respectable man, I met him once - Caleb Callen was his name. Lea was hopelessly in love with him, but my wife would have none of it. She wanted Lea to marry a nobleman for political value and that's when Lea, such a sweet tempered child, snapped and declared that she was not a pawn to be used, she said that she would choose her own life. With that she stormed out of the house and never returned. I was sad to see her go, but I knew that she'd be happier out there than she ever was here.  
He sighed before continuing on:  
\- Lea was never the perfect little princess her mother wanted her to be, she was never as good as her younger sister and she was never ever happy unless she was with me. My wife hated her, but I loved her so much. She was a gentle child, so kind, so forgiving, always looking for the best in others - even in my wife. She remained that way when she grew into a young woman and she developed a passion for politics, she always tried to steer the Galaxy away from violence and she was good at what she did too. She was such a good girl... I   
Emira felt her heart clench when she saw the tears streaking down the old man's cheeks as he spoke, all the while smiling fondly at the painting. She could feel the sadness he felt and the overwhelming joy at the same time. He had loved his daughter so much. Emira remained silent and so did Kai, listening to old man in perfect warm silence:  
-I never saw my daughter again. I got two letters from her an an official notification from Mandolore's government. In her first letter she wrote that she had gone to Mandolore and she had married Caleb, her love, and that they were happy together and she was sad that I wasn't able to attend their wedding like she'd wished. The second letter came a year later and in it she enclosed a picture of their child, my grandson. Apparently they named him Jayden, a strange coalescence of my name and Callen's father's name. I've only seen a baby photo him, but he has the same eyes as me and the same hair as his father. I've never met him. 4 years later all I got was a notice - that the Callen clan had all been killed, including my daughter.  
Emira's voice was timid and quiet as she ever so softly inquired:  
-And your grandson... Who raised him? He survived, right?  
The old man shrugged helplessly:  
-My friend said they never found a 4 year old child's body in the wreckage, but there was no trace of him either. I don't know. I wish I could meet him one day, he's probably 17 right about now. Might be a handsome young lad... Jayden Callen, hm.... Seems like he may be an interesting young man...  
Emira suddenly got a determined glint in her eye:  
-If we ever meet a young man like that and who answers to that name, we'll tell him you're waiting for him here! Or wherever. I'm sure you two will meet!  
The old man slowly shook his head and sighed, but a smile resided on his lips:  
-You're a sweet child, my dear. If fate so ordains then maybe I'll meet my grandson, but if he has truly gone to meet his mother and father then I'm happy for all of them. I shall not chase their ghosts for fear of disturbing their rest...  
Kai could only feel compassion for the old man. He had no family of his own to speak of, but he could understand the feeling of loving someone dearly, but his love was still different from the love Jaceus described- a pure profound love of a parent for their child. 

==SW: LB==

Alana's bad feeling only grew stronger as the flew closer and closer to Kii's house. Once they were about two meters above the rooftop surface Alana wordlessly undid the fastening and dropped to the ground, softening the impact Sith's Force and by going into a roll. Brushing the dust off her clothes, Alana stood up with TK landing promptly beside her. She reached out with the Force to find the Dark Side's chaotic presence very strong around this building. A frowned made it's way in to her usual smiling countenance, as murmured:  
-I have a bad feeling about this.  
-Beep...  
-Let's hurry. Can you unlock the door? I mean I could melt the lock using my lightsaber or just shred the door to pieces, but--  
-Dee-reet-beep.  
TK trilled an affirmative and quickly extended one of his plug in and interfaced with the socket. Moments later the rooftop door slid open. Alana smiled at the astromech:  
-Good work, TK.  
-Bee-reet! Bzzt-whop-dwwoo!  
-Yeah, I know. Come on.  
TK and Alana quickly and silently entered the building. Alana's footsteps were rapid, but silent, she didn't want to be noticed too quickly. This was a peculiar thing about the young Jedi: when she wanted to be stealthy she could not, but when her subconscious demanded it she was almost like a shadow, smoke, a wisp of light that one could never hope to catch. At those moments something hit against the walls of amnesia in her mind, something was trying, but failing to return to her.  
   It was silent and dark in the building despite it only being early evening according to Alana's chrono. The silence bothered Alana. It was far too silent.... A sense of dread started coiling up in the pit of Alana's stomach - was she too late? She desperately hoped she wasn't, but as she came onto the floor where Kii had apparently lived with her parents Alana's bad feeling only became more and more palpable. The door looked like it had been sliced open with a lightsaber and as Alana entered the once neat and orderly apartment she couldn't help but notice the knocked over furniture, the blaster marks on the walls and the drawn shutters. Her heart sinking with each step she took, Alana pulled on the cord that would open the shutters. Once light poured into the room the young Jedi's dears were confirmed when she saw lightsaber marks on the floor and on some of the furniture as well as drops of blood and what looked like a broken vibroblade. TK gave a sad whistle and Alana's expression turned defeated and grave, her voice was hollow as she spoke:  
-We were too late...  
-Not yet.  
Alana whipped around at the sound of her partner's voice to see him enter through that same broken door. He was sporting a few new scorch marks on his armour, but other than that he looked physically unharmed. Squashing that dark feeling of defeat down, Alana cast a thoughtful look at her partner:  
-You mean we can track them down?  
-Possibly.  
Unexpectedly TK gave an excited string of beeps and whirrs. Upon turning to their droid friend, Alana and Jayden found him holding a holocom with a red light blinking on it - indicating a recorded message. Alana frowned: so, Ventress wanted them to find her. That was fine by her. She gave a nod to TK:  
-Great work, TK. Play it back.  
The droid chirped and affirmative and after plugging into the holocom he activated his projector, playing the recording. The holographic image of a dathomirian woman materialsed. She had pale as chalk skin, large blue-grey eyes and a bald head on either side of which two pairs of short, slightly triangular dark blue-grey tattoos could be found. She was dressed in skin tight clothes that were dark in colour and on her belt she had two lightsabers with curved hilts. Alana crossed her arms over her chest, one gripping the other in an attempt to keep a lid on her many emotions. She wouldn't lose control. Asajj Ventress's voice made chills run up the young Jedi's spine as she spoke:  
-Hello, little Jedi. I hope you are still in one piece, because it would be such a shame to see you forfeit our game. You see,-Ventress paused and suddenly another holographic figure of little child Alana recognised appeared next to her with big, fearful eyes,-I have your little youngling with me and her parents too. They're being a bit annoying and I'm not a very patient woman, I'm sure you can guess what that means...  
Alana's hands clenched into fists at her sides, anger flared in her eyes. She could still feel their suffering. TK gave a worried whistle and paused the recording upon seeing the Jedi's eyes shift to a different colour entirely. Jayden, who was standing behind her simply shook his head and after giving a concerned whistle TK resumed the playback. Dooku's holographic apprentice continued on:  
-In any case - they are of little consequence to me and I could kill them all right now, but I have a feeling they'll be very useful to me. Little Jedi, you have something that my Master wants, something his cyborg puppet failed to retrieve and I will succeed. If you want these pathetic being returned to you unharmed I suggest you find me in the jungle and we'll make a trade. Don't keep me waiting.  
The recording ended and TK shut off his projector, retracting his plug-in arm from the holocom. He trilled a concerned query to which Alana impassively replied:  
-I'm fine. Let's go.  
Jayden shook his head:  
-You are not fine. Don't lie.  
Alana made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob:  
-What do you want me to say, Jayden? That's I'm feeling perfectly okay and that we should go skipping through a field and collect flowers or that I'm feeling like I want to blow up a planet and dress in perpetual black? I'm neither of those things so I'm fine. I however will be very mad if I miss my one chance to stop Ventress from killing Kii so we have to go. Now!  
Jayden nodded:  
-I know, but dressed as we are we'll stand out too much in the jungle. We need a change of clothes to make us blend in, there's no doubt there's a bunch of beings in there that'd love to kill us and possibly eat us for dinner. Now--  
TK cut across him with an inquisitive chirp, asking if what he'd found would do. Alana and Jayden turned to him to find TK holding a pair of Rodian scout uniforms that were made in a camouflage style. Alana shook her head in wonder:  
-You're definitely on a roll today. Thanks, buddy.  
TK gave a modest chirp before telling them that they should hurry up and change since the sun would be setting soon and traversing the jungle when it was dark would make life a lot harder. Alana and Jayden were quick to agree with him. The chase had officially begun.

==SW: LB==

Alana's hands never moved too far from her lightsabers as she walked along Jayden and TK inside the jungle. They had left the destroyed apartment of the Thanakions quite a while ago and had entered the jungle. They had donned the Rodian scout uniforms without complaint, they needed the cover and this was as good as they were going to get while TK somehow changed his appearance to looked like he was seriously blending in with the background. The Rodian scout uniforms were basically the same for both males and females, differentiating in only the tops to accommodate for differences in biology. They consisted of a black vast over which one was to wear a long-sleeved jacket with high collar that was made of varying shades of green to blend in with the environment and the same camouflage-y pants. Alana had kept her black boots and Jayden had kept his own black shoes, they had also both clipped on their belts with their weapons attached and opted to leave their clothes in the destroyed apartment for the time being. Just in case and because she had a feeling that it would only hinder her, Alana had also swept her caramel-brown hair into a ponytail, prompting a meaningful grin from Jayden to which she replied with her customary glare that she reserved especially for him.   
   The sun was soon going to set. It seemed sunsets on Rodia happened faster than they did on other planets that Alana had visited. Alana sighed and forced herself to relax at least a bit, she was probably setting Jayden on edge with her nerves. A curiosity sparked in Alana's mind, prompting her to cast a look at her Mandolorian friend. He was dressed in the male version of the uniform and he had left his helmet and armour back at the apartment so Alana could see his face. His facial expression was serious and the look in his eyes was slightly distant, meaning he was deep in thought. He felt a lot less tense than her in the Force, but Alana couldn't know for sure since she had closed of their bond for the time being. She didn't want him to feel what she was feeling: fear, anger, despair, resentment and a small glimmer of hope. The faint light that the hope in her heart gave off was constantly threatened to be snuffed out by the darkness so Alana had a hard time warding it off. Something told her that if that faint flicker of light was to be snuffed out, she would lose control and she would forget the light even if for a brief moment. Alana feared that, she feared seeing a world without the light. She cast another look at her partner to see that he was still lost in his own mind, not really here. Still, even if he wasn't really here it was good to see his face - somehow it made Alana feel more at ease. No matter how much she denied it, Alana knew that she relied on Jayden to keep her grounded and from doing something especially suicidal just like she did for him, just like TK did for both of them.  
    Alana's gaze shifted to their droid companion and she couldn't suppress a faint ghost of a smile from flitting across her lips briefly. TK was analysing all the data he had on Ventress to help them by exposing her weaknesses. TK was an assassin droid and Alana was prepared to acknowledge that, but beneath that tough droid that couldn't care less about organics facade Alana knew that he was actually a very loyal being, that cared about the people he was close to. She didn't know much about TK, even less than she did about Jayden, but she was certain that the little droid had his own story to tell, everyone did, even her though she had no memory of it. These stories left scars, marks on both the soul and the body, but they forged who you were and they taught you what you needed to know if you would only listen. Sometimes Alana thought that she could almost hear the Force's voice, but the Master's told her that was impossible. She had went to ask Anakin once if he could hear the Force - his answer had been that no, he couldn't exactly hear it, but he could feel that it was alive somehow and maybe there were those who could hear it. A lot of the Masters told Alana to forget the foolish notion that the Force was alive and that it had a will of its own or what need would there be for Jedi, but Alana refused to do that. She believed that the Force was alive and over the course of her travels she could swear she had heard it at least once. Still, she knew no one would believe her - they never did.   
  Unexpectedly Jayden stopped, jerking Alana out of her own monochrome-like thoughts. Both TK and Alana stopped to look at him. Jayden looked around before quietly whispering:  
-Be careful. We're not alone here...  
Alana looked up at the sound of fluttering wings to see a trio of can-cells, Rodia's native insectoids, fly overhead. In an equally hushed tone she responded:  
-It's just the can-cells.  
Jayden shook his head and pressed a finger to his lips, pulling one of his blasters out it's holster quietly. Alana used the Force to summon her own weapons to her hand. TK copied them and drew his own blasters, chirping quietly that he detected a few life forms nearby. Alana set all her senses on high alert and reached out into the Force. Closing her eyes, she searched for hostile presences. A second later her eyes flew open and she cried out:  
-Jayden, look out!  
The Mandolorian barely had time to turn around as a giant sea creature rose from beneath the murky waters of a swamp they'd been passing by. Alana didn't hesitate and used the Force to pull Jayden away from the beast, igniting her lightsabers at the same time. The beast having lunged and having missed his prey hissed. Alana quickly ran her eyes over it to identify it: a Svaper. Svaper's were eel-like predators native to Rodia. They seized prey in their extremely pointy needle teeth and constricted their prey's movement with their muscular bodies before drowning it beneath the water and consuming it whole. From what Alana had heard being bitten by one of those deadly fishies also hurt like crazy. TK quickly started firing on the beast, Alana was about to join in when Jayden suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her roughly to him. A  
She raised an eyebrow, slight irritation evident in her eyes in answer to which he just pointed at the rock behind her. On it stood another creature: a Kartsag. A Karstag was another predator native to Rodia that inhabited swamps and damp jungles, it had a scaled body, an elongated neck, a triangular-ish head and it had a lot of sharp teeth especially two prominent incisors- one at the top and one at the bottom. Oh, and it also had a bone-like club with sharp spikes at the end of it's tail. This Karstag was about 1.5 meters tall and 4 meters long. It hissed at Alana, the Jedi cursed softly under her breath. Well, this was lovely: the sun was setting at a crazy pace, she was in a jungle, her lightsaber were a source of light and she was apparently about to become dinner for one of the two very hungry predators. Today was just perfect!   
   The Karstag launched itself at Alana and she nimbly jumped out of the trajectory of it's tail, thanking the stars she had been taught an acrobatic fighting style. She hoped Jayden and TK would be able to handle the Svaper since she'd definitely have her hands full dealing with this ugly. The aforementioned "ugly" turned around and hissed at the Jedi, allowing her a good long look at all it's sharp teeth. And people wondered why being a wildlife dentist had been such  a dangerous job... Alana sighed as she fixed her eyes on her enemy - it leapt at her with shocking speed. Despite the clunky look the creature had it was surprisingly agile and very fast. Alana barley managed to swerve away in time. She shook her head to focus and decided to try and go on the offensive. Alana leapt at the creature and tried to slice it in half to find that it's skin was impervious to any lightsaber damage - damn it. Alana had to duck under a swipe of it's spiked tail which resulted to her having to roll right under it on the ground. She quickly leapt to her feet again and scanned the creature before coming to the conclusion that its  weak spot was its belly. Alana bit her lip, it was a going to take a bit of work to get it to expose itself. Meanwhile, the 4 meter long beast charged at her again, forcing Alana to evade it by jumping up into a tree which turned out to be a bad move because the next moment an enraged Svaper rammed into the tree and broke it. Alana jumped of the tree just in time and landed in a roll on the ground. She stood up to find herself standing back to back with Jayden. He shot at his target and gave Alana a casual greeting:  
-Hey.  
-Hey yourself. How are you doing?  
-Oh, not too hot. What about you?  
-No luck. I need to turn that bastard on its belly, but I'm not sure how.  
TK piped up suggesting that she zap it with her Force lightning. Alana shook her head:  
-It could work, but that would deplete my Force reservoir to almost zero and I'm going to need the Force energy for Ventress.   
Jayden frowned:  
-Something here is wrong...  
Alana kicked away the Karstag's head and jumped onto it's back, calling back:  
-How'd you figure?!  
-Now's not the time for sarcasm, princess.  
Alana groaned as she sat up from the fall she'd taken after the Karstag bucked her off:  
-Then don't stay stupid stuff.  
Alana pointed out as she barrel rolled to one side to evade the spiked tail before rolling to the other to evade it again. Jayden shot back:  
-There is something seriously not right here...  
TK trilled his agreement stating that this was highly unusual behaviour for these predators. The Jedi exhaled as she tried to stab the Karstag through the neck and instead got knocked aside by it's very heavy and mobile head:  
-What do you mean? They're predators - they eat live beings and apparently we look very tasty.  
Jayden rolled away from the Svaper's giant head that tried to bite him and shot at it's underside, causing the creature a decent amount of pain, before replying:  
-They're supposed to only eat herbivores and unless one of you became a vegan since the last time we ate, we're not supposed to be eaten by them!  
-Well, apparently they didn't get the memo then. In any case, we have to take them out!,- Alana suddenly paused and froze in her tracks, her eyes widening at some realisation she had come to,- Wait a second....  
Seeing that the young Jedi had become frozen in place and that the Karstag was about to bite the girl's arm off, TK launched himself at the Karstag and zapped it with his stun probe right under the neck, making the creature seize up and tip onto its back, exposing his belly. TK slapped the Jedi against her leg with one of his appendages to get her to focus. Alana snapped out of it and shouted to Jayden:  
-I think I know what's wrong!  
-Yeah? So what is it?  
-Bee-reet?  
-Someone has driven these creatures and the ones surrounding this area insane with the Dark Side of the Force.  
-So basically these are Ventress's presents?  
-Pretty much. And, Jayden -- LOOK OUT!  
Alana rushed towards her partner tackling him to the ground and using the Force to push him away as the Svaper unexpectedly arose from the water to snap him up and he didn't notice in a rare moment of lost focus. That action earned Alana a long bleeding gash across her back having ripped through her top, just over her waist as the creature bit into her instead of Jayden. A horrifying scream was ripped from her lungs, but Alana didn't even notice that blinded by the pain. She'd felt pain before, but this was a different sort entirely- as if someone was trying to skin her alive and burn her at the same time. She didn't even notice as the Svaper wrapped itself around her and started descending below the waters. All she knew was pain and the fact that whatever she did she must not let go of her lightsabers.  
   Jayden's reaction to his partner's scream of pain was instantaneous. He easily slipped into Shadow and his mindset was once again focused on only killing this brute before he killed Alana. He could see her struggling, thrashing against her captor as he slowly descended back into the murky swamp waters. Shadow quickly discerned the creatures gills and eyes as it's weak spots and relayed that information over to the droid who quickly whistled a terse agreement and stated that he would go for the left side while Shadow went for the right. Shadow gave a nod of satisfaction when he spotted a tree that would work with what he needed it for. He easily grabbed onto the jungle vine and scaled up it, before jumping onto the widest tree branch the tree had. It was dark so it was much harder to see, but both Jayden and Shadow had spent enough time in the dark both literally and figuratively to see well enough to finish the job. Shadow quickly tied the vine around his waist and jumped once to make sure it wouldn't break - it was sturdier than it looked. Sending a blaster bolt right beneath the sea monster's eye to get it's attention, Shadow called:  
-Hey, ugly, over here!   
The Svaper hissed as it turned towards him giving TK a perfect moment to shoot it's eye and gill out. The creature roared in pain and uncoiled, releasing a barely conscious Alana and prompting Shadow to copy TK before leaping off the tree and diving after the falling Jedi. By some lucky coincidence Shadow with his swinging vine managed to catch her before she hit would have hit the ground and most likely broken her back. The vine snapped under the added weight, but TK was there in time and using his mechanical hands and rocket boosters he managed to hold both Shadow and the girl in his arms up. The three watched in silence as the Svaper fell into the swamp and sank beneath it's surface - dead. Jayden, who had returned back to his usual self, sighed:  
-Well, that was a fun distraction.  
Alana gave a faint smile and TK gave a slightly amused chirp of agreement. He slowly descended down onto the ground and released Jayden from his grip when they were about half a meter off from the ground, making it easy for the Mandolorian to land on his feet and keep a grip on his injured partner. They both shot a grateful look to the droid who bowed his head in acceptance.  
  Finding a good rock to prop Alana up against, Jayden carefully set her down however she still winced. He sighed, kneeling down beside her:  
-How bad is it?  
Alana made a face as she drew away her hand from the wound to find it smeared with her own crimson blood:  
-Pretty bad. Hurts like crazy and that's saying something considering my pain threshold is fairly high. Add to that the fact that I can't use the Firce to try and heal myself right now and even with my regeneration speed this would take at least a week to heal - I'm really more or less screwed if we don't stop this blood flow.  
Jayden turned to their only medical expert and waved him over. TK rolled over and ran a medical scan across the Jedi's back and stated that all he could suggest for the time being was that they should treat it with a disinfectant, apply a bit of kolto and bandage it if Alana wanted to keep moving. When Jayden opened his mouth to protest, Alana grabbed his arm:  
-No. Kii is in trouble and she's my responsibility, I won't let you two do this alone. I'm not staying behind no matter what you say.  
Jayden cast a look at her determined face before shaking his head in defeat. She could be so damn stubborn sometimes. He sighed and nodded to TK:  
-Do you have any of the supplies with you?  
-Beep.  
The droid handed him a full small medkit from inside one of his many compartments. Jayden simply cast the droid a look but didn't say anything. He gave a stern look to his female companion:  
-Fine, but we've got to patch you up first. Deal?  
-Deal.   
-This is going to hurt but bear with it.  
Alana gave a firm nod and adopted a stoic expression onto her face, bracing herself for the pain. Having learned some first aid along his many adventures, Jayden had a more or less clear idea of what to do so he asked TK to go on ahead and scout around to which the droid unexpectedly agreed to adding that he would return in 5-7 minutes time. Carefully the Mandolorian unzipped the Jedi's scout jacket and she didn't resist, she only winced and whimpered in pain once when he slid it off her. Casting a concerned look at her, Jayden asked:  
-You okay? Want to wait a moment?  
Alana shook her head and whispered:  
-I'm fine. Just didn't expect it to hurt so much.   
-I'm sorry about this.  
-It's fine, I can handle pain. I know you need me to take off my top so you can treat the wound - so I'm all good. Don't worry about me so much.  
-I don't want to hurt you. Well, more than I have already.  
Alana gave him a wry smile:  
-Think of this as helping me, not hurting me, okay? Besides I'm pretty sure Coruscant proved that I can handle all you can dish out.  
-Keep dreaming, princess.  
-You're smiling again so my task is complete. I win.  
Jayden shook his head in disbelief as he helped her slowly take off her black vest:  
-You are probably the most optimistic person I have ever met.  
-I'll take that as a compliment. Thanks.  
Jayden's smile faded when he spotted the numerous scars running across the Jedi's torso. Alana shook her head in answer to his unvoiced question:  
-These happened a long time ago. I had them when my Master found me 6 and a half years ago.  
Jayden frowned as he went around to her back and opened the medkit:  
-What happened?  
-I don't remember. My earliest memory is waking up on the ground on some grassy planet in the middle of the night, I remember it was raining and it was dark, but the stars shone brighter than ever. There was no one else except me. Ugh!  
Alana winced and sharply drew a breath as the disinfectant stung in her wound. Jayden grimaced, but proceeded with gently dabbing it onto her wound, quietly he wondered:  
\- Sorry. Is that what you meant by abandoned when we had our fight back on the Storm?  
-Yes. I don't know why I was left all alone on a planet as a tiny 10 year old and I never want to go through that again.  
-And these scars?  
-They were all raw and bleeding back then. I have no clue what happened. The Jedi at the temple patched me up properly later.  
Jayden was silent, as he replaced the disinfectant and pulled out a small injector and filled it with kolto. Alana sighed as she heard the small beep:  
-Is that the kolto?  
-Yeah. Sorry, but this will hurt a bit more - however this one is kind of mixed with a painkiller.  
Alana gave a faint smile, despite knowing he couldn't see her:  
-That's good. Let's get this over with.  
Jayden nodded and in a swift move injected the kolto right into the middle of the gash, making the Jedi release a soft whimper of pain once more before Jayden quickly pulled it out. He sighed:  
-There that's all done.  
-Thank the Force. That's always the worst part when I get these type of wounds.  
Jayden hummed his agreement and walked around to face her from the front with the medkit. As he kneeled down beside her again, he pulled out the bandages. He cast a glance at her:  
-I'm going to need you to raise you arms.  
-Alright.  
She did as he asked and he carefully began wrapping the bandages around her wound. Quietly, she asked:  
-Surely, you have them too? Your own scars?  
Jayden gave a wry smile:  
-More than I care to admit. By the way, thanks.  
-For what?  
-Saving me twice tonight.  
Alana smiled:  
-Well, seeing as you just saved me when I fell from that swamp worm's grip I'd say your debt is down to one.  
Jayden shook his head with a small grin of his own:  
-I'll try to return the favour, princess.  
-I don't doubt it, Captain. Looks like you know first aid, too.  
Jayden shrugged as he finished up tying her bandages:  
-You don't survive as long as I have without learning a thing or two.  
-I believe you. Force knows what I learned from traveling with my Master.  
-I'd like to meet him one day.  
Alana gave a mischievous smile:  
-Maybe one day. I'd love to see how that goes. I want to see who punches who first.  
Jayden raised an eyebrow as he drew away from the young Jedi:  
-Why do you think it'd come to violence?  
-Knowing the way my Master is, he can be a bit paranoid when it comes to me spending a good amount of time around teenage boys.  
Jayden snorted as he watched Alana pull her top back on:  
-Well, at least one of you is sensible. Ah, let me help you with that.  
-Thanks.  
Alana sent Jayden a grateful look as he helped her put the jacket on as she kept brushing her hand against her wound and wincing in pain. Zipping up her jacket, Alana stood up followed by Jayden:  
-We should hurry. Let's go and find TK.  
Hearing a growl in the distance, Jayden drew his blaster into his free hand and nodded:  
-You'll hear no complaints from me.

==SW: LB==

Alana and Jayden caught up with their astromech friend soon after leaving the site of their fight with wildlife. Alana couldn't help shivering as they walked, the dark side energy around this place was just so potent that she couldn't help but feel physically cold. However, Jayden didn't seem to be affected by it in the least which made Alana wonder - just what kind of darkness must one harbour within to be able to withstand or not even feel the effects of another? Alana shook her head, making herself focus and jogged up to the droid. Her curiously quickly vanished when she saw what TK was standing beside, replaced by horror and revulsion. There were two Rodian corpses here - a male and a female, they seemed to have been shot before stabbed with what was undeniably a lightsaber as well as it looked like some of the bests had already begun feeding on the dead bodies. Alana's facial expression was dark as she turned to TK:  
-Are they...  
TK trilled a sad affirmative, explaining that he had already cross-referenced their DNA records with those of Iskaayuma's citizen list. Jayden sighed:  
-So we were too late to the save the kid's parents. I hope she didn't see this.  
Alana nodded:  
-She's sure to be shaken up as it is, but if Ventress made her watch...  
Something flickered through Jayden's eyes and there was a pause before he spoke again:  
-She's not going to be just shaken up, Alana - she's going to be traumatised. The kid will never forget this. The worst memories are the ones that stick.  
-Are you...  
-Yeah, I know what that kid is going through and now that subject is closed. We have to hurry - this is Ventress's way of telling us we're taking too long.   
Alana's eyes were serious as she nodded her assent. The trio took off down the path. Alana's breathing was steady, but she could feel shivers running up her whole body - it was as if it was trying to warn her of something. Of what though? Alana could almost remember what it was, but everytime it came close the knowledge slipped right through her fingers, it was intangible- like smoke. This was worrying to say the least.  
   Alana stopped suddenly, making Jayden and TK also come to a skidding halt. Jayden cast a concerned look at his partner to see her drawing her lightsabers:  
-What is it?  
Alana's answer was curt:  
-We're here.  
She wordlessly walked past Jayden and TK, tightening her grip on her lightsabers. She pushed past the dark bushes to see Ventress standing on a slightly elevated clearing. Strangely, it felt like the bleak moonlight was brighter here. Beside the dathomirian woman Alana quickly spotted a little girl in stun cuffs, looking at her with hollow eyes. Alana's temper flared at the sight and the dark blood inside her veins surged, the monster she kept in chains shifted. Ventress sensed the arrival of the person she'd been awaiting and turned to meet her. She smiled and finally spoke:  
-Ah, little Jedi, how nice of you to come.  
Alana's glare was as cold ice shards piercing through one's soul and as hot as a volcano erupting all at once. Pure, unadulterated rage was heard in her voice as she tersely spoke one word:  
-Ventress.


	42. Life Day Chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya! Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to anybody who celebrates it (I know I will be in 13 days - my religion's calendar is different, long story). Or I guess Happy Life Day! Who's existence are you grateful for? I'm sorry this is a bit late - I was planning on posting this yesterday, but I fell sick and I just had time to finish it today while my temperature had gone down so yeah, apologies for the late delivery. Now a few important notes:  
> 1) This isn't chronologically compliant to my fanfic and by that I mean it doesn't really take place anywhere and I'll try to avoid any references to it. Basically this never happened so any and all meeting between characters like Anakin and Alana for the first time in Light's Brink will be done in a completely different way and this party never happened. Why write something like this then you ask? Because it was fun and I wanted to write this like a present.  
> 2) This a very weird instalment since it's basically just a jumble of semi-coherent ideas and once again I blame my illness for that.  
> 3) Hope everyone is having a good time on the holidays - winter break just started for me this Friday unfortunately and sadly I'll be very busy with moving so chapter 41 will be a little slower coming out than usual.   
> 3) This may be the last chapter of 2016 so I'll probably see you next year - Happy New Year! Let's hope 2017 will be a good year!  
> 4)Enough of my rambling so sit down comfortably and start reading this 8600+ word Life Day special chapter that makes no sense, but whatever! Enjoy!

=================Happy Life Day!===============  
Life Day Chapter - A pair of lights

The Crimson Storm was flying through the blue vortex known as hyperspace. Outwardly, it looked as normal as ever, but inside chaos reigned. Well, more chaos than usual. TK and Jayden were in the common area of the ship and were seriously arguing over what colour tinsel to put up while Alana was expertly ignoring them as she sat in the crew quarters having a slight war with the wrapping paper. She'd never been good with it. She groaned when she heard Jayden's voice call:  
-Alana!  
Sighing, she stood up and poked her head out of the door:  
-Yeah, what is it?  
He looked up from the crate he was currently rifling through and waved the Jedi over. Alana raised an eyebrow, but moved to join her two companions. Jayden flashed her a triumphant look:  
-I found it!  
Alana raised an eyebrow, her expression a bit bewildered:  
-You mean you found a colour of tinsel you can agree on?  
Jayden waved that off:  
-That too, but this is even better!   
He bent down and reached into the crate before pulling out something dark green and brown and long. Alana tilted her head to the side when she saw it:  
-Is that...  
-Yep! It's a Life Day tree! I knew I had one in here!  
Alana couldn't stop herself from smiling:  
-You decide to put up the tree a day before life day? Shame on you, hunter!  
-Too bad then that you're my accomplice, isn't it?  
Alana raised an eyebrow:  
-How in the universe am I your accomplice?  
-Bee-whop-deet! Deewooo!  
Alana shot TK a playful glare:  
-So apparently I'm guilty of not reminding him? He's the one with the perfect memory.  
-Ah, but you're the one with the Force. You should have made it be like a an alarm clock.  
Alana groaned and facepalmed:  
-That's not how the Force works. Now, are we going to put up this tree or not? You really want the others to see the kind of lazy bum you are?  
Jayden laughed, but nevertheless stood up:  
-Oh, they know, but to be proper let's do this. Come on, up you get, your highness.  
Alana rolled her eyes as she grabbed her partner's hand, letting him pull her up. She sighed and folded her arms across her chest as watched Jayden pull the moderately large artificial Life Day tree out of the crate and unfold it while TK unexpectedly grabbed a huge amount of gold tinsel in his mechanical appendages and activated his rocket boosters before flying around the room and tossing it everywhere he could. Alana shook her head at the droid:  
-Agh, TK, stop - I'm getting tinsel in my hair!  
The droid simply laughed and even Jayden snickered as he cast a glance behind him after setting up the tree. Alana facepalmed and muttered something about immature boys which only made her two companions laugh harder much to her chagrin. Suddenly, a mischievous smile lit up the Jedi's face and she raised one hand and a moment later the boys found themselves being assaulted by countless unbreakable baubles. As they tried to dodge them to no avail, Alana kicked off her flats and jumped onto the sofa, moving her hands and directing her orchestra of multicoloured baubles with the Force. She was grinning, not a hint of remorse or anger on her face:  
-Mwahahahaha! Go forth my bauble soldiers and punish these idiots for their many crimes! We shall conquer them - attack, my fearsome multicoloured life day bauble soldiers!   
TK gave a fake angry buzz and a assaulted Alana and Jayden with his own projectiles made of golden tinsel. Jayden gave a sigh and tossed his hands in the air as he tried to escape both Alana's and TK's Life day themed soldiers:  
-I swear... Fine, I'm not being outdone by the princess!  
Jayden reached into the crate he had crawled over to and pulled out a small box of what looked like regular laser charged packs that his guns used but these were white. Smiling to himself, he loaded them into his blasters. A moment later he jumped out of his cover, yelling a battle cry:  
-No, evil overlord of tinsel and malicious lady of the baubles, I will not allow you to befoul this galaxy! Attack them, my snowflakes!  
He pulled the trigger and there was a small pop as a bunch of fake snowflakes launched themselves right at Alana and the other bunch at TK. Even with her lightning fast reflexes the Jedi didn't manage to dodge the fake snow and narrowly escaped inhaling them. Batting away the fake snowflakes she didn't notice that her bauble soldiers continued wreaking more havoc, causing Jayden and TK flee for their lives while still having an all out life day themed war. As soon as her vision had cleared, Alana could see a very amusing scene: Jayden and TK were running about the ship launching tinsel and fake snow at each other while she accidentally was doing some crazy dance with the baubles, occasionally whacking the two across the head. The scene was simply so comical and so unlike them that Alana doubled over laughing, causing the boys to momentarily pause their battle at the sound of her pure, clear laughter. She was shaking with laughter as she barely squeezed out:  
-You two are so funny like this! Oh my stars!   
She couldn't contain herself at all and rolled around the sofa laughing while the baubles fell harmlessly to the floor, their mistress lost in total comical abandon. Jayden and TK looked at each other and at her before finally realising what the Jedi was talking about. Their normally neat female companion had her hair a bit messed up and tinsel and fake snowflakes here and there, her purple sweater and jeans were creased and decorated by some of the glitter attached to the tinsel that TK had been chucking. Jayden's normally messy was even more messed up and also threaded with tinsel and some of the glitter that the baubles too had had attached, his clothes were a little messed up from all the bauble attacks and he too had golden tinsel stuck to his white shirt. The droid had two baubles hanging from each of his antennas as well as a bunch of fake snowflakes stuck to him. Jayden grinned:  
-Well, aren't we all a mess?  
-Beep!  
Alana finally recovered from her laughing fit and chuckled:  
-Yeah, but we rarely have so much fun! So...  
Instead of finishing her words she picked up a bauble in hand and tossed it at the boys. Jayden narrowly dodged it and narrowed his eyes at the girl:  
-Oh, so you want a war, is that it, your highness?  
Alana was grinning from ear to ear as she stood up and used the Force to raise all the baubles up again, she laughed:  
-Not just any war, Lord Jayden of the fake snowflakes and Lord TK of tinsel! I, Lady Alana of the Baubles, declare a life day decoration war on you!  
-Bzzt-whop-deewhee!  
-You're on, my lady!  
Decorations flew and laughter rang out while the tree stood calmly observing the happenings. All negative thoughts were mercilessly expelled from all of the three friends minds - this was not the time for them. Sure, there was a war going and yes, all of them had heavy secrets concealed by right now they forgot all about that. Jedi, Mandolorian, assassin droid? Those divisions no longer existed - they were just a trio of friends assaulting each other with Life day decorations and having a great time while doing so. Even if these carefree moments were rare, that didn't mean they didn't exist - they were just all the more precious when they appeared. Alana laughed, forgetting all about her mission and her mistakes, Jayden grinned brightly, not caring about the fact that the Spectrewolf was chasing him and that his past would never leave him and finally TK gave off his own droid version of laughter, memories of the happy times of his Master no longer stinging instead appearing bittersweet against this moment. Sure, they were being stupid, but they were happy and that's all that mattered.

=== Happy Life Day! ===

Alana sat in the relative darkness off the common room in her sleepwear, watching the finally fully decorated and lit up Life Day tree blink with multicoloured lights that they had strung up, her face was relaxed and a smile resided on her face as her hands clutched a small cup of hot chocolate. She felt happy and for once her soul felt free and unburdened by the hardships the life of a Jedi brought. They had had a lot of fun with their little war and though the cleaning up had taken a bit of time they weren't bored. A bit later they all had decorated the tree and although TK and Jayden had nearly had a minor squabble over who did what it was still a lighthearted fight nonetheless. Alana brought her cup to her lips and took a sip as she contemplated the events of the day - it had been fun and she'd eventually gotten the gifts wrapped.  
Even Jedi celebrated Life Day so she was happy to be able to share this holiday with everyone. A year ago, she wouldn't have believed she'd be here and that she would have gotten to know such insane, but wonderful people like Jayden and TK. Alana sighed and shook her head in exasperation: well, wasn't she getting sentimental all of a sudden. Honestly, she was acting like the heroine of some cheesy holovid. Jayden's appearance in the dark common area didn't startle her in the least as she'd felt his presence approaching. His voice was quiet and calm as he spoke:  
-Why aren't you sleeping?  
Alana shrugged:  
-Guess I don't want the day to end yet. I'm stubborn that way.  
Jayden smiled as he sank down next to her on the sofa:  
-It's not like you can stop time, Alana.  
-Yeah, I know. I just want to be childish for a bit. All this... today...,- Alana paused trying to find the right words to express what she meant,- Well, I had a lot of fun - more than I've had in a long time so thanks, Jayden.  
-Hey, no problem, princess. I had fun too. Say, if you had a chance to go back in time and change the events that happened on Coruscant, would you?  
Alana paused for a moment, considering the question before shaking her head:  
-No, I don't think I would. It was a tough battle sure and there was a lot of stress that followed after, but I think it was all worth it. Maybe I'd tell myself to tell you to not get a big head for good measure, but that's all. I'm happy where I am, Jayden.  
The Mandolorian smiled:  
-I'd say the same, but I'd tell myself to be a little more careful when fighting you.  
-I wouldn't forgive you if you held back on the account of me being a girl.  
Jayden chuckled and shook his head:  
-No, it's not that. I was reckless and confident when I fought you so I lost. Besides my people don't discriminate by gender - we even have a saying: Drala gar ad at cuyir dral, a gar ad at cuyir dral - "Train your sons to be strong, but your daughters to be stronger". Some of the Mando'ad women I've met are the strongest people I've ever known and I know some pretty strong Jedi too.  
Alana pretended to look shocked, barely suppressing a smile:  
-You - a mighty Mandolorian warrior hang out with a pesky insignificant Jedi?! Inconceivable!  
Jayden laughed:  
-Yeah, I do and with a crazy droid.   
-Impossible! And who are they?  
Jayden shook his head, chuckling at her simple jokes:  
-Well, the droid is a bit temperamental and states that he's above organics such as I, but he's a good being at heart. Now, the Jedi... Hmm, she's more of a mystery.  
Alana grinned, as she continued pretending to be a holonet reporter:  
-Oh, how so, Mr. Callen?  
The Mando narrowed his eyes at her, but decided to play along with her little game:  
-Well, she's very stubborn and reckless and often finds herself in danger, but she never hesitates to help those who need it. She's kind and very brave too, to the point of foolishness. She doesn't realise how pretty she is and how easy it is for her to make people like and respect her. She's an enigma to me, a puzzle - one that I won't leave unsolved.  
Alana laughed, shying away from his words:  
-She must be one strange girl then if you speak so highly of her.  
Jayden nodded:  
-She's a weirdo alright, but she's a good person at heart. She even doesn't hate an evil guy like myself.  
Alana shook her head:  
-Now, now, Mr. Callen, don't sell yourself short. You may do things that she disapproves of sometimes, but I'm sure she holds you in high regard. In fact I have it on good authority that she's come to rely on you a lot.   
Jayden smiled, playing along with her little scenario:  
-Oh, is that so?  
Alana finally dropped the act and nodded earnestly:  
-I do really need you in my life, Jayden. Both you and our grumpy droid back in the cockpit have become very important to me.  
Jayden rubbed the back of his neck, awkwardly:  
-Um, thanks - haven't heard that from anyone in a long time. Though what's with compliments?  
Alana shot him a playful glare, but she was yawning and her eyelids were drooping:  
-You started,- she paused to yawn,- it...stupid...  
-Wow, this must be a new record - she didn't even finish her sentence.  
Jayden gave a soft laugh, as he saw the girl's eyes close and her to fall into a light sleep. She must have been exhausted from all the the crazy stuff they'd done that day. Alana was disturbingly good at hiding that fact that she was exhausted. Jayden sighed, as he carefully pried the cup from her grip and put it on the small table before the couch. Shaking his head in exasperation, he picked the sleeping girl up and snorted - yep, she was dead to the world no waking her now. He had a small smile on his face as he muttered:  
-Honestly, sometimes I forget you're a Jedi, princess. You can be such a weirdo.  
Alana stirred in her sleep and mumbled something along the lines of "stupid Mando" and "be quiet" as well as "life day". Jayden smiled as he put her down on her bunk in the crew quarters and adjusted the blankets:  
-You can be such a kid, too... Stars, why does your master even let you wander around this galaxy alone?   
The Mandolorian turned around when he heard a quiet whistle from the doorway. He turned around to find TK there. Jayden nodded as he stepped out of the quarters and closed the door:  
-Yeah, she's out like a light. No waking her now. She's like a little kid, so excited for Life Day and whatnot...  
-Beep-dee-whop?  
-Me? I suppose this might be a fun day to spend with you two and the others around at Port Nowhere. See you tomorrow, trashcan.  
-Bzzt-whop!  
-Yeah, yeah. Goodnight to you, too, scrap heap.

=== Happy Life Day! ===

The way Jayden Callen, an infamous Mandolorian bounty hunter, noticed Alana Sheelan, an odd Jedi, was always a most peculiar thing. Sometimes he knew she was there before he even saw her and at other times he didn't notice her presence at all which was always a great source of amusement for her. Life Day turned out to be one of the latter days so it would suffice to say that Jayden was surprised when Alana popped out of seemingly nowhere in the cockpit - shouting "Happy Life Day!". Well, in reality it was a pretty comical sight that ended with TK drenched in caf, Jayden sitting on the floor from falling of his seat and Alana laughing her head off. The Mandolorian shook his head at her as he picked himself up:  
-Happy Life Day to you too, princess. Mind not scaring me half to death next time?  
Alana grinned:  
-Sorry, but you didn't notice me so I couldn't resist.  
-I should have known. Sorry, about pouring caf on you, tin can.  
-Bzzt-reet-dreet!!!!  
-Well, I did apologise - tell you what - there's should be a droid maintenance station on Port Nowhere, have fun.  
Alana plopped down on the copilots chair and pulled out a plate that had been sitting in a lower compartment under the control panels and held it out to Jayden. Jayden raised an eyebrow upon seeing familiar shaped and coloured cookies:  
-You're kidding me... The reason you locked me out of the galley yesterday...  
Alana nodded grinning brightly:  
-Hey, I wanted it to be a surprise, hunter, besides I didn't really know how to bake or even if I could on a ship. TK was helping out more or less.  
-Bzzt-blip!  
-Yeah, yeah, tin can - whatever that pazaak win doesn't count.  
-Beep-deet!  
-Does not!  
Alana shook her head at her arguing companions and just to shut one up she took one of the cookies and shoved it in the Mandolorian's mouth. She leaned her head to the side like a curious child, hiding her worry well:  
-So? How are they? I tried the recipe but--  
Jayden shook his head and swallowed after chewing:  
-They're really good. You sure you never baked before? This is exactly like the first time you cooked.  
Alana shrugged as she popped one of her homemade ewok shaped gingerbread cookies in her mouth. Swallowing, she replied:  
-No idea. I'd like to think I might have with my mum or dad, possibly.  
TK chirped an agreement that it was possible since there were things that the muscles and intuition remembered even if the mind didn't. Jayden gave a small nod as he swiped another cookie from the plate:  
-Could be. Would explain a bunch of stuff. So, why ewok shaped?  
-Why not? Wookies are far too mainstream.   
Jayden snorted and TK gave his own version of laughter in response to which Alana just gave her usual warm smile. She turned to Jayden and raised an eyebrow:  
-So did you get the presents ready?  
Jayden sighed and turned back to the controls:  
-Of course I did, perfect memory, remember? I know the kind of trouble guys get into for forgetting stuff like this and it does help that someone reminded me a gazillions times.  
Alana shot him a look:  
-Hey, it was only ten times! A dozen max.  
TK piped up that he counted that it was exactly 24 times. Alana sighed:  
-Ganging up on me now? Not cool.  
-Hey, it's Life Day - everything is cool.  
Alana rolled her eyes, but smiled. She couldn't stay mad at these idiots for long - well, unless they did something truly horrible. She shook her head: nope, today she wasn't even entertaining these thoughts! Jayden's voice jerked her out of her thoughts:  
-We're dropping out of hyperspace. Port Nowhere should be here according to the coordinates we were sent.  
-Ooh, I want to see! Have either of you been here before?  
TK whistled an affirmative, stating that he'd been here once before while Jayden nodded:  
-Yeah, a couple of times. This is actually where I met Seila and Heims for the first time. Okay, here we go.  
Jayden pulled a lever and the instantly the blue vortex of hyperspace vanished and was replaced by the view of realspace and a lone Azlus-class Hutt dreadnought floating in space. Alana cast a dubious a look at it before turning to Jayden:  
-Is that it?  
Jayden smirked as he piloted the Storm towards the docking bays:  
-Oh, trust me - this place is way more impressive on the inside.  
-Beep!  
-Well, I'll trust you on this.  
-You won't regret it.  
Jayden turned the Storm around and sat back contentedly as the docking clamp latched on and the airlock engaged. As soon as that loud hiss was heard, he sat up:  
-Well, we're here and --  
He was cut off by the sound of his holocom beeping. Sighing, Jayden clicked accept:  
-Yeah?  
A familiar figure of a female rattaki popped up:  
-Heya! Merry Life Day!  
Alana grinned at the sight of a familiar friendly face who she'd met back on Bestine IV:  
-Seila! Happy Holidays to you too! Are you here too?!  
Seila winked:  
-But of course! Even better - I'm just outside your door.  
Jayden groaned:  
-No, no, please no...  
Alana cast him a bewildered look:  
-What's wrong?  
Instead of the Mandolorian answering his friend did it for him:  
-Oh, he just knows a little life day tradition I have...  
-No, Seila! There's no way I'm doing it this year!  
-You say this every year.  
-Well, this time I'm serious!  
The hologram winked out and instead Seila's voice sounded from the doorway of the cockpit:  
-Too late now.  
Alana and Jayden turned around to see the rattaki standing right there. She was wearing a red dress with a black trim and a strange red hat with a white trim and a white pom-pom on the end, in her hand she held a bag. Jayden frowned, crossing his arms across her chest:  
-How'd you get in?  
Seila grinned and gestured towards TK:  
-He let me in.  
Jayden threw a look at TK and muttered something along the lines of the fact that droids were always traitors to which TK responded by calling him a coward. When Jayden opened his mouth to say something that would most certainly start a fight, Alana reacted by swiftly shoving a ginger ewok cookie into his mouth. She placed her hands on her hips and looked at her two companions sternly, much like a mother who was reprimanding her two naughty sons:  
-No fighting! Not today. Do you understand me?  
TK gave a reluctant whistle of agreement and Jayden nodded while giving Alana an unimpressed look while still chewing the cookie. Seila all the while was watching the whole scene with extreme amusement, she unexpectedly commented:  
-Wow, you're just like their mother...  
Alana sighed, but she was smiling:  
-Well, someone has to keep these two in line...  
A new voice that everyone in this cockpit knew came from behind Seila:  
-Couldn't have put it better myself, Angel.  
From behind Seila stepped out a young man with a tanned face, strikingly blonde hair and black tattoos. Alana raised her eyebrows in surprise:  
-Zeth?!  
He smirked and gave a small bow:  
-Merry Life Day, my sweet Angel. Would you please--  
Before Zeth could finish speaking he found a ginger ewok cookie stuffed into his mouth. Alana and Seila turned to look at the most likely culprit and a chortling droid. Alana gave Jayden a "really?!" look and he made an innocent face in response:  
-What? I'm following your example. Besides he'd love to eat some of those cookies, wouldn't you, ickle Zethy?  
Alana sighed and just shoved another cookie into Jayden's mouth to make him be quiet. Seila laughed:  
-That's one way to shut someone up.  
Alana rubbed her forehead tiredly and looked down at the plate of cookies with a thoughtful expression on her face:  
-Yeah, but at this rate I'll run out of my cookies soon.  
Jayden swallows the cookie and shot his female partner a glare:  
-Maybe you wouldn't if you didn't keep shoving them in into my mouth.  
Alana gave him a deceptively innocent look:  
-But how else can I shut you up?  
-Grr, princess...  
She grinned and retorted:  
-What, hunter? Remember- no fighting.  
Jayden simply shook his head in exasperation while Zeth looked between the two with a slightly bewildered expression: he hadn't seen his enemy act quite this way before. Seila giggled:  
-Oh, so you two have nicknames for each other? How cute!  
Alana and Jayden shook their heads at the same time and spoke in unison:  
-No, just no.  
Seila pouted:  
-Whatever do you mean?   
Alana gave her a look:  
-Why does everyone assume that he and I have something between us?! Seriously, we only call each other that to annoy the life out of the other person.  
Jayden vigorously nodded his head, while Seila frowned. However, the next moment she was grinning again:  
-Anyway, since we have three new participants we can have an especially fun life day tradition now!  
Jayden crossed his arms over his chest:  
-No. I'm not taking part in it again.  
Zeth sniggered:  
-What? Afraid I'll look better than you?  
Jayden's competitive nature instantly kicked in:  
-Oh, bring it on! Seila, we're going to my room to change.  
The rattaki grinned and handed each of them a package from her bag, waving them off cheerily. Alana shot a worried look after them:  
-Are you sure they won't kill each other? And what's this tradition?  
Seila chuckled:  
-Why it's a dress up game of course!  
Alana stared at Seila as though she had grown an extra head before it clicked:  
-What?!

=== Happy Life Day! ===

Half an hour later Alana found herself sitting in a chair in front of a mirror while Seila was doing something with her hair. She was wearing a one-shouldered dress that changed colours from white to light blue as it went down and one that stopped a modest height above her knees - it looked like it was made of snow and ice and was surprisingly comfortable. She was also wearing a pair of white boots (she thanked all the higher forces that they weren't the death traps called high heels) and had light blue ribbons wrapped around her arms , criss crossing and going down to her wrists where they stopped and were wrapped into a tiny knot with the ends trailing down - it may have looked uncomfortable, but it was actually wasn't - Seila was just good like that. The young Jedi had slipped her weapons into a leg holster that was attached to her thigh. Alana exhaled and looked up with her bright dark blue eyes to see her face in the mirror. Thankfully, Seila had said that there was no need for any makeup and just gave Alana a pair of earrings that had three tiny silver stars dangling on a short chain from a circle which the Jedi put on - for once grateful that she'd gotten her ears pierced a few years ago for a mission. Seila had also wanted her to wear a necklace, but Alana instantly declined with such certainty that Seila decided not to press the issue - it was personal, but Alana never ever wore necklaces. Alana made her eyes meet the rattaki's purple eyes in the mirror:  
-Seila, why are you making me dress up?  
She smiled:  
-Well, I have a tradition that my friends follow - wear brand new winter or Life Day themed clothes for the party. Plus, they kinda indulge my hobby.  
Alana raised an eyebrow:  
-Your hobby?  
-Yep, clothes designing. Weird, I know, but I like to relax after a job well done and design some clothes and them create them. Life Day is the only time when I can get that adorable little jerk to wear them, I was actually really happy to get to design clothes for a teenage human girl this year! Plus I love dressing people up!  
Alana smiled and unexpectedly reached over to a small drawer before pulling out a small square box wrapped in wrapping paper. Seila's eyes widened:  
-What's this?  
-Well, I asked Jayden what to get you for Life Day and he grinned and said something arts and craftsy. I don't know if you'll like this, but...  
Seila smiled gently and took the present Alana was holding out:  
-Thank you. I'm sure I'll love it. I know Alda probably has already told you this, but it's a huge present to us that you're looking after Jayden as it is. He's rough around the edges and he's definitely not the best person, but he's too hard on himself. He punishes himself too often. He's --  
Alana looked at Seila in the mirror and smiled gently to cut her off. She whispered:  
-I know, Seila. Don't worry, I'll look after him.  
-Thank you. And you're all done! Well, nearly...  
Alana looked at her reflection properly for the first time. Her hair was brushed back and the front strands from either side were neatly plaited into two small thin braids at either side that Seila had tied between her head with a small light blue ribbon that matched her dress. Alana smiled and her reflection smiled back. She'd never been a vain or a shallow person and she feared becoming one, but it couldn't hurt to think that she looked pretty at least once, right? She liked the way she looked. Alana turned to Seila with a grateful smile:  
-Thank you, Seila.  
Seila grinned:  
-Uh-uh, there's still a final touch to add. Close your eyes.  
-But--  
-Just do it.  
-Well, alright.  
Alana closed her eyes and felt Seila slide something onto her head and fiddle with the braids to make sure they were securing whatever it was well. The rattaki spoke up a moment later:  
-Okay, you can look now.  
Alana opened her eyes to see a small circlet on her head made out of four pointed stars. Alana carefully stood up and was immensely relieved when the tiara didn't fall off. Seila smiled behind her, immensely pleased with her work:  
-I though it was fitting. Even more so now that I know what Jayden calls you. Seeing as it's a costume party we're all dressing up - you're dressing up as the princess of the Stars. It's a folk tale my mother used to tell me.  
Alana's face broke out into a bright smile and she couldn't help, but hug the rattataki. The older woman patted her on the back:  
-You're welcome - this is my present to you.  
Alana pulled back and nodded:  
-I'm honored accept it.  
Seila laughed and shook her head:  
-Stop being so formal. I swear you Jedi... Anyways, let's go before the boys resort to cannibalism.  
Alana smiled:  
-Oh, I don't think they will - those cookies should do the trick. Go on ahead, I'll catch up!

=== Happy Life Day! ===

Alana's dark blue eyes scanned the room for any familiar faces as she walked through the room that was full of many people in completely different and not average clothing styles - Seila had been right when she'd said this was a costume party. In one of the left corners of the spacious room there were a few tables heavily laden with Life Day themed food, the room was decorated with what looked like a few real Life Day trees and quite a few artificial ones, that was not mentioning the holotrees. Port Nowehere's interior relied pretty heavily on neon coloured holograms, which in its own right was a very unique style and one that was no less attractive than a palace on Alderaan could be. There just was some sort of roguish charm to this place. Music was playing and different languages could be heard all around the room, with a dry sort of humour Alana realised that she understood most of them. She shook her head: no way was her last going to spoil today for her!   
Alana was glancing around the room and not really paying attention to where she was going causing her to bump into someone. She quickly started apologising when suddenly she froze and started giggling. She had bumped into a tall man wearing a wookie costume (which was in itself funny and kind of symbolic since Life Day was originally a sacred wookie holiday that only they celebrated - it spread to the rest of the Galaxy much later), but what really made Alana crack up was the fact that she recognised the Force presence of the person. The wookie-man gave an annoyed sigh:  
-Should have known I'd run into you here, Shorty.  
-Skyidiot! Haven't seen you in a while. Stupid pleasantries and customary objections about my height aside - why are you a wookie?   
-Well, what are you suppose to be?  
Alana shrugged, still grinning up at Anakin Skywalker, who was funnily enough dressed as a wookie:  
-Some mythical folklore princess. So why a wookie?  
Anakin sighed:  
-Obi-wan's idea.  
Alana laughed:  
-So what is he and why are you here?  
-He gets to dress up as some sort of pirate.  
-Oh, so you're his sidekick!  
-I am NOT his sidekick!  
-Right, right, I forgot - you're a master at being caught.  
-He told you that one?!  
Alana nodded cheerfully, much to Anakin's chagrin. She quickly readdressed the question the Hero with No Fear seemed to be dodging:  
-So why are you here?  
-You're not going to let this go, are you?  
-Nope.  
-We're looking for someone. Happy?  
-Who?  
-Nosy as ever, Shorty.  
-It's called being curious, Skywookie.  
-You did not just--  
Alana doubled over laughing at the irritated man inside a wookie costume. Anakin Skywalker sighed: Alana Sheelan was the same as always - impossible. What in the Galaxy had possessed him to become friends with this girl anyway? Oh right, Obi-wan had made him look after her while he and Kai Lionis sorted stuff out. She'd really grown up since that time, but to him she'd always be an incredibly short cheeky brat that he had to watch out for, trouble and her were like twins. Padme had often chided him gently for teasing the girl, but that was just the relationship they had - he teased Alana and she teased him back. Sure, 6 years had passed since they met, but they hadn't changed that much. Well, except... The war had forced them to mature much faster than normal - she wasn't a kid anymore, he knew that. Her power level also had grown exponentially and Anakin was proud of the kind of Jedi she was becoming. He wasn't sure what Alana was to him - maybe like an annoying younger cousin one saw from time to time. Yeah, that was probably the most accurate description. Alana wiped away tears of mirth and breathlessly choked out:  
-Stars, Anakin you are hilarious. Well, sorry for distracting you from your mission. I've got to find my friends anyway. Good luck, Skywookie.  
-Merry Life Day, Shorty! I'm kinda glad for your existence.  
Alana nodded and gave him a mischievous smile:  
-You too, Skywookie. See you around! Tell Master Kenobi that I wish him a Happy Life Day, okay?  
Alana walked away from Anakin, scanning the merry crowd for two people in particular: Jayden and Zeth. She hoped they hadn't killed each other yet. A voice right beside Alana made her jump:  
-No, everyone is still alive.  
Alana whirled around to find a girl about her age with silver eyes and short red hair in a dark blue dress watching her curiously. Alana looked uncomfortable:  
-Did I say that out loud?  
-Yep. So who are these people?  
Alana shook her head:  
-They're two very reckless Mandolorians I know.   
The girl nodded her head:  
-Yeah, I've heard Mandos are a bit short tempered. Oh, where are my manners?! I'm Kyrisiel, call me Kyri.  
Alana smiled and took the girls outstretched hand:  
-Alana, I'm Alana Sheelan.  
-You're very trusting.  
-My friend keeps telling me that. I love your dress.  
Kyri smiled and pulled Alana over to the food table:  
-Why, thank you. You look very cute. Why are you here, Alana?  
Alana shrugged as her eyes scanned the food table:  
-Oh, we were invited by the organiser of the party.  
-You know the organisers?  
-Two of them, haven't met the last one yet. I'm surprised they were allowed to throw a party on the whole station.  
Kyri smiled:  
-We all need a party occasionally to take our minds off the darkness and dreariness of this war.  
Alana raised an eyebrow as she picked up a mug of hot chocolate with small marshmallows floating on top:  
-You're part of it, too?  
Kyri nibbled on a cookie as she gave an affirmative nod:  
-Unfortunately. Hey, do you know that guy? He's kinda weird and I think he just waved at you.  
Alana switched her gaze over to the place Kyri was pointing at. Her jaw dropped and Kyri kindly closed it for her. Alana sighed:  
-I cannot believe he's here.  
-You know him?  
-Yes, please excuse me. It was nice meeting you.  
Alana nodded and placed her half-finished mug on the table. She made her way over to the man wearing a brown shirt with a balcony tie as well as a hat. She placed her hands on her hips as she looked at him:  
-Master?! The heck are you doing here?!  
Kai Lionis switched his gaze to her and waved slightly:  
-Oh, hey, Alana. I'm drinking? I was looking for Sithy and I just ended up here somehow - this twi'lek invited me to the party! Yay!   
Alana pinched the bridge of her nose:   
-You're already drunk? I swear this happens every life day!  
Another familiar voice unexpectedly spoke from behind Alana:  
-No way. Alana?!  
Alana turned around to see a her best friend, with her blue hair up in two buns and wearing a long yellow dress. Alana rushed up to the girl and threw her arms around her:  
-EMIRA!  
The other girl hugged her back:  
-It's great to see you, Alana. Just don't shout in my ear next time, ok?  
Alana laughed and hugged her best friend tighter. This was one person who's existence Alana would be eternally grateful for.

=== Happy Life Day! ===

About an hour later Alana found herself resuming her previous activity of searching the dreadnought for Jayden and Zeth after making sure Emira and her Master were OK and catching up with the former. She wondered where in the blazes had those two not entirely inconspicuous teenage boys had gotten off to - she should've found them by now, but then again they were master bounty hunters so she should've expected it to not be that easy. Alana looked up when she saw a rain of glitter coming towards her and sighed in exasperation once she saw the culprit - TK was carrying a blaster loaded with glitter and had for some reason donned a bow tie and a back cape, making him look a little odd as he used his boosters to fly. Alana glanced around before using the Force to pull the blaster from the droid's grip so she could get his attention. Her plan worked and just as she deftly caught the blaster TK landed before her, demanding that she return the blaster to him. Alana calmly handed it back as she crouched down in front of the droid:  
-Hey, have you seen Jayden and Zeth anywhere?  
The astromech buzzed that while he had seen the idiot captain and the loudmouthed Mandolorian not far from the dance floor he wasn't sure they were still there. Alana sighed as she tucked away a stray lock of her caramel-brown hair and nodded:  
-Thanks, TK. Should have known they'd be hard to catch.  
-Bzzt-blip-whop?  
-No, but thanks. Go have fun, ok? We're getting back to the grindstone tomorrow.  
-Beep.  
TK activated his boosters and took off to cause chaos by spraying everyone with glitter. Alana shook her head in exasperation and just continued making her way towards the dance floor. However, navigating a crowd of so many beings with different body structures was anything but easy so Alana ended up tripping. She closed her eyes on instinct and braced for a crash that never came. Startled, Alana looked up to see an older man with brown eyes, dark silver hair and a scar running to his right eye, dressed in a sharp black suit with white gloved grabbing her upper arm. The look in his eyes was somewhat disconcerting and it made Alana's heart speed up a pace - she had a bad feeling about this. The man merely sighed and righted her before giving her a small nod and moving past her wordlessly. Feeling indebted, Alana turned around to the mysterious unknown man and called after him:  
-Thank you!  
The man merely raised one arm in a move of acceptance. The next moment Alana felt someone tap her on the shoulder. Alana turned around to find the two people she had been looking for there. Her first thought was one of relief as they hadn't murder each other while the second one was of how handsome they looked. Alana's Jedi side screamed at her to get a grip, but Jedi or not she was still a girl who had her own opinion's on men's looks. Zeth had his spiky blonde hair slicked backward, he wore a red shirt with a brown jacket and pants with gold buttons and a cape. Jayden, on the other hand, had his normally messy jet black hair combed and patted down sideways, he wore a light blue shirt that he'd rolled up to his elbows, a black sleeveless jacket and pants with silver buttons and silver shoulder pads with short tassels. In short they looked very different, but the clothes suited them. Zeth looked more like a rogue king that had a rougher vibe while Jayden looked regal and noble - just like the man he was born to be originally, but there was that air about him coupled with the way he looked at her that made Alana smile as she recognised the normal Jayden Callen. Zeth was the one who'd tapped her on the shoulder:  
-Ah, so my Angel finally shows up.  
Alana smiled:  
-Well, I would have shown up sooner if you weren't so damn hard to find. I trust you have been celebrating each other's existence adequately as per the sentiment of this day?  
Jayden snorted:  
-Oh, now that's asking too much. The fact that we haven't killed each other yet without adult supervision is a miracle, right, your highness?  
The Jedi's smile only brightened at her partners comment. She placed her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes in a challenging way:  
-Are you telling me you haven't been enjoying your one on one time? I was going to keep this a secret, but you two seemed to be having such a good time so I was more or less deliberately procrastinating. I didn't want to intrude upon the moment.  
Zeth chuckled as Jayden rolled his eyes, unable to suppress a smile nevertheless. The blonde Mandolorian took the girl's hand in his and gently lifted it to his lips, placing a delicate kiss on top of it. Alana blinked in surprise at the gesture which caused Zeth to smirk:  
-Milady, would you grant me the honour of a dance this fine evening?  
Alana looked into his aquamarine eyes, a little bewildered:  
-But this music--  
-Will do just fine. I anxiously await your response, Angel.  
Alana took a deep breath and nodded her head:  
-Uh, um, Alright, I guess?  
-Splendid.  
Zeth didn't hesitate a moment before pulling her into the dance floor. The music, as Alana had previously pointed out, was not the typical music to which people danced in pairs, but Zeth managed to move them in time to the music in such a way that it worked. He smiled as he twirled the slightly bewildered Jedi around:  
-I'm guessing from the way you move you haven't done much dancing in your life?  
Alana shook her head, a small happy smile on her face:  
-No, I haven't. It's not part of the "perfect Jedi" curriculum. I've only done it twice before today to be honest, back on Bestine IV.  
-Oh, so I don't have the pleasure of being your first partner?  
Alana laughed:  
-Afraid not, my first partner was a spy that demanded Shadow's identity and threatened to carve out my eyes right then and there.  
Zeth's eyebrows shot up, making the black tattoo on his forehead crinkle:  
-Well, that's quite a first experience. So I do hope your second partner was nicer?  
A small bright grin settled upon the Jedi's lips:  
-Well, yes. The second time I danced with someone was quite nice. He was quite experienced in dancing and quite courteous.  
Zeth had a slightly sceptical look on his face as he made the next few steps:  
-Oh and who was that fine gentleman?  
Alana's grin only brightened further making Zeth's suspicions rise. She was silent for a moment before laughing:  
-You are going to regret your compliments in his favour when you learn who it was.  
-I'm sure I will not.   
-Oh, I bet you will.  
-Never, angel.  
-Don't say I didn't warn you. My second partner was none other than Jayden.  
Zeth's facial expression was blank as his mind struggled to process the information, prompting Alana to laugh even harder. A second later he snapped back in:  
-What the kriff, Angel?! It was Callen?!  
Alana had a bright smile on her face:  
-Told you so.  
-I swear, Callen is the worst for stealing my angel's second dance.  
Alana shrugged:  
-He didn't steal it. I agreed.  
-Why?  
-Apart from the fact that the circumstances demanded it, I wanted to. He's a really good dancer.  
Zeth huffed:  
-Should've known - he was born into nobility, that prick. Well, that's enough about him - let's talk about you, Angel. Tell me something about yourself.  
Alana bit her lip as Zeth twirled her around once more before looping an arm around her waist once more:  
-Well, there's not much that's unusual about me. I'm a simple Jedi padawan on a mission from the Jedi Council who has the weirdest luck ever apparently.  
-Now don't sell yourself short, Angel. You're special to me. In fact your existence is one of those I'm grateful for today.  
The song ended and Alana gently pulled away:  
-That's very flattering. Thank you for the dance and though I can't return the sentiment just yet I'd say you're a very curious person to get to know, Zeth Ordo.  
The blonde Mandolorian grinned, but the next moment Alana found herself pulled away from him by another hand and back onto the dance floor. She couldn't stop the amused but exasperated smile from appearing on her lips as she saw a familiar pair of green eyes. She sighed:  
-You just couldn't let this go, could you?  
Jayden smiled in response as he placed one of her arms on his shoulder while he slipped his own around the Jedi's slender waist:  
-Afraid not. Ordo stole you away so I'm stealing you back.  
Alana shook her head with a small tired smile:  
-I'm not a possession, you know.  
-No, you're not,-Jayden agreed calmly,- but you are an attractive young woman who also happens to be my partner and I'm not letting Ordo keep you to himself. I'm not letting that bastard get the upper hand.  
An odd look flickered across Alana's face. She couldn't meet Jayden's eyes as she spoke:  
-So even this is a contest to you? I'm just another pawn in the game? I should have known...  
Jayden quickly shook his head as he realised how his words had sounded. He hadn't meant to hurt her, but he had. He sighed and slipped one hand under her chin and tilted it up to make her look at him:  
-Force, Alana, I'm sorry for how that sounded. I would never ever use you as a pawn, believe me.  
She looked like she was suppressing tears when she looked up at him, the light in her vibrant midnight blue eyes wavering. Jayden had never seen her so vulnerable and upset - it was unlike her. It took a moment for Jayden to recall that while Alana was a very strong person and a Jedi, she was also a teenage girl and just like any other person she could be hurt by careless words. She whispered:  
-Why shouldn't you? It's not like you and I have anything between us. Your rivalry with Zeth.... I thought we might be friends, but--  
Jayden silenced her by pressing his forehead against hers, igniting their Force bond stronger than ever and opening both ends of it forcibly just like he had done back in Rrask's base on Bestine IV. He spoke in a hushed voice:  
-I'm sorry, believe me please. We are friends, Alana, and I am really grateful that you're here, that you exist. I've wondered more than once why you haven't turned me in yet, why you're still by my side. So why?  
Alana gave a watery chuckle:  
-I don't know. Maybe because I see the good in you.  
-I'm not a good person.  
-I know, but neither am I.  
-That's where you're wrong. You're able to shoulder your burden and yet walk in the light while I have sunk to the darkness.  
Alana didn't even second guess her actions as she wa rapped both arms around Jayden's neck and hugged him:  
-We're different and we both have heavy sins to bear. Our sins are different. Neither of us is a good person. I look at my best friend and I realise that I could never be as good as her, as light. I know what it's like to teeter on the edge of darkness that's why I understand you.  
She pulled away to look her partner in the eyes before quietly adding:  
-And as per this day's sentiment I'm glad that you're here Jayden - that you exist. I know Seila and the others are too.  
Jayden finally smiled again:  
-We're the strangest pair in the galaxy.  
Alana laughed:  
-Not going to argue with you on that. Happy Life Day, hunter.  
Jayden looked into her bright and kind eyes once again realising just how pretty and startling they were as he responded:  
-Happy Life Day, princess.


	43. CHAPTER 41 - To defeat a Sith-witch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! Welcome to Chapter 41, end of the Rodia arc and of course 2017! I hope everyone had a nice New Years! I certainly did. Anyway, I'm here with a few notes:  
> 1)Um, yes, this is my longest chapter to date. Sorry, I just started writing and then when I finished writing it I realised it was 16000+ words. I thought about splitting it up into two chapters, but it just doesn't feel right.  
> 2) My opinion on this chapter is kind of wobbly. At first it's ok, then good, good, then meh, after that ok and more mehs and okays. It's just weird like that. I hope you like it. I actually enjoyed writing the action sequences here as difficult as it is. Also I'm sore about the last part - I rewrote it twice, but it still is kinda weak.  
> 3) Sorry about any unnoticed typos or grammar mistakes. I did proofread this insanity.  
> 4) I have a question. How bad was the Rodia Arc and also any canon characters you'd like to see make a cameo appearance on the next planet?   
> 5) I apologise for how OOC Ventress is, I'll work on keeping her in character if she ever appears again.  
> 6) Enjoy!
> 
> P.S If you're on fanfiction-dot-net then this chapter will be split up into two parts, but it's still one chapter.

=========SW:LB===============  
Chapter 41 - To defeat a Sith-witch

Alana gazed up at Ventress with such a look that it unnerved the Sith. The girl's odd eyes held such intensity in them, that it was unsettling and almost frightening to look into them. The Force around the girl was swirling with such speed and power that Ventress believed that if it had been visible it would have been like the tornados she had seen back on Rattatak. Ventress narrowed her eyes slightly - so this was the little Jedi who had been able to swipe the artefact from right under Grievous's nose? She could see why he could have failed, young as she was the amount of raw power that child possessed was impressive, but then again Ventress had something the cyborg puppet was severely lacking in - The Force. It would even the playing field. Ventress could see why Grievous had underestimated the child: she looked somewhat fragile, like she wasn't meant for combat or any practical use at all. She almost looked like a doll, one that could break as easily as a twig would snap. Her appearance was very deceiving indeed and amusingly enough the girl didn't realise that. How very interesting...  
   Alana ignited her lightsabers, the green and violet colours blazing in the darkness of the jungle. She was struggling to keep control, the rage she felt was threatening to break free. She felt like she would lose control at any moment if not for the steadying waves of reassurance that Jayden was sharing over their bond, he was wordlessly promising her that Ventress would not escape justice. Taking a deep breath and for a moment looking away from the captive child Alana glared up at Ventress:  
-I'm here as you asked, Ventress. Now let Kii go.  
The dathomirian woman's lips moved to form a chilling smile:  
-Hm? Oh, you mean this little one? Not before you hand me the artefact, Jedi scum.  
-What artefact?  
-Don't play dumb with me, Jedi. I know you have it - the artefact from Duro. Give it to me or watch and see what happens...  
Ventress raised one hand and suddenly the little Rodian girl began choking, her hands flew up to her throat in a fruitless attempt to pry away the invisible fingers crushing her windpipe. Her pain resonated through the Force, making Alana jerk forwards, towards her, only to be stopped by Jayden. She struggled against his strong grip:  
-No! Let me go! I've got to save her!  
Jayden shook his head firmly:  
-No. Alana, stop and think for a moment! Rushing in will only get you both killed! We can save--  
-I can't leave her! It's my fault she's in this mess! She's my responsibility!  
-And I won't stand by and watch you get yourself killed!  
Ventress snapped suddenly:  
-I don't have all day, Jedi. Give me the artefact.  
Unexpectedly Kii choked out:  
-No!.. Alana... don't...give...it...  
-Silence! Now, hand it over, little Jedi.  
Alana hesitated for a second. She remembered the letter on Duro that had warned her against letting the artefact fall into the hands of the Sith or the Jedi and the power it possessed. True, Alana had witnessed only a fraction of its true power, but she knew somewhere inside that the consequences of it being used by a Sith would be disastrous. Alana's hand instinctually drifted closer to her belt. Jayden cast her a conflicted look and TK gave a worried whistle. Alana sighed and pulled out the frantically blinking artefact from her belt pouch and held it out to Ventress on an open palm. The dathomirian woman smiled and used the Force to pull the artefact towards her. She put it away and turned to look at the furious Jedi again:  
-Thank you for your contribution.  
-Shut up. Let Kii go, right now.  
-Oh, you poor, naive Jedi. I don't take kindly to orders.  
The world seemed to move in slow motion for Alana as she saw Ventress ignite one of the lightsabers that had originally belonged to Komari Vosa and plunged the lightsaber through Kii's heart. The child's eyes widened before they became completely blank, devoid of life. It had been a quick death. The lifeless body fell to the ground like a rag doll and with a certain air of distaste Ventress kicked it away. Jayden, who in his shock had let go of Alana, couldn't stop the Jedi from running over to the corpse. Alana deactivated her lightsabers and ran her eyes over the child's body, unable to believe what she was seeing.  
   She was filled with a mixture of emotions: disbelief, pain, anger, rage and pure hatred. The light of hope had been snuffed out completely and utterly. The tendrils of darkness began to pull at her and this time Alana had no strength to push them away, to hold strong against the darkness. It overflowed and only empowered the dark blood within her veins.Her eyes filled with tears and sobs wracked her body, but there was no sound. She cradled the dead child's head in her hands. She saw the last vestiges of the once bright Force presence fade away and she understood. She understood, she knew that she had failed. She should have known that Ventress would kill Kii - she had killed her parents along the way after all. She should have known... And now they were dead... dead... and for what?...Nothing... There was nothing. Then why was she clinging to the light?   
   Alana stood up and switched on her lightsabers. She laughed quietly, but in such a way that made chills run up the onlooker's spines. It wasn't a laugh that conveyed joy or amusement, not even one that was self-depreciative. No, it was a sound that conveyed the sound of someone's spirit breaking into a tiny million pieces. Alana looked up at Ventress, her eyes completely yellow and wild:  
-You're right. I was so foolish. Why was I even considering sparing you? There's no point, you'll just kill and kill and kill. It's much easier if I stop the slaughter now.  
The next moment she leapt at Ventress who was forced to quickly activate her own lightsabers to block the younger woman's oncoming barrage of blows. Her lightsaber movements were no longer swift and graceful as Ventress had once observed, but instead they were heavy and brutal. There was no art to the way her lightsabers moved only chaos, she was chaos incarnate and she was here to destroy her enemy no matter the cost. Still, the girl had no experience in the Dark Side and she was fumbling in the dark so despite the girl's considerable abilities Ventress had the upper hand.  
   Jayden and TK watched on in numb shock as Ventress activated her other lightsaber and the two red lightsabers clashed with the green and violet ones Alana carried. Both onlookers had also noted the change in their friend's fighting style and while TK had picked up on a strong alteration in her brainwave pattern Jayden had sensed the darkness envelop Alana within itself through their Force Bond. This happened a few other times, but during those times Jayden had sensed the girl he knew beneath the shroud of darkness, but this time it she wasn't there. Alana wasn't there. At all. This worried him immensely - he had to snap her out of it. Jayden knew it was a stupid idea to rush into the fight, but he knew Alana was going to get herself killed. She wasn't supposed to be immersed in the dark! Alana was anything, but a creature of darkness. Her presence was made of the light itself, she was the one in their duo that kept the light shining no matter what. This situation, this failure, this darkness - it was destroying her! He would not let her become like him! However, before Jayden could even move an inch, he felt as if someone had stuck a lightsaber through his chest as well as punching him in the gut. Reflexively, he fell to his knees and his hands flew up to his chest. He couldn't suppress a groan of pain from tumbling past his lips. The normally calm bright flame of their bond in the back of his mind first flickered and faded before suddenly erupting into a blazing inferno. Jayden's head hurt horribly, it was as if someone was trying to split his skull in two. He had experienced extreme pain before, but this was beginning to get a bit too much even for his pain threshold which was unusually high.  
    Distantly, Jayden heard TK gave a worried whistle and then there was the sound of blaster fire as well as lightsabers clashing before it all faded into silence. A silence that Jayden had known many times before, but had not heard in the past 4 or so years - a silence that promised that the final fate was coming, death was here. He'd been here many times before, but this time it was different somehow. All Jayden was certain of was that this was all somehow connected to Alana and as a consequence to him. His suspicions were all the more confirmed when the world faded to black and he fell onto the ground - he was losing consciousness and all he could hear was silence.

==SW: LB==

Tenebris jerked up from his work when he felt the wave of darkness roll through the Force. He knew there was only one person that was alive who's darkness he could feel so acutely- Alana Sheelan. He frowned, making his hands continue their work. This was not good, not good at all - this was the second time he felt such darkness coming from her. Was his former Master interfering again? No, his presence didn't seem connected to this darkness so it was just her. He was fairly certain her past self would have reined in the dark waved by now so this was just the present amnesiac her losing control. Tenebris sighed:  
-So she finally snapped, it was only a matter of time before she would. Unfortunate, but necessary. This way she is seeing what the dark side contains and it's power, her dark bloodline is powerful indeed. She must learn or she will not grow and I would hate to fight her when she is but a fledgling Jedi as she in now.  
Tenebris flipped a switch on the machine he had been installing beneath the senate building. He had installed quite a few of them across all of Corsucant's main areas, time consuming but once again necessary. Hearing a beep, Tenebris gave a satisfied nod and stood up. There, it was done. Now all he had to do was wait. Tenebris stretched before starting the walk back to his ship. Somehow, he found the Force pulling at the edges of his mind again and reluctantly Tenebris had to comply, he had to relive his memories otherwise he would lose them and he would end up like his prey - lost and clueless. Tenebris slowed his walk and calmed his mind before opening himself to the currents of the Force. He let the, wash over him and slowly, piece by piece, a memory came back to him:  
Tenebris was a young teenage boy, kneeling before the Dark Lord of the Sith - Darth Karred. He could feel the power that man radiated and he couldn't help but fear him. The tendrils of fear tightened around him when the man spoke, his voice distorted by the mask he wore:  
-Do you know why I have summoned you, boy?  
-No, my lord.  
Karred made a sound of disapproval as he began to pass in front of the kneeling teenager. He suddenly stopped and asked:  
-Tell me, Valoren Tenebrae, do you know what sentient races border ours?  
Valoren looked up at the Dark Lord and nervously spoke up:  
-I believe so, my lord. The inhabitants of the planet Aroko are a race of people called the Arokorians and the ones that inhabitants the moon Ienam that orbits the shattered planet of Nelem are said to have been people strong in the Force - Ieneds.   
Darth Karred grunted his approval before posing another question to the dark haired child before him:  
-And what characteristics do their species possess?  
-Well, my lord, Arokorians are an a species that branched off from the human race as did we  in truth they aren't that different from humans. The difference though is in their eye colour - Arokorians always have a bright eye colour that can be of any colour that exists in the world. Apart from their eyes, Arokorians posses extremely strong stamina and every second child is Force-sensitive, extremely so. The Iened's are an extremely secluded race form their sister worlds, but it is said they have white hair and very pale coloured eyes. Apart from their ghost-like appearance, the Ieneds are also Force-sensitive, but in a different way from both us and the Arokorians as wells as the fact that they are probably the most proficient users of any and all stealth abilities. I believe that is all.  
Darth Karred finally stopped pacing and nodded:  
-Yes, that is all. You are a smart child, boy, but you are also weak. Very weak. Tell me what is a weakness?  
Valoren hesitated for a moment and unexpectedly found himself gripped in a chokehold with the Force. The Dark Lord snarled:  
-Speak!  
He let the boy go and choking, Valoren gave him the answer:  
-A weakness is a vulnerability that one has allowed to appear.  
-Well done, boy,- Karred growled-, And do you know your weakness?  
Valoren sensed that this was a question he didn't need to answer and was proven right when the Dark Lord hissed:  
-Yes, you know, but you do not want to acknowledge that. My apprentice is your weakness, your sister - Kaeda Tenebrae. You will fail if you do not purge your weakness. Do you know what I want you to do?  
Tenebris roughly pulled himself out of that memory and just in time to avoid crashing into a metal bar. Tenebris's hands clenched into fists and his anger spiked, but didn't not wreak havoc. Tenebris kept his anger carefully controlled, tucked away until he needed it - then and only then did he let it fill him. Tenebris inhaled deeply as he realised that that memory still stung even after all the years that had passed. Biologically speaking Tenebris was 25 this year and this had transpired when he was but 13 years old, just an amateur who had great potential but one glaring weakness. Tenebris would never ever forgive Karred for the order he had given him, there were few things Tenebris took personal offence to and few people he hated with a passion, but Karred was on the top of that list. Tenebris would never forgive that man. In a sense, it was ironic that the girl who had become his enemy was that man's own granddaughter, the illegitimate child of Karred's own son. Tenebris snorted and tucked his hands into his pocket as he walked along. Oh, fate or the Force had a funny sense of humour indeed. Tenebris sighed and opened his mind to it again as he felt it was not yet done with him, he just hoped it would be merciful and not mention Kaeda again. Another memory soon arose:  
Tenebris stepped off the shuttle that had carried him to Aroko along with the rest of the invasion fleet and breathed in the atmosphere of the Jedi homeworld. The air had plenty of moisture in it, unlike Ceperion and lush trees grew everywhere. Normally this place was calm and in tune with both sides of the Force, but right now it was in chaos. The 19 year old Darth Tenebris sighed and activated his lightsaber:  
-Well, I guess there's nothing for it. I'll join in too.   
Soon Tenebris was thick in the battle fighting off a pair of highly skilled Jedi at the same time. He could see some of his fellow Sith struggling, but to him this was merely a game - he had no interest in this at all. He quickly disposed of his two assailants before moving on. There were no interesting opponents whatsoever. Well, of course there was the Jedi Grandmaster and the Jedi Battlemaster as well as the senile geezers on the Council, but finding them was not going to be easy and Tenebris was not one to waste his time. Lost in his thoughts, Tenebris didn't notice a small figure leap out of the bushes at him with a violet lightsaber, but he managed to easily block it nevertheless. Oh, great another Jedi. Sighing form sheer boredom, Tenebris looked down only to have his eyes widen in surprise at his newest enemy.  
Tenebris blocked off that memory and continued walking. Ah, yes, that encounter... That was something quite memorable indeed. Still, it would do him no good to brood on it now. Tenebris shook his head his own thoughts and refocused his attention on his next destination and the orders he had to give his military commander of the True order. They were slowly, but steadily inching towards the endgame and though it was still quite far off Tenebris wanted to be ready and there was still quite a bit of work to be done...

==SW: LB==

Fighting with lightsabers in an nighttime jungle-swamp was definitely not the smartest idea that either Alana or Ventress had ever had, but seeing as there was no way one would back out of this fight they persisted. The girl's focus was single-minded, there was just one goal she had and she would accomplish it. Normally, during a fight Alana's mind would still be buzzing with thoughts, but this time it was blank. She felt powerful, strong and she knew she could corner Ventress, but still a tiny voice barely audibly whispered that this was wrong. This power it felt wrong. The darkness quickly shut it up. Alana frowned.  
   Ventress jumped onto a jungle tree branch and the Jedi followed her. The dathomirian had an extremely displeased expression on her face as she clashed her two red lightsabers against the Jedi's green and violet ones - this was taking far longer than she had thought it would, even the arrival of her battle droids hadn't helped since that odd droid had taken them on all by itself. The little Jedi was resilient and she wasn't backing down, it seemed darkness like no other had claimed her mind and was now in complete control - and it's single minded goal was to destroy her enemy. Ventress flipped away from the jedi, towards the next tree trunk before pushing off it and flying at the slightly confused Jedi and nearly stabbing her through the stomach. Still, the force of the impact made both women tumble down onto the ground.   
   Alana Force-leapt at Ventress bringing her lightsabers together for an overhead strike that Ventress blocked with effort before kicking the Jedi away. Alana backflipped to minimise the force of impact she would make into the ground. She barely had time to get back on her feet properly before Ventress rushed at her and in a series of quick slashes forced Alana to go on the defensive and duck under each of the blades. Alana used that to her advantage and swept Ventress feet from under her with a well timed kick. However, the assassin was far too agile to be caught off guard for long and she easily threw her arms out behind her head and pushed off the ground. Alana threw one of her lightsabers into a wide arc that Ventress easily avoided, but as a consequence was nearly hit by the tree branch Alana had cut off with that throw. The Jedi smirked and deftly catching her lightsaber, rushed at her adversary. The green clashed with the red on offensive while the violet hung back as a defence. Their blades clashed and parted, weaved and jabbed, but not one had struck it's intended target. The problem lay in the fighting styles. Both Alana and Ventress had adopted a duel-wielding, acrobatic fighting style and while Ventress relied more on her physical strength Alana relied more on the Force to back her up so had Alana been in a sane presence of mind she could have shifted the battle a bit. It had struck Ventress as strange that even in her blind fury the girl could keep up with her since even Jedi Masters had trouble so the only conclusion she could draw was that the girl was heavily drawing on Force and copying her style. She wasn't sure whether to be impressed or be indignant. After a moment of deliberation she decided on indignant.   
  Ventress jumped into the air and twisted mid-leap, causing the padawan to whip around and very nearly get decapitated by one of the older women's blades. Alana dodged, but as a consequence couldn't block the Force push Ventress had sent at her and was rammed into a tree. She groaned and as she struggle back up found herself in a vice-like Force grip. She glared at her opponent who had an smug smile on her face and who had attached one of her lightsabers back to her hip. Ventress kept one of her lightsabers on while her free hand kept the struggling teenage girl in a unbreakable Force grip, pressed up against a tree. She was smiling, the girl's glare was almost amusing if she was being honest. With a simple twist of her wrist she made the young Jedi cry out in pain and drop her lightsabers which upon hitting the ground harmlessly flickered out. Stopping right before the tree, Ventress looked upon her catch:  
-You fought well, little Jedi, but you are no match for me. I was trained by the apprentice of the greatest duellist of this age.  
Alana's glare only intensified:  
-You're going to stand there and gloat?  
-Well, I'm not running out of time so why not? Also I owe you a good thrashing for copying my fighting style. I don't take kindly to that.  
She punched the girl underneath the ribs, knocking the breath out of her before kicking her side easily. Alana cried out when Ventress struck her injured side. The dathomirian woman hissed:  
-You Jedi are always so prideful. You think you are always right and all that you do is for the greater good when in truth you are cowards! Look at yourself, little Jedi, do you feel so above me now?  
Alana could barely see through the blinding pain of Ventress poking her wound, but she wouldn't let Ventress have the satisfaction of rendering her speechless even in this brutal manner:  
-Well, I am above you right now, aren't I?  
That earned her another sharp punch into her gut. The older women hissed:  
-Oh, so you're smart now? You're foolish, little Jedi.  
-I thought you established that over half an hour ago, murdering scum. Are you even a Sith?  
Ventress's eyes widened with rage. The human girl had unknowingly touched a sore spot for the dathomirian woman. Ventress seethed. She was a master duellist, her control of the dark side was impressive and yet her Master only called her an apprentice, not even a Sith one. Why didn't he think she was worthy of joining the Sith?! Why?! She was strong, she had proven that when she had taken over Rattatak in a short span of time and she had killed countless Jedi so why wouldn't he make her a Sith?! And why was she even letting this pest speak that way to her?!  
   While Ventress was having this moment of internal conflict, Alana was still struggling against the Force grip. The darkness inside her was pounding and it was murmuring one word, one desire - to kill this witch. She wanted to strangle her or better yet stab a lightsaber through her heart for poetic irony. She had to pay! But even so, somehow the red tint she had had in front of her eyes from when she had given up was slowly fading to a a dark pink shade. There was something igniting the light her, something of the light and it wouldn't let the dark remain in power, but right now it was far too weak. Alana didn't want the light! It had betrayed her - it hadn't been strong enough to save Kii! She would rather use the darkness- she had nearly bested Ventress with it. She would kill that witch and then Kii would be avenged, her failure would be removed. An eye for an eye, a life for a life. The majority of her mind agreed with that philosophy, but that annoying tiny light felt sick, it thought this wasn't her. The darkness silenced it again, but annoyingly it couldn't squash it.   
   Snapping out of her momentary stupor, Ventress slapped the Jedi across the face. Alana winced as the stinging was intensified because of the power put into the slap. Ventress hissed:  
-How dare you?!  
Even with the darkness consuming her and in the dangerous position she was in Alana couldn't keep her mouth shut:  
-Simple, I open my mouth and speak. Ugh!!  
Alana cried out as a sharp pain erupted against her entire back as Ventress pressed her further against the tree and it had affected her wound. The dathomirian woman glared at her:  
-You're weak, Jedi! Useless! Just like the rest of your order! They abandoned my Master when he needed them the most!  
-Dooku left of his own free will - no one forced him to! Agh!  
-Be silent, you ignorant pest!   
Suddenly Alana's mind was filled with images of a Jedi, a Jedi name Ky Narec. She had felt strangely compelled to research him once and the records stated he had died on the outer rim. She saw flashed of him smiling, fighting of him simply sharing a meal before finally seeing him be shot by what looked like a weequay raider. She felt a strange pain that was not hers. A strange calmness silenced the rage writhing Alana for a moment as she understood- this was Ventress's master, the only person who had loved her. The next moment Alana found herself be flung against another tree with horrible brute strength and she heard Ventress screech:  
-STAY OUT OF MY MIND, FILTHY JEDI!   
Alana could barely breathe as Ventress made her way over. Trying to somehow ignore the horrible pain Ventress was making her experience by using the Force to apply enormous pressure on her bones, Alana whispered, breathing heavily:  
-I thought you weren't in the habit of toying with your enemies.  
-You deserve this for being in my mind.  
-I was...speaking...of before...  
-I am bored with this world and breaking a Jedi is a welcome distraction. Now, how should I punish you for invading my mind?  
-How about letting me kill you for what you did to Kii, murderer?!   
Ventress chuckled:  
-How sickeningly sweet. You cared about that rodent?  
Alana's yellow eyes burned with an insatiable hunger for Ventress's demise. The dathomirian frowned inwardly - hadn't the pest's eyes been dark blue before the fight? This dark energy pulsing within her had also been far less potent before their fight.This was odd. How could one be corrupted in such a short time? Well, it was of no matter to her. Alana struggled in the air against Ventress's Force grip:  
-I will kill you!  
-Now, that's not a very Jedi thing to say. Do they know about your darkness, your betrayal... your failure?  
Ventress smiled as the Jedi only grew angrier and the darkness grew stronger. This was very amusing. As the Jedi had guessed she truthfully wasn't one for toying with her enemies before killing them, but her Master had kept her so bored these past few months by sticking her on backwaters so she needed to let off some steam and this Jedi deserved to be punished for prying into her mind! Ventress mocked her enemy:  
-Oh, did I touch a nerve? You failed that little brat, Jedi. It's your fault she was killed. You know that, don't you? You were too weak and you know that.  
-No!  
-No? Why do you lie to yourself?  
-You are a murderer, it's not my fault. I will kill you. Just like you killed people even as a child. If I'm weak then you were even weaker - then it's your fault Ky Narec died!  
-IT WAS NOT MY FAULT!  
Ventress snapped as she shouted. She brought her blazing red lightsaber, the only source of light in the darkness of the jungle,  up to the Jedi's head and swiped. Miraculously, Alana somehow dodged the blade, but the tip ran against the upper part of her cheek, right under her, eye and blinding, white hot  pain exploded there.   
   Ventress snarled as she brought the lightsaber up again and suddenly it dawned on Alana - she was going to die. Right here, against this tree in a foreign jungle, wrapped in darkness, bitter and filled with hatred, worst of all  - alone. She had always hated being alone. Her grandfather had been right, the darkness did drive people crazy and she was weak, she had failed. Ventress was right it was her fault. Why did she even try? Why did she even give into the darkness? She felt the world move in slow motion for her. She suddenly felt disgusted with herself - Ventress was right she had failed, but not it the way she had originally thought when the blindfold the darkness had wrapped around her eyes existed - she had failed Kii in a completely another way. She had failed her by acting like the person who had killed her and her family. She felt ashamed and with that feeling the darkness receded without Alana even noticing. In a way she deserved death, that would probably be more merciful than living would be. Alana felt tears well up in her eyes. She wasn't sure what they were for, but she knew what had prompted them. She wasn't as much sad or angry as she was ashamed, remorseful. She deserved death and far worse for what she had done. Ventress should kill her. As the red came closer and closer Alana had one thought:   
"Please forgive me, Kii. Forgive me, Jayden, TK."  
The next moment there was a flash and Alana wasn't sure what happened.

==SW: LB==

Ventress raised one her lightsabers to stab the annoying Jedi through the neck when suddenly a blinding pain exploded across her whole hand, making her nearly drop her lightsaber and release the Jedi from her Force grip. Ventress whirled around to see the Jedi's male companion standing between a pair of trees with both of his blasters raised an a dark unreadable look on his face. His voice was cold and measured as he spoke:  
-Step away from my partner.  
As her initial shock passed Ventress's smile returned to her and she laughed:  
-Oh, what is this? Do you want to play too, little boy? Maybe you can entertain me more than your companion did.  
Shadow's expression didn't change a single bit as he calmly walked over to one of the trees, still keeping both his blasters trained on the dathomirian woman. Though she didn't let it show on her face the young man's cool demeanour in this situation made Ventress confused. She probed the Force and tried to read his emotions, but found it impossible. So the damn brat knew how to hide his emotions, eh? Well, it wouldn't last long. Unexpectedly the young man holstered both his blasters and knelt down at the roots of a tree and picked something up in his hand and then clipped something to another side of his belt. There! He was exposed! Ventress leapt at him, both weapons ignited and in hand. She raised her sword to cut him across the top half of his torso only to have him whirl around and block her attack at the last second using a blazing purple lightsaber - his companion's. A single purple blade clashed perpendicularly with two blazing red blades, momentarily illuminating the darkness of the jungle before the assassin sprang back, giving Shadow the chance to stand up properly. Ventress surveyed her opponent who had remained silent so far: he was a young man, probably not much older than his Jedi companion, but there was something about him that made Ventress think twice about underestimating him. Right now, with that cold and dark expression on his face and with a purple lightsaber blazing brightly in his right hand he looked like a messenger of death. Ventress mentally shook herself to rid herself of that illusion, but the image was branded upon her mind. She hissed:  
-So you do want to play, little boy.  
Finally, he spoke:  
-No. I have no desire of having any contact with you, but you have done something I can't let slide. You want to settle this with blades? Fine, let us settle this with blades. We shall see who emerges victorious.  
Ventress scoffed:  
-Do you honestly believe you can defeat me, obnoxious little brat? You, a force-blind, untrained, child defeat me?! You are more foolish than your companion was.  
The young man gripped the lightsaber with both hands and looked Ventress in the eyes, a ghost of a dark smile appearing upon his face:  
-You might be surprised.  
Ventress had had enough of this nonsense and she ran towards the young man, welcoming a new challenge. He partied both of her blades attack's evenly and with a twist came at her full force. Shadow put little strength into his movement, preferring instead to use the momentum of the twist to back up his slash. It worked and the assassin was forced to put all her strength to counter his blow. That was his first move, his second, a swift kick upwards, followed straight after. Shadow rained blow after blow upon the dathomirian woman, making her go on the defensive which clearly wasn't her strong suit. Ventress fumed as she blocked the blows he was dealing her: how was he, apparently an untrained and force-blind child, able to wield the weapon of the Jedi with such precision and skill? She would die before she let him get the best of her! Ventress suddenly fell back and did two handsprings backwards before pushing of one of the trees and flying at him with an incredible speed. Shadow barely had enough time to react, but he managed to duck under he spinning blades by doing a one-handed handspring of his own. Ventress raised an eyebrow:  
-You have fast reflexes. Almost too fast for a Force-blind.  
Shadow narrowed his eyes at her, but kept his mouth shut. So she hadn't figured out he was a Force-sensitive yet? Good, that was to his advantage - it meant he still had the element of surprise. He would use it soon, but not just yet. Inwardly, the Mandolorian apologised for taking Alana's lightsaber without permission, but this was a confrontation from which he did not intend to back down. This time he had to take the defensive as his adversary came at him with a flurry of slashes and jabs that he had to to avoid and block. Shadow frowned and suddenly pretended to fall under one of her jabs. He hid his true emotions and waited for her to come closer. Ventress gave a smirk as she saw her fallen enemy:  
-So you were just all talk.  
She loomed over him, completely unaware and Shadow acted. With a single movement he twisted around and used his hands at feet in careful coordination to spring up and knock one of Ventress's lightsabers out of her hands at the same time. She got knocked back by the force of the kick, giving Shadow a moment to stand up. He looked at her with a shadow of a smirk on his lips as her lightsaber lay a few meters away from him:  
-Never underestimate me. A lot of people have learned that the hard way.  
Ventress ground her teeth: this brat was so infuriating! She would have to cut him down to size:  
-You have never faced power like mine before!  
Shadow didn't even blink when he saw Ventress suddenly uproot a tree and toss it a him using the Force. He jumped into the air and slashed it in half before backflipping mid-air away from it. Ventress huffed in frustration and charged at him again this time with only one lightsaber in hand. Shadow smiled - good, she was getting angrier and sloppier with her strikes. Perhaps, she was what some Jedi would consider a Sith and according to them she was supposed to feed of her rage, but Shadow knew what they didn't - sometimes rage couldn't be controlled, especially when it was mixed with frustration and then that anger would work against the person who emitting it. That was why neither Shadow nor Jayden ever truly brought their emotions into a battle. Oh sure, emotions were strong tools and he used them, but he kept them under control which was something Ventress was severely lacking in right now and he would use that weakness against her. Shadow let her get a few good slashes in before he pressed forward. Shadow was no fool, he knew he couldn't beat her in a fair fight, but she wasn't playing fair from the start so why should he? Still, he had some measure of honor limited as it may seem so he would have to give her a fighting chance before turning the tables on this Sith-witch.   
  Ventress blinked in surprise as she found herself on the defensive again. How had this occurred?! She had been winning. She snarled when she saw the smugly smiling face of her enemy who was forcing her to fall back and back. He would not win! Ventress tried to swipe at his left side which she saw was unprotected, but before she could she had her legs swept out from under her. How the tide of the battle had turned. Still, she wasn't the best duellist among the apprentices her Master had had for nought. She easily recovered her balance and leat up into a tree. If he wanted to catch her he would follow her. Sure enough, the young man took the bait and in a single jump grabbed onto the tree branch with one hand. Ventress smirked: perfect. She raised her blade to stab him in the hand, but before she could it disappeared and a moment later he was standing on the thick branch with her. Smiling in a mocking way, the young man taunted:  
-What? Did you underestimate me again, grandma?  
-No one calls me that and lives!  
She charged at him and to her advantage had him soon pressed up against the tree trunk. The young man glanced around and upon realising his difficult position uttered a single syllable:  
-Ah.  
Ventress attempted to stab him in the heart, but to her surprise narrowly missed his head. Was she really so unfocused? Why was she losing focus? Her rage should be giving it to her, not making her lose it! Ventress kicked the young man off the branch and towards a rock formation, hearing a satisfying groan of pain and a loud thump as he hit it. She jumped down after him and soon had him cornered. She shot him a pitying look and crooned:  
-Oh, poor baby. You're dead meat now, brat.  
Surprisingly he shot her a calm smile and responded cheerfully, all the while raising one arm:  
-Well, close, but not quite.  
Suddenly a large amount of decent-sized rocks raised in the air and assaulted her form behind, letting him slip away and jump onto the top of the rock formation. She slicked the rocks in half and turned to her opponent, snarling:  
-You! How did you do that?!  
He shrugged, flashing a mysterious smile:  
-Who knows? A great magician never reveals his tricks.  
-Die!  
-No, thanks. I think I'll live.  
She threw her lightsaber at him in a wide sweeping arc and to her astonishment he caught it. Her eyes widened with uncontrollable rage and shock as he calmly clipped his own weapon to his belt and reached out a hand and soon had both of her weapons in hand. And then it clicked. Infuriated, she growled:  
-You! How is a brat like you Force-sensitive?!  
Shadow laughed:  
-Took you long enough. As for how? No clue. By the way I wouldn't lose focus if I were you, your part is just about to be up.  
He pressed a button an his comlink and suddenly, out of nowhere, an odd astromech appeared in the sky. The same one who had been accompanying the Jedi girl. Without hesitating Shadow tossed both of The dathomirian woman's lightsabers to the droid who caught them with a little effort and chortling obnoxiously zoomed away with them. Ventress roared with outrage and forgetting her old opponent entirely, charged after him. Shadow watched them go calmly a triumphant smile on his face. Move, check and checkmate!  
   Shadow sighed and slowly slid back into Jayden. His shoulder sagged with relief as he exhaled again: that had been way too hard. He'd come a little too close to death for his liking. That crazy lady was packing some serious power. No wonder, Alana couldn't beat her in her state of mind. Alana! Jayden instantly grew concerned. He jumped down from the rock formation and sprinted over to his partner, who was lying still in a crumpled heap at the foot of the tree Ventress had had her pressed up against. Worry etched on his features, Jayden kneeled down beside her, pressing his fingers to her neck and was relieved to find the slightly weak, but steady thumping rhythm of her heart against them. If he had been just a few seconds late to show up he would have lost her. He carefully rolled her over onto her back and surveyed her injuries. Her skin was much paler and she was unconscious - he attributed all that to enormous amounts of blood loss, whatever Ventress had done to her had caused her wound to open up again and he had noted that there were smears of blood all over he jacket's back when he rolled her over from which he concluded Ventress must have thrown her around pretty badly before dealing the killing blow. From the bruise forming around her left wrist Jayden guessed that she probably had sprained if not broken it and her right hand had a much fainter but still prominent bruise around the wrist too - he couldn't see any hand imprints so he was left with the conclusion that these wounds were inflicted using the Force. Jayden frowned when he noticed how faint her breathing was - something had happened around her rib cage and that combined with the blood loss was enough to make her life signs fade. This was bad. He turned his attention to her face and winced upon surveying it. It was severely scratched by what he guessed were the tree branches since he guessed Alana would have gone through the trees and there was an angry red scar underneath her right eye as well as a faint bruise on her other cheek. Jayden sighed as he traced the outline of the scar on her face:  
-Another one. First General Clanky now this Sith-witch? Seems you're getting the full dangerous minions package.   
Jayden shook his head in exasperation. How was it that no matter where they went she always ended up in the middle of things and dragged him in with her? The odds were astronomical, but she still managed it anyway. That's why he wasn't too worried about her surviving this battle - she'd gone through worse, though this was the first time he'd seen her so beat up. He frowned when he realised that there were tear tracks on her face, he'd been so absorbed with making sure she didn't have any lethal injuries that he hadn't noticed. She'd been crying? Why? Was she back to normal or did the darkness still surround her soul? Jayden hesitated for a moment before probing her Force-presence and finding it very weak, but that darkness and the light were more or less in balance again with the light being a little more dominant. She was back. Jayden sighed and closed his eyes: she was seriously going to be the death of him if this continued and he had to keep pulling her out when she got in over her head.   
   Jayden opened his eyes at the sound of jets and turned around to see TK land a few feet away. The droid rolled up to him and whistled triumphantly that he had done it. Jayden gave him a tired grin:  
-Oh, yeah? Great job, bud. Did she look horrified?  
-Beep! Dee-dwooo?  
Jayden turned back to their unconscious teammate on the ground and frowned, shrugging:  
-She doesn't seem to have any life-threatening injuries, but she's lost a lot of blood.   
TK ran a scan over her body and chirped that while she wasn't in any immediate danger she was still slowly fading and they needed to get her to a bacta or a koto tank as soon as possible. Jayden nodded and stood up with her in his arms. She was out cold and for who knows how long so this was the most effective way of getting back Iskaayuma quicker. He looked at TK:  
-Let's go. You got a flashlight?  
-Beep.  
TK switched on a light and moved to roll in front of Jayden. Jayden followed him into the clearing and frowned when he saw the body of the litlle Rodian girl. He glanced back down at Alana who was unconscious in his arms and sighed. This was what had made her snap and while it had made him angry it hadn't driven him over the edge as it had her. Jayden turned to TK:  
-What do you think we should do?  
TK gave a sad string of beeps, responding that there wasn't much they could do. He could set up an anti-predator shield generator and the girl's body would remain safe from harm, but there was no bringing back the dead. Jayden nodded:  
-Do it. She deserves a proper burial by her own people. We'll tell them once we get back to Iskaayuma.  
-Beep.  
TK rolled over to the girl and after opening another internal compartment placed down a small generator and activated it. The girl's body was covered by a small, white, transparent dome. Jayden closed his eyes and whispered:  
-I'm sorry we weren't fast enough to save you. Please rest in peace.  
TK gave a low whistle of agreement. Determined to get back to Iskaayuma as soon as possible, Jayden turned on his heel and left the clearing with TK beside him, projecting light in the dark swampy jungle. This world was the brutal truth of reality, Jayden had learned that when he was just a little kid - this was no fairytale, the good guys didn't win every time and sometimes the good guys weren't all that good either. He knew that and yet seeing a child so young meet her end had hurt. Jayden tightened his hold on his partner and whispered:  
-That's right, this isn't a fairytale and death is an all too real concept for us.

==SW: LB==

Alana's consciousness slowly began returning to her, like the rays of the sun hitting the dark earth and bathing it in it's warm, saving light. But as her awareness slowly came back so did her pain and Alana wished that she hadn't woken up after all - every muscle in her body was practically screaming in agony. Ouch. Alana sighed and forced her heavy eyelids to lift. Her dark blue eyes scanned her surroundings to find herself lying down on the ground in the jungle, with a jacket under he head. The sky was no longer an inky blue colour, but instead a lightening greenish-blue hue. So the sun was rising. Alana struggled to remember what had happened before she lost consciousness, but before she could she saw a familiar face enter the scene followed by a familiar droid. Alana quickly sat up and hissed in pain - evidently her back had other ideas. Instantly everything came rushing back and Alana's head gave a violent throb of pain, making the world fade for a moment. When she could concentrate again she found TK and Jayden at her side, evidently worried about her. There she went again being a burden to them. She could never do anything right, could she? Hoping that she could still use her voice, Alana tried speaking:  
-You look like a mess.  
Jayden smiled. If she was back to being her usual stubborn, sarcastic and teasing self that meant she'd be fine. He didn't know if he was supposed to be relieved or exasperated. He chose the former. A bright grin on his face, Jayden countered:  
-Oh, like you look any better.  
Alana winced as pain shot up her back again, she tried to support herself with her left hand, but instantly fell back as he hand gave out bringing with it great pain. Alana sighed as she reluctantly gave up and laid back down:  
-Ouch. What happened to me?  
-You fought with Ventress. Remember?  
A dark shadow passed over Alana's face before she hesitantly nodded. Jayden hid his concern behind a carefully crafted neutral expression as he explained:  
-You lost. Ventress would have killed you if TK and I hadn't shown up. I held off Ventress long enough for TK to wrap up his job of turning Ventress's army into a scrap heap, then I tossed her lightsabers to him and he took off with her following. I'm guessing he somehow occupied her so she won't be coming after us anytime soon. Hope you don't mind I used your lightsaber without asking.  
Alana gave a faint smile and shook her head:  
-It's fine. As long as you managed to make it out of that fight alive it's all fine. What exactly did she do to me?  
TK buzzed that she had lost a lot of blood in addition to having a lot of bruises, a sprained left wrist and most probably a few damaged ribs and a scar on her face. Alana shifted her feet and winced:  
-Add a sprained ankle to that list. I think my right foot is out of commission. Okay, I take my earlier comment back - I am a mess. What about you two? Are you guys ok? I shouldn't have snapped like that, I--  
Jayden held up a hand to make her stop rambling and remember to breathe. Alana nodded and took a deep breath. He could see the pain, the guilt and the remorse clear in her eyes and he could feel her self-loathing through their bond. He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a stern look:  
-It's alright. You don't need to say anything- we know how you feel. Just don't ever snap like that again, alright?   
-Sure. I promise...  
Alana whispered before rolling onto her less injured side, away from them. Jayden shot TK a look and the droid gave a quiet whistle. Jayden sighed and stood up. He knew Alana needed to be alone for right now, but he was worried. She hadn't probably realised the full extent of her injuries yet, but Jayden could see how hard she was finding it to breathe and how much pain her back caused her. She was slowly fading and he couldn't do anything about it. The reason they had stopped was because they had gotten lost in the dark jungle and Jayden didn't really want to try to fight off a swarm of Ghests with an injured Alana beside them. He knew Alana was strong, crazy strong, but everybody had their limits - it's what made them human, he knew he had his even if he did push the boundary as Shadow occasionally. Alana, however, was different. She seemed to be afraid to show anybody her weakness, the incredibly human and vulnerable part of herself. She locked away her fears and put on a brave smile when in reality she was hurting- he understood all that because he'd gone through the exact same damn thing and look at how he turned out: a murderer of thousands, a feared individual and someone who couldn't trust others at all. He wondered sometimes, if he had been stronger would he have been able to resist? To stay strong? Something told him that he wouldn't have anyway. Jayden never pitied himself, the life he'd led had been horrible, but it was what had turned him into who he was and for better or worse this is who he would remain. Jayden cast a glance at TK as he sat down next to a tree and leaned against the trunk, the little droid was still scanning for the Republic's locator beacon so they could get out of this swampy jungle. Jayden closed his eyes: this was turning out to be one heck of a stay on Rodia.   
    Alana closed her eyes and focused on drawing the Force into her broken and beaten body, she needed to heal and the Force was like her lifeblood. She felt that Jayden was worried about her and she knew that TK was too, but she wasn't ready to talk to them about this. She doubted she'd ever be. How could she tell them that she had lost her sense of self? That she had failed so miserably? That she had let everyone who had ever believed in her down? It was bad enough that she was always falling unconscious because of the Force around her acting up for one reason or another, but to let them see this weakness? She couldn't. Alana knew that being weak wasn't a bad thing, but she refused to be a burden. She never wanted to be one again, after all she'd been one since the day of her birth. Alana started - that last though had not been hers, at least not consciously hers. What the heck? Alana took a deep breath ,wincing in pain at the discomfort that action caused.  She slowly let her mind wander, letting it find it's way to the source of that thought. Slowly an image began materialising behind her closed eyelids - a memory she hadn't known she had possessed.   
   Alana was in her short tiny body again and she was watching a group of kids her age playing together from her perch upon a hill above them. She watched them wistfully, wishing she could join them - it looked like so much fun. Suddenly someone tapped her on the shoulder and turning around Alana saw a boy and a girl her age. The boy was scowling while the girl looked nervous and worried. Alana stood up and brushed the dirt off her clothes, quietly speaking up:  
-Um, can I help you with something?  
The boy gave a firm nod and his scowl became more prominent as he glared at the younger Alana:  
-Why are you spying on us?!  
Alana started - she hadn't been spying! She quickly tried to clear up the misunderstanding, summoning up all of her courage to speak clearer:  
-No! It's not like that. I'm not spying! It just looks like so much fun...  
The girl next to the boy cast her a confused look:  
-Then why don't you join in? It'd be fun if you would.  
Alana looked at the girl in wonder, not daring to hope. Maybe there was one person who would treat her differently from the other kids?! The boy, however, cast his companion a look that was clearly asking her if she was insane:  
-Lira! Are you insane? You want to invite Sheelan to join us?! That's just wrong.  
Alana's smile vanished - of course, here it went again. The girl called Lira sighed:  
-Oh, come on, Hakg. I'm sure it's not like Mummy said. She seems nice enough to me.  
-But she's a freak! I mean she doesn't even have a Daddy! And she's always alone! And she has this weird power! Mummy told us to stay away!  
Alana sighed - there, he'd said it. It wasn't like it was her fault! Why did everyone dislike her so much? What had she done! Lira frowned:  
-It doesn't seem fair. I mean she looks just like the rest of us, she has those bright eyes - she's an Arokorian too!   
An older, much sterner voice came form above the children:  
-Lira, Hakg, go home immediately!  
All three children looked up to see an older woman glaring down at them. Both Lira and the boy instantly obeyed and left Alana alone with the woman. Alana wrapped her arms around herself, trying to hide her fear. The placed her hands on her hips and hissed:  
-What do you think you are doing?! I bet you were trying to control them with that power of yours.  
Alana quickly shook her head:  
-No! They just asked me why I was here and--  
-Do not lie! My children would never talk to you! I've told them countless times to stay away from both you and your dirty mother!  
Alana shot to her feet, anger in her eyes:  
-My Mummy hasn't done anything wrong! Leave her alone!  
-Oh, so she hasn't done anything wrong, has she? She gave birth to a bastard child like you, she disobeyed her parents and she never follows our code! If you ask me she should have gotten rid of you before you were born! I bet she hates you inside - she had a perfect life before you came along!  
Alana's eyes picked with tears, but she forced them down. She wouldn't cry in front of this witch:  
-You're wrong!  Mummy loves me! She told me so! You're just a cranky old witch!  
The woman growled and suddenly grabbed the child by her shirt's collar:  
-You think so? Then let me tell you this: Before you were born your mother was the epitome of what any woman on this planet should strive to be - she was kind, graceful, beautiful and she was a fierce warrior at heart. She protected the innocents and she lived up to the title she had been granted. She was our goal in life and then she got pregnant with you and what's worse she decided to have you! If you hadn't been born your mother would still have her life, she would probably have married a nice man and she'd still be in the public's eye as a heroine, but because of you she is disgraced. You are a burden to her!   
-I...  
-No, bastard child. Have you ever wondered why your father is never there? Why your mother never mentions him? Why he left her alone? I'll tell you. Because he learned that she was going to have you. Yes, all your mother's troubles are your fault.   
-But... but...  
-You know it's true, brat. Even the Force knows this and that's why you have that freaky power.  
Alana's voice was nearly inaudible as she whispered:  
-But the Masters say it's a gift...  
The older woman smiled in a mocking fashion:  
-Oh, really? Well, they were just being nice. It's a curse, your very existence is a curse and don't you forget that. You were your mother's burden since you were born! Now stay away from my children!  
The woman stalked away, leaving the 5 year old Alana standing there crying silently. She sank down onto her knees and whispered:  
-I'm mummy's burden?   
The 16 year old Alana's eyes snapped open and she found herself breathing heavily. She could feel her heart hammering away in her chest. What had she just witnessed? Was this her memory? It made sense in a way, but she was missing so many pieces so it was all a bunch of gibberish. The way that woman had spoken... it was like she was implying that Alana wasn't supposed to have been born. That was weird and what power was she talking about? As far as Alana knew apart from that weird blue glow that appeared randomly there was nothing special about her. Well, that and the ghosts thing. Alana didn't know anything about her past and these flashes of her memory returning were both disconcerting and confusing. Once more Alana wished that she knew who she was. She felt like she was wavering between the Light and Dark and while both were stretching a hand out to her she didn't know who's to take. She didn't know who she was, her roots weren't there to hold her down and so she drifted. This was one of the main reasons she had snapped so easily. Alana curled up into a ball position despite the pain and sighed, closing her eyes once more. She felt the dark tone of exhaustion and the tide of sleep at the edges of her consciousness and she welcomed it. Anything was better than being awake and dealing with her guilt and self-loathing. She was pathetic. Alana let sleep carry her away, reasoning that she needed to get her energy back, when in truth she was just hiding from herself.

==SW: LB==

Alana sat in a chair in the lobby of the Grand Protector's Guild Hall, waiting for Master Mundi to finish up whatever negotiations he was conducting with the Rodian leaders so she could speak to him. Not that she was particularly looking forward to that conversation. While Alana's mission had been a complete and utter disaster Master Mundi and the clones had accomplished theirs perfectly - Iskaayuma was free, the hostages were free and mostly unscathed. The only downside was that they hadn't managed to capture Gunray - he'd slipped away during the chaos. Still, Iskaayuma was free and the people were safe and that's all that mattered. Captain Twos had relayed all that to them when they met up with him at the edge of the jungle, he'd also said that it was important that Alana meet with him as soon as possible- the Jedi didn't protest and here she was. Alana cast a glance to her side to see Jayden standing a bit off to her side wearing his full armour and leaning against the wall, they'd stopped by the apartment on their way here so both Jayden and Alana had their regular clothes in their possession, but Alana had refrained from changing just yet. She knew she needed medical attention, but this took priority, however that shouldn't stop the others from going on ahead seeing as how the airspace was clear now. TK had already left to prep the ship. Alana sighed as she looked at Jayden:  
-I thought I told you to go on ahead.  
-And I told you that I'm waiting for you.  
-That's a waste of time.  
-And arguing with me isn't?  
-Not if the conclusion of the argument is productive.  
-Which it won't be.  
-And what makes you so sure?  
-Come on, princess, how many times have we argued like this? You should know you can't persuade me that easily. We're both too stubborn.  
-Even so you should get some medical attention. Holding off Ventress is no small feat and you certainly took a beating.  
-Look who's talking.  
-Are you ever going to listen to me?  
-In this case? Never.  
-Ugh, you're impossible.  
-I though we established that a while ago, your highness.  
-Just shut up, hunter.  
Alana sighed and leaned back in her chair, trying to mentally prepare herself for the conversation to come. She'd be lucky if she got off with a scolding or a suspension, however the possibility of her getting kicked out was still there. She'd gone against the Master's orders before and here she was having failed them - this mission was not off to a good start. The guilt and the pain inside her burned brighter than ever, threatening to spill over the surface in the form of tears, but Alana denied them that freedom - if she needed to cry she would when she was alone. Did she pity herself? Perhaps she had once to a degree, but she wouldn't do that now. There was no point. It was just a waste of emotions and there were people who had gone through so much worse than she had - they deserved her compassion more than anyone else. She wouldn't be selfish. Alana had long admitted to herself that what she had done was wrong and she hated herself for giving in to the darkness, for breaking under it's weight - if she was honest Alana knew she did not deserve the name Jedi. She had failed them all. Alana felt the coils of despair slowly wind around her and begin to tighten, dragging her down towards the acknowledgment of total defeat. She was broken out of her trance by Jayden's voice:  
-So?  
Alana raised her head and looked at the spot where Jayden's eyes should be behind the mask only to see him suddenly take it off:  
-What?  
She hated how weak and broken her voice sounded. Jayden sighed:  
-Do I really have to spell it out for you? I can sense your emotions and they're not positive.  
-I don't really have much to be happy about. If you're worried about me snapping again don't be, I won't snap that easily again.  
-I know that, but what I worry about is your mental state. Alana, you're teetering on the edge of depression.  
-Don't be an idiot, I'm fine.  
Jayden was silent for a minute, leading Alana to believe he had dropped the subject before he spoke again:  
-You know the average human tells 100 lies a day and the most common one is "I'm fine". Alana, you can lie to everyone else in the world, but you can't lie to yourself. You know that.  
The Jedi placed her head in her hands bracing them by putting her elbows on her knees:  
-Then what do you want me to say, Jayden? That I want to break down crying because I'm in pain from what I've done, that I hate myself because I let down everyone who believed in me, that I'm a total failure, that I'm not worthy of the name Jedi? Just what am I supposed to tell you? What else can I tell you except "I'm fine"?!  
Jayden just stood there mutely, trying to process her words and the sounds behind them. Alana suddenly stood up and whispered, her voice filled with emotional pain and grief, she didn't even notice her physical pain:  
-Because yes, I do think all that. I know that I'm a failure, that I'm weak, that I'm not fit to be a Jedi. I don't need anyone else to tell me that, because I know. You probably think I'm just being melodramatic right now, but I just--  
Alana didn't get to finish her sentence when she suddenly found herself in a hug. There were so many things she could say to make him move away, to hide her pain behind a smile, to stop her true self from being seen, but she just didn't have the strength to do that. She was done. She wasn't emotionless and though she could keep a good grip on her emotions when needed to, but she just couldn't do it right now. Jayden's words were quiet, but firm:  
-It's alright to be weak. It's alright to be afraid. It's alright to cry. Crying doesn't indicate that you're weak, since birth it's always been a sign that you're alive. So don't bottle everything up inside. Listen, I've stuck with you this long and I've seen some crazy stuff - what kind of Mandolorian or even man would I be if I ran for the hills when I saw you cry? I know this sounds kind of cliche, but I'm here for you - I told you we're partners and if that means doubling back to help the other person out then it's alright. You're not alone, Alana, TK and I are here for you.  
Alana didn't even realise she was crying until she was. She sighed: just this once, she would let herself be weak in front of him. Just until she had the energy to be strong again. Alana closed her eyes and leant her head in his armoured shoulder, letting herself cry for once. Jayden gave a small sad smile before closing his eyes- she was really to stubborn for her own good. Alana was a strong person, but she pushed herself too far trying to not rely on anyone. Trust wasn't an easy thing to earn, but he'd do it - just like she was slowly but surely earning his. It took a few minutes, but when Alana was finally sure that her tears had run dry she pulled away and earased all the tear tracks from her face. She couldn't look him in the face when she spoke:  
-Thank you.  
-Not a problem. Do you feel better?  
Alana's lips tugged up into a tiny sincere smile:  
-Yeah, I'm back to normal.   
-Good and just in time it seems.   
Alana turned around to see the door to the room where she was supposed to meet Master Ki-Adi Mundi slide open and a tree of Rodians step out. Jayden gave her a subtle push after he put his mask back on and Alana nodded. She flashed him a small smile:  
-Wish me luck.  
-I though Jedi didn't believe in luck.  
-Believe me, for this conversation I'm going to need all the luck, blessings, support, whatever I can get.  
Jayden laughed:  
-Alright then. Good luck, your majesty.  
-May the Force be with you, hunter. 

==SW: LB==

-So let me make sure I understood you correctly, padawan. You gave Ventress what she wanted - an artefact of unknown power, she killed the youngling, you engaged her in combat, but lost before your partner showed up and somehow managed to stall her long enough for your droid to be able to create a distraction and draw her away?  
Alana shrugged as she looked down at her clasped hands on her lap:  
-I know it sounds ridiculous, but that's what happened. I'm sorry.  
The Jedi Master sighed as he looked over at the teenage girl sitting across from him on the other side of the desk. She looked battered and beaten so he had no doubt the part about her engaging Ventress was true, but there was something unbelievable about the rest of the story and there was a a shadow hanging over the girl's presence in the Force. He also could not deny that she had acted completely irresponsibly with handing over the artefact to Ventress, especially since they didn't know what kind of damage it could cause. Ki-Adi Mundi pinched the bridge of his nose:  
-Padawan, why exactly did you not hand the artefact over to a Jedi Master? Or to myself?  
Alana looked up with a firm look in her dark blue eyes:  
-I could not and still cannot.  
-Why?  
-Because I was advised against it and I am inclined to follow that advice.   
-Who gave you that advice?  
-The same person who told me that the artefact existed in the first place.  
-And that is?  
-A letter left behind by a Force-sensitive who was granted a vision many thousand years into the future to see my friends and I crash-land on Duro and to see me wander in to the Sith Temple.  
-You found it in a Sith Temple?!  
-Yes.  
-Then you just handed an artefact of the Dark Side over to a woman who uses it! Do you know what you've done?!  
Alana sighed:  
-Acted irresponsibly and created a great problem?  
-And a grave threat! If that artefact feels as powerful as you say it does then the Republic is facing a serious threat. Things like Force-sensitive artefacts are not always as they appear. What in the universe possessed you to hand it over to Ventress?!  
Alana frowned and stood up from her seat:  
-It was my only chance to save the youngling.  
-The life of one youngling is nothing when weighed against thousands of innocent lives! You got attached!  
-I did not get attached, Master! I was doing what felt right!  
-You were going against our code!  
-I was following my convictions. I wasn't about to let an innocent child die before my eyes when I could save her!  
-Even if that meant dooming hundreds?  
-There was and is no guarantee that it will work for Ventress.  
-That is beside the point, young one! I told the Council you were not ready for a solo assignment.  
-I am not alone.  
-Yes and that worries me even more. Your friend seems to think little of the Jedi and their customs.  
-He's a Mandolorian, what do you expect? We nearly wiped out their entire race a couple thousand years ago!  
-That was necessary.  
-I am not arguing with you on that. That was a period of war and so is now. Hard choices have to be made.  
-Yes, but not ones that condemn hundreds.  
-Like I said there is no guarantee that it will work for Ventress or her Master! That artefact is different! It has a connection to me, I can sense things from it occasionally- snatched of emotions or a word or two.  
Master Mundi too stood up and started pacing:  
-That is even worse. It's a much more powerful artefact if it is imbued with a conscious Force presence. And since it's an artefact of the Dark Side I have no doubt it will choose Ventress soon enough.  
Alana could barely refrain from rolling her eyes - why did the Jedi mAsters always assume this?! Dark side - bad, light side- good?! It was stupid. Weren't they supposed to be Jedi MASTERS for crying out loud?! Why was their field of view so narrow?! A quiet voice in the back of her mind suggested that maybe they knew better, before Alana told it to shut up. Alana forced herself to adopt an impassive expression before speaking again:  
-Master, with all due respect, that artefact is not of the Dark Side or of the Light.  
-Then what is it?  
-It's neutral.  
-There is no such thing.  
-Really? Then what about the colour grey? It's between black and white, right?  
-Padawan, we are not discussing the colour spectrum right now.  
Alana sighed:  
-Master, I can admit that I acted rashly and irresponsibly and I apologise for that, however I will not apologise for trying to defend a helpless child. I underestimated Ventress yes and that is why I lost. I can do no more than say this.  
-Padawan, you are missing the point! There is a Dark Side user with an ancient powerful artefact on the loose and it is because you got attached. We are doomed.  
The voice that Ki-Adi Mundi heard next was both Alana's and not:  
-No, you are not. The artefact does not belong to the woman cloaked in darkness so it has returned to the one it does belong to.  
The Jedi Master turned around to see the padawan standing there blinking in confusion:  
-Huh? What was I saying?  
-Padawan, what was that?  
-What was what?  
-What you just said?  
-I asked what I had been saying before I zoned out?  
Ki-Adi Mundi frowned - this was highly unusual and coupled with that strong disturbance in the Force when the padawan's voice had changed... the Jedi Master's thoughts were interrupted a moment later when the girl exclaimed:  
-Master, look!  
The Jedi Master looked up to see the girl holding out something on her palm. He found himself speechless when he recognised it as the artefact the girl had described. Ki-Adi had seen many things in his life before, but never something like this. He raised an eyebrow:  
-Padawan, where did you find it?  
-It was clipped to my ear again.   
-Again?  
-Ah, yes. Um, this artefact can kind of move around occasionally. I have no idea how it does that. It changes colours too. It's a weird one.  
Alana looked down at the artefact in her palm and smiled as she felt a small spark of happiness emanate from the artefact when she wrapped her fingers around it. She was glad to have it back too. Master Mundi sighed and sank back down in his chair:  
-Padawan, you are something else entirely. It seems that one problem has solved itself.  
-Indeed it has. Master, what now?  
-Now? Now, you understand your mistakes and never repeat them again. I will report the conclusion of both missions to the High Jedi Council and you should be on your way.   
Alana's eyes widened:  
-Master, are you serious?  
-I never joke, young one. Go. I feel only the Force and experience can truly teach you what you need to know.  
-You are being awfully lenient this time,Master.  
-Are you complaining?  
-No.  
Ki-Adi Mundi shook his head and gave a tired sigh:  
-Go, padawan. And may the Force be with you in your journey.  
-You too, Master Mundi.  
Alana gave a small bow and limped out of the room. She was in the doorway when she heard the Cerean Master call out to her:  
-Sheelan?  
-Yes, Master?  
-Get yourself to a bacta tank on the Vindicator- you need it. There's far too many wounded her, but there should be one or two empty ones on the Vindicator.  
Alana turned around and gave the exhausted Jedi Master a small kind smile, one that he had never seen on her face before:  
-Thank you, Master Mundi. Farewell.

==SW: LB==

Alana closed her eyes as she leaned back in the seat of the shuttle that was carrying them upwards through Rodia's atmosphere and towards the Vindicator. She was feeling slightly lightheaded and very tired - Alana attributed both too large amounts of blood loss. As much as she hated medbays, Alana couldn't wait to let the kolto or bacta slowly heal up all of her wounds and she just couldn't wait to go to sleep in her own warm bed in the crew quarters aboard the Storm. She had failed on Rodia and she knew it would take time for the ache in her chest and for the self-loathing to go away, but she wouldn't give up just yet. There was still quite a way to go and if she learned from her mistakes this time she hopefully would never repeat them again. Alana opened her eyes when she heard Jayden mutter:  
-I never want to go back here again.  
Alana nodded in agreement- this planet was not one she wanted to return to. If she had two describe Rodia using onto two words she'd use the words "beautiful" and "deadly". It was a tropical planet, but it was anything but a paradise. Alana shuddered at the memory of the Karstag and the Svaper - nope, she did not want to come back here again. That and she would always be reminded of how she failed Kii. They had told the local officials where to find the bodies of their own and the neighbors of the Thanakions had promised to arrange a proper funeral for them. Still, even with athat a weight lay on Alana's heart whenever she thought of the little child. She'd broken her promise to her. Unexpectedly, Alana felt something warm and gentle rush through the Force and envelop her. Stunned, Alana looked around to see a small almost transparent shape of a little Rodian girl standing at the doorway of the shuttle, a little girl Alana recognised as Kii. The transparent Kii bowed her head in a sign of gratitude and smiled one of her cute smiles. One of Alana's hands flew up to her mouth, she was trembling horribly. Was she really seeing this? She knew that with the Force many things were possible, but this seemed to be almost unreal - like something out of a holonovel. As if reading her thoughts the transparent Kii shook her head and smiled brighter, and holding out her hand as if to prove she was real. Kii's little mouth moved to form the words "Thank you" and Alana shook her head, her eyes rimming with unshed tears. She hadn't done anything worthy of gratitude, she had failed her. The transparent Kii sighed and made her way over to Alana before trying to take Alana's hands in her own tiny transparent ones which of course failed, but Alana understood. Her mouth formed an "o" and she let her hand drop from her mouth, Alana nodded and smiled, blinking away the tears as a consequence making them slide down her cheeks like raindrops. It must have looked like a bizarre scene to both Jayden and Captain Twos who were riding in the shuttle with her, but Alana didn't care - she finally understood what Kii was trying to say. Kii grinned and took a step back from the Jedi and waved her tiny hand goodbye, Alana waved feebly back, smiling and crying at once. The transparent Kii faded away and the disturbance in the Force settled back into the normal current, the normal flow of things. Alana hastily wiped away the tears from her cheeks and settled back into her seat with a smile on her face, thanking the Force inwardly. The Force responded with a gentle wave of warmth that Alana always received from it. Jayden look at his partner in confusion:  
-What's wrong with you?  
Alana didn't lose her smile:  
-Nothing is wrong with me. I'm just happy.  
-Why?  
-Because Kii came to say goodbye.  
-Are you sure you're ok?  
-I'm fine, Jayden. The Force works in mysterious ways.  
-If you say so. It's good to see that smile again.  
-It's good to be able to smile.  
Jayden and the clone Captain exchanged a look from behind their helmets and sighed. Alana shook her head and just continued smiling. She was so happy that she didn't even notice the subtle warnings she was getting through the Force and the way she physically felt.

==SW: LB==

Half a day later, Jayden sat in the cockpit of the Storm double-checking that all systems were a go and that the damage they had sustained when entering the system had been fixed. A moment later the report came up that all was green - they were ready to fly. Jayden frowned, but to where? He'd like to go to Asmeru and try to at least find the trail that the Spectrewolf had surely left behind. He had to eliminate the Spectrewolf and that was that. Still, he'd have to talk it over with TK and Alana.   
   As if on cue the astromech rolled into the cockpit and gave a cheerful whistle that stated that they were all ready to go. Jayden nodded and pulled up the navigation system to tap in the coordinates of their next destination so that the hyperdrive could take them there. He turned to TK:  
-Where's Alana?  
TK chirped that she had just gotten out of the bacta tank and had wanted to go to sleep so she'd headed straight to the crew quarters once they'd gotten aboard. As an afterthought the droid also added that she looked strange. Jayden crossed his arms over his chest:  
-Strange how?  
-Bee-deet-reet.  
-Well, of course she's exhausted. Did she say where we should go next?  
The droid stated that she had said it was his turn to choose and that they would go wherever he, the idiot captain, needed to. Jayden shook his head, but entered the coordinates for Asmeru in the ship's navicomputer:  
-I'm fairly certain she didn't call me the idiot captain.  
-Beep. Beep-dree.  
-Ah, now that makes much more sense if it was you. Ok then, Asmeru it is.  
-Bee-adwoo?  
-Yeah, Asmeru is where we're going next.  
-Bee-dee?  
-Because I need to find and end a certain someone who my contact told me was there and put a hole in the back of their skull.  
-Beep.  
-Good to know I have your approval, tin can.   
Jayden replied as he sat down on the pilot's chair and flipped the switch that detached them from the Vindicator's docking clamp. He heard Commander Arc's voice over the com:  
-Sorry, I'm late, sir, but I wanted to wish you and Commander Sheehan a safe journey.  
Jayden smiled as he piloted the ship away:  
-Don't worry about it, Commander. It was nice to meet you and from the loos of things you'll be busy here for awhile.  
The Clone commander gave a short laugh:  
-Seems so. You take care of Commander Sheelan. She has great potential.  
-That she does. I hope we cross paths again, Commander.  
-Me too, sir. Captain Twos told me you were a great help in Iskaayuma.  
Jayden flipped a switch to reroute power from the sublight engines to the hyperdrive:  
-Eh, I helped out a bit. It was no big deal.  
-Really? Apparently the whole plan of attack was your doing. Even General Mundi said so.  
-Well, that's high praise. Tell them thank you for me. Good luck with chasing the Seps off Rodia, Commander.  
-You too, sir. And one last thing - whether you're the Death's Hand or not what you've done here will not be forgotten.  
The channel cut off and Jayden shook his head. That clone commander was a little too perceptive for his own good. Oh, well. Jayden turned to TK:  
-Ready to go?  
-Beep!  
Jayden smiled at his confirmation and pushed forward the lever and a moment later they were launched right into the blue vortex of hyperspace. Jayden's facial expression was determined - he wouldn't let the Spectrewolf disappear again. No way in the universe.

==SW:LB==

Asajj Ventress was not pleased in the least as she sat in her personal starship, fuming. Those insolent brats! They didn't know who they had made an enemy of, they would regret their actions on this day. First she had had a little Jedi brat crawl through her most private memories, then she had gotten shown up and disarmed by another brat and finally she had chased a droid through the treetops of a jungle on Rodia and had taught him with her lightsabers only to have him release them and drop both Ventress and her lightsabers into a swamp. And then she had nearly gotten eaten by some giant swamp creature! And to top it all off those idiotic battle droids had lost Iskaayuma! Ventress clenched her pale hands into fists: they would pay dearly for messing up her day! They better hope she never saw them again!   
  Ventress took a deep breath and tried to reign in her emotions. Well, at least one good thing had come of this day - she had gotten the artefact and rid the world of another future Jedi brat. Ventress opened the compartment in her ship's wall where she knew she had placed it before she had gone to clean up, but to her shock found it empty. Ventress stared in shock. But how? It was impossible! Unless, the Jedi brat had somehow stolen it. Ventress hit her fist against the controls and shouted to no one in particular:  
-Little Jedi, I will kill you!  
It would suffice to say Ventress day only got worse when her holoterminal beeped and she saw that there was an incoming call from her Master. She had won the battle, but ultimately more or less lost the war in this case. She officially hated this planet.

==SW: LB==

Jayden rapped his knuckles on the door to the crew quarters twice and called:  
-Hey, Alana, wake up. Dinner's ready.  
A very exhausted voice answered back:  
-Yeah, alright, I'm coming. You go on ahead.  
-Uh, alright. Don't worry, TK cooked.  
-Uh-huh. That's... good...  
Jayden frowned that didn't sound like normal Alana. Was something wrong? Jayden shrugged and headed towards the galley where TK was still buzzing excitedly about managing to make something while the idiot captain had failed. Jayden shot the droid a mild glare, but still sat down at the table. He was a bit worried about Alana and more than a little worried about TK's cooking - he just hoped the droid didn't hate him enough to poison him. Knowing TK, he wouldn't put it past him. The thought made Jayden hesitate and cast a wary glance at the astromech-assassin:  
-Hey, you didn't poison this did you?  
TK gave an offended beep and stated that he had no need to poison the idiot captain when he could just shoot him. For extra effect he pulled out one of his blasters. A stern, but very exhausted female voice reprimanded the droid:  
-TK, no blasters at the dinner table.  
Jayden and TK looked towards the doorway to see Alana wearing long loose light blue pants and a light blouse in the same colour - sleepwear. Jayden raised an eyebrow when he saw the way she looked:  
-You ok?  
Alana have a little shrug and coughed:  
-I'm fine. Just tired.  
She took another step forward and suddenly fell over. She slowly pushed herself back up and waved off their concern:  
-Just a little dizzy. Don't worry about me. I'll just drink some teas and I'll be fine for the night.  
Jayden frowned when he noticed the unhealthy glimmer in her eyes, but wrote it off as exhaustion. Alana sat down on her chair and tucked her legs under herself, shivering slightly. She shot TK a small grateful smile when he handed her a cup of Jig tea using his mechanical appendages:  
-Thank you.  
She took a small sip, hoping that the warm drink would warm her up. Ever since she'd woken up Alana had been feeling like her body was made of lead and that it was deathly cold in addition to being really disoriented and exhausted. She felt weak and well, anything, but her normal self. She felt the warm tea go down her threat, but it didn't feel help. If anything she felt colder. Alana frowned and continued drinking the tea. Once she'd finished the cup she was about to ask for another when suddenly she felt nauseous. Excusing herself, Alana rushed to the refresher. Jayden's concern had only continued to grow. Something was wrong with Alana, but what? The kolto had healed all the wounds and the bacta should have patched up sprains and bruises. The joints would still be a little sore for the next few days, but other than that she should be fine. So why was she acting like this? Was it a girl thing?  
   Jayden shot to his feet wordlessly when he heard a crash and TK followed him, equally concerned and confused by the behaviour of their only female teammate. He found Alana collapsed on the floor of the common room. Jayden turned her over and frowned when he realised how hot to the touch her body was, he pressed a hand to her forehead and wrapped the other around her wrist to find that she was burning up. Jayden looked at TK, worriedly:  
-She's running a really high fever.  
-Beep-blip! Dee-ree.  
-Sure.  
Jayden picked Alana up easily and per TK's orders lay her down on the bed in the ship's Medbay, switching the light's on afterward. He was glad he managed to keep even the rarely used areas of the ship stocked up and clean. TK rolled in after him and ignoring him completely found the instruments he was looking for and drew a blood sample from Alana. Jayden frowned as he watched the droid:  
-Why a blood sample?  
TK whistled that he would explain later while he should go and get the girl a blanket since she was shivering like crazy or did he not know anything about how to deal with sick people? Jayden didn't even argue with the droid and silently went and brought a blanket and a pillow. When he did what he was told he simply sat down on one of the seats in the Medbay and waited for TK to finish whatever he was doing. A moment later the droid was done and explained that while it was obvious to him that Alana was very sick he couldn't determine what was the cause or what to use to cure her. Jayden shot him a worried look:  
-Then what do we do? I don't understand how this even happened the bacta should have fixed everything so it can't be any external injury she sustained. And this isn't anemia, so what's wrong with her?  
-Beep-rwoo. Meed-blip-dwwee.  
Jayden stood up and sighed:  
-I know she needs a medic, but where do we find a decent one? I mean sure there should be a medical droid here and there, but don't you have their knowledge and skill level?  
-Beep. Dee-woot.  
-Yeah, apart from surgery obviously. So we need a different medic. But where?  
TK was silent for a moment before chirping a suggestion that made Jayden's eyes widen in surprise:  
-No way. What in the blazes makes you think that there'd be a decent medic on Tatooine of all places in the galaxy?!  
TK explained that he'd heard it from one of his contacts on Tatooine and he pointed out that they had only a few options left. According to the navicomputer they would be passing Tatooine soon and after that he knew nothing of doctors on the outer rim. Jayden sighed and looked at Alana's shivering body, before back at TK. A determined look blazed in his green eyes:  
-Fine then. I'm going to go reroute our course to Tatooine. Do whatever you can to stabilise Alana in the meantime.   
Jayden made his way to the cockpit and the first thing he did was pull them out of hyperspace before pulling up the hyperdrive controls again and changing the coordinates to Tatooine. The computer told him they'd be there in less than half an hour since he'd dropped them out relatively close to the Arkanis sector and not far from the Tatoo system in which Tatooine was the first planet on the orbital position list. Jayden pushed the lever again and sat down on his seat, closing his eyes and running a hand through his dark hair. He'd hoped he'd never have to set foot on that dustball ever again, but he had to do it to save Alana. He hated that planet with a passion, he'd probably call it his most hated world if not for the existence of a world called Orvax IV. Jayden shook his head and sighed:  
-It's alright. I'll do this. The past is the past and I'm the one in power in now. Besides I'm Shadow and even if I do have to deal with those slugs they'll think twice before trying to attack me.   
Jayden stood up and went back to the Medbay where he found TK interfacing with ship and telling the computer to keep him updated of any changes in Alana's life signs. Jayden looked towards his partner who's breathing was laboured and while her cheeks were flushed with colour she looked pale. He brushed away a longer strand of hair that had spilt onto her face. TK chirped a query and without looking away Jayden nodded:  
-Yeah, we're going to Tatooine. We'll be there in half an hour. How is Alana?  
TK gave a sad whistle and while he had done all he could to stabilise her it was up to how quickly they found the doctor, she wasn't strong enough to put herself in a healing trance. Jayden sighed and absentmindedly let his hand trail down Alana's arm before he found her hand. It was as cold as ice. Jayden suddenly looked up and turned to TK:  
-It should be night on Tatooine now, right?  
-Beep.  
-I'll go out in the morning tomorrow and ask around Mos Eisely.   
-Beep-deet?  
-No, I'd rather not show up in Mos Ila. Let's just say there's a gang there that would shoot me on sight.  
-Dee-ree!  
-I know you could, but that's out of the question right now. I need you to stay behind and look after her. You're the only one with medical knowledge around here.   
TK was silent for a moment before chirping a reluctant agreement. Jayden nodded and sighed:  
-May the Force be with us. I have a feeling we're all going to need it.


	44. Chapter 42 - What happens in Mos Eisely...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya! I'm back! Sorry for taking so long. I had a lot of stuff to deal with which was vey stressful and it might explain why this chapters feels odd. Well, it does to me anyway. Soo anyhow, welcome to Tatooine, Mos Eisely! Yay for a new planetary arc that hopefully won't suck. Fingers crossed, people! Okay, serious time. Notes:  
> 1) I know a lot of people love Tatooine and it's an iconic planet so I tried really hard to make this chapter a good one. Is it good? I'll let you be the judge.  
> 2) This is a very Jayden-centric chapter so apologies to anybody who doesn't like him (*cough*cough* my sister*cough*cough*), but I can't change that - a fact is a fact.   
> 3) Hope you like the mention of a new character in this whole thing. Not to spoil anything, but she'll be playing a very important role in the story to come.  
> 4) Apologies for any typos and autocorrect in this nearly 11000 words chapter that I didn't spot. I was tired when proofreading this gigantic thing. And yes, readers on fanfiction dot net this will be split up into two parts for you since that website has a 10000 word cap per part.   
> 5) Thanks for sticking with me this long! Enjoy!

===========SW:LB==============  
Chapter 42 - What happens in Mos Eisely...

Jayden Callen glanced over the systems readouts one more time before turning to leave the cockpit. The report had come up all green and he was leaving the Storm and Alana in the best ha--pardon, mechanical appendages possible. Still, Jayden couldn't shake the odd feeling that was surrounding him. Making a left turn in the common room, Jayden walked into his quarters. As soon as he pressed a button on the control panel the door obediently slid closed behind him and the lights flickered on. Jayden promptly shut the lights off again as the light of Tatooine's twin suns streaming through his viewport was more than enough. Jayden cast a cursory glance around his room, checking that everything was as he had left it last night. It was a silly worry, but Jayden knew from personal experience that it never hurt to be too careful. However, he needn't have worried. The black and grey wardrobe still stood calmly bolted down to the left side of the room opposite to the lather large bed the navy and white covers on which were neatly done, the viewports weren't tinted since Jayden had forgotten about how glaring the suns on Tatooine were, his desk stood in another corner and the holoterminal beside it was silent - no missed calls then. Jayden sighed and went to sit on his bed. He knew that if he turned around he'd find a rarity that he'd stuck to the wall - a real paper photo of him and his family, it was something he had saved - a piece of a shattered past. Jayden's room was neat and spacious, not cluttered up and filled with unnecessary objects. Jayden had never quite gotten used to the prospect of being able to have what he wanted where he wanted it, nor had the idea of having something that belonged just to you lost it's novelty to him even though it had been 5 years since he had acquired the Storm. It seemed his past would haunt him wherever he went and whatever he did would reflect it, though in this particular case it was probably more of a good thing rather than a bad one. Jayden shook his head and stood up, forcing himself to focus - he needed to find the medic that TK's contact had told the astromech about.  
Jayden walked over to wardrobe and after entering the correct code opened it and started rifling through his clothes. On the one hand he has the option of going in as Shadow as the suit was equipped with a climate control function so he wouldn't boil alive in it, but on the other hand perhaps something a little less conspicuous was better since Shadow unexpectedly showing up in Mos Eisely was bound to turn some heads and the Spectrewolf could catch wind of this. Jayden frowned and after deliberating for a moment chose to go with some a lot less conspicuous, but something that would still hide his identity and keep him from suffocating in the desert (he had a feeling he'd end up there in any case). It took a moment before Jayden selected a light brown shirt, the same shaded trousers, a pair of white gauntlets to which he attached his comlink and remote controls for certain objects, his usual black belt and an ammunitions strap across his chest and to top it off he grabbed a long white sleeveless cloak with a hood which would reflect Tatooine's blazing sunlight and hide his clan mark that he had on his top's shoulder . He changed out his usual black shoes for a beige pair with climate control installed and tied a grey facemask around his neck which he would pull up later. Jayden pulled on the cloak and fastened it over his chest, but didn't pull the hood up. He gave a small nod - this should do. Stars, he hated choosing clothes. Jayden neatly folded his usual clothes away and put them at the bottom of his wardrobe before closing it again.   
He glanced at his chrono to see that it was late morning at this point so he better get moving. With those thoughts in mind Jayden left his quarters and started heading towards the ship's exit when he suddenly felt a weak tug on his mind. It was nearly undetectable, but it was there. Jayden made himself focus for a moment and a second later he realised it was Alana reaching out to him through their bond, he couldn't quite make out what it was, but she seemed to be trying to ask him something. Jayden shook his head tiredly, deciding to go to the Medbay to tell her to quit being such an idiot and to save her energy - stars knew she'd need it. Jayden sighed upon arriving at the doorway to the medbay- he hoped she wouldn't try to argue with him about this, but knowing Alana it was highly probable that she would. He just wished that she would let herself rely on him for a bit even though he knew that that wish was highly hypocritical of him and that he in no shape or form deserved anyone's trust. Damn it, why did he always find his thoughts wandering in this direction lately?! He'd been just fine with no one trusting him and no one having any real connection to him before she stood in his path! Why was he letting himself be affected by her so much? Why had she even crossed paths with him? And then there was the question of where he would be without her at this point? So many questions, the answers to which he did not know. Jayden mentally slapped himself to snap out of it and knocked on the door. It slid aside a moment later permitting him to enter. Jayden saw Alana resting in bed with her eyes closed and looking paler than ever, TK was nowhere to be seen so he guessed the droid was wandering the ship again. Jayden frowned: leaving Alana alone now probably was not the best idea the tin can had ever had. As if sensing that his thoughts had drifted in her direction, the aforementioned sick girl forced her eyes to open. Shivering and pulling her blankets up to her neck, Alana hoarsely and barely audibly whispered:  
-...Jayden?  
The young man nodded and his lips tugged up into a small smile, hiding his concern he sat down next to the bed she was lying on. He could see the unhealthy glint in her eyes and her flushed cheeks as well as the traces of some strange purple lines on her neck - this was worrying. Still, he didn't want her freaking out over it so Jayden just smiled and spoke:  
-Hey, you're awake. How are you feeling? We were worried when you collapsed yesterday.  
Alana's brows furrowed as she struggled to remember and her head unexpectedly gave a violent throb that made her face scrunch up, betraying her pain. Her mind was hazy, her limbs felt like lead and any sort of movement hurt like crazy, including speech. Alana opened her mouth to try and speak when Jayden suddenly shook his head:  
-It's alright. You don't have to talk out loud if it hurts.  
Alana managed a weak grateful smile before closing her eyes. She tried out speaking with Jayden over their Force Bond:  
-Jayden, what happened to me?  
The Mandolorian sighed and shrugged:  
-We're not really sure, but you're very sick. You have to stay in bed and rest up while I go look for a medic.  
Alana's eyes shot open:  
-No, come on, Jayden- I'll be fine. I just pushed myself too far! There's no need to go to all this trouble for me!   
Jayden exhaled and shook his head, speaking out loud:  
-Alana, you really are an idiot. You're really sick and I hate to say this, but I don't like the way this looks. It's definitely something bigger than just exhaustion if the purple lines running up your neck are any indication. We're on Tatooine right now and I'm going to find someone who can help you whether you like it or not. And I'll only say this once so listen up - you are not a burden to TK or myself, we're a team. Now, you better stay in bed or I swear will knock you out to ensure that. Do you understand?  
Alana sighed, but gave a small reluctant nod upon seeing the firm look in Jayden's green eyes. There were a few minutes of silence in which Alana closed her eyes before opening them again when she felt something cool on her forehead. Jayden had placed a damp, clean strip of fabric on her forehead and tucked her hair out of her eyes. Alana smiled and whispered:  
-Thank...you...  
Jayden shook his head:  
-No need for that. This is an old method, but it's effective. You have a high fever so try to get some sleep and rest up. TK will stay here with you so if you need anything or feel even worse just press the call button on your comlink that's next to you and he'll be here. Alana, stay alive and fight this off. Alright?  
Alana nodded and winced at the pain that action brought. Jayden made himself stand up and pull his hood up. He turned to leave the Medbay, but paused in the doorway. He cast a discreet glance over his shoulder to see Alana close her eyes again and her breathing become even - this brief time she had spent awake had drained all her energy, making her fall asleep. Jayden sighed and started walking towards the ramp and after giving a single meaningful look to TK he left the ship.   
The very warm and arid atmosphere of Tatooine instantly assaulted him and Jayden thanked the stars his clothes were made of a material that would reflect the heat so he wouldn't boil alive. Jayden pulled up his facemask and started walking away from the ship, his mind completely focusing on the mission at hand. He had landed in Docking Bay 35 in Mos Eisely so that meant he would end up on Straiht Street after walking out of here. Jayden ran over a mental map of Mos Eisely in his head and plotted out his course. He would need to go down Straiht street to Kerner Plaza, cut across the plaza so he could avoid the corporation road and he'd need to go past the Jawa traders and the Dim-U monastery to finally end up at Chalmun's spaceport cantina. As the hot suns over Tatooine beat down on the bare skin on his hands, Jayden tightened them into fists, reminding himself once again to keep a grip on his temper - this was no time to lose his cool. There were probably quite a few people who'd love to shoot him on sight here and nobody would bat an eyelash at that - Jayden just hoped they wouldn't recognise him, though the prospect of meeting them meant nothing to Jayden. He snorted: if he had a credit for every gang and organisation that had put a price on his head or tried to kill him he'd be swimming in money. Still, the thought of meeting a certain Wookiee again made Jayden a bit happy - if there was one being on this accursed planet Jayden had missed it was Chalmun. Jayden had left Tatooine a little under a decade ago and had vowed to never set foot upon it's sands again, but the cruel hand of Fate had drawn him here. Or had it been the will of the Force? Either way, Jayden had broken his vow and he hated it. Jayden hated Tatooine and he hated it's most notorious practice even more, but still he had to find this rumoured medic for Alana and if that meant dealing with the vermin on this planet then so be it. Jayden payed the toll droid at the exit of the docking bay and stepped out onto the bustling streets of Mos Eisely. Jayden frowned beneath his mask when was met with an all too familiar scene - in the last 10 years Mos Eisely had not changed a bit. The sunlit streets were still full of sand, filled with beings of all races milling about, they were still loud as well as crowded and you were still likely to get run over by a Ronto or Dewback or trip over an occasional Jawa. Bitterly, Jayden mumbled:  
-Hello, childhood memories. How I missed you.  
Jayden shook his head and adjusted his hood before blending into crowd, setting off down Straiht road. As he passed different stalls and picked up many different voices, scents and languages (the most common one being Huttese), Jayden inwardly cursed whatever force had brought him here. The sooner he got to Chalmun's cantina the better, there he'd be able to ask a certain somebody who was hiding out about this medic as well as pick up some of the rumours. After all, what better place than a cantina to catch up with the towns incessant rumour mill?

==SW: LB==

TK made sure that the ramp had closed behind him before locking down the ship and moving away from it. TK didn't want to leave the sick Jedi alone, but his contacted had requested that they meet soon and since TK was on the planet he had no choice but to agree. The droid kept up a constant connection with the computers that were responsible for monitoring Alana's life support so he believed he'd have a warning if something went wrong, he just hoped nothing would though his luck was bound to not be that great.  
TK grumbled a bit inwardly at how annoying the rough, sandy surface of Tatooine was to traverse for a droid. It was hard to believe that this had once been a planet with lush rainforests and wide oceans that covered it's surface, but that had once been so. It had all changed when Tatooine's original native species, the technologically advanced Kumumgah, had started colonising the nearby star systems and as a consequence they drew the attention of the power-hungry Rakata. The Rakata conquered the planet and enslaved the species, but many years later the Kumumgah rebelled and nearly succeeded in taking back their homeworld. As a response the furious Rakata subjected the flourishing planet to an orbital bombardment that "glassed" the planet and boiled away the once vast oceans - that was how the sandy dustball came to be. TK had not been around when Tatooine was still a jungle world, but from his previous experiences on this planet he had no doubts that his version of it's history was true. Well, as true as any historical theory could be. In any case, this loose sand was annoying and TK hoped for his contact's sake he would be at the meeting spot.   
All of the spaceport city was mostly filled with square sandstone buildings with domed roofs, varying in size and occasionally in shape. The harsh light of the sun's beat down upon the city, bleaching what little colour it had into the duller shades - in reality Mos Eisely was almost painful to look at because it was so bright, especially with the Jundland Wastes surrounding it. The city was originally constructed to be a commerce oriented city and to some degree it was, but many people preferred to go to Anchorhead which lay about 80 kilometres south. The city was actually much larger than it looked, a lot of it lay underground and the population of Mos Eisely was roughly 40 to 60 thousand beings, varying seasonally. The city was divided into 2 parts: the old quarter and the new quarter. In one trade flourished while the other became a hotspot for varying types of crime. Things like smuggling, fights, bounty hunters taking care of targets, slavery and generally anything civilised planets didn't allow were normal here. TK disliked the planet just as much as he had the last 20 times he'd been here, it wasn't just the physical aspects or the Trade he disliked - he had issues with the beings here too, namely creatures called Jawas. TK felt his circuits heating up at the mere mention of those uncouth, primitive, bold, infuriating beings - for force's sake , he was not some moisture vaparator to be disassembled and the put back together!   
Still inwardly fuming, TK arrived at the meeting site and saw a red protocol droid waiting for him in the shadows the Jango Fett Arena (an arena where giant beast battled giant beast for the public's sick entertainment) cast. TK rolled up to the droid and instantly demanded confirmation of his identity. The scarlet protocol droid gave a small bow and responded:  
-Under the twin suns our shadows amass into an army.  
-Beep. Dee-wheep-blip-dwoo?  
-Yes, I have infiltrated the Desilijic complex and I have managed to acquire a holo of the brilliant young medic.  
TK tilted his head to the side and whistled a query:  
-Dee-whop-reet-krip-krip?  
-Of course. You are our leader.  
The protocol droid activated the holorecorder he had had in his hand. A blue-white holographic image of a young, female togruta popped up. TK elicited a shrill beep of surprise and the crimson protocol droid explained:  
-This is the one they call the Miracle Healer or more commonly the Kehopua. Her origins and reasons for being on Tatooine are unknown, she is somewhat of an urban myth here. However, I have managed to uncover her name - Risha Zyran. She is a togruta by race and despite the myths she shouldn't be that hard to find due to her demeanour.  
-Bee-dee-wheet-ree-woo. Bloop-dee-gree-dwoo-whop?  
-I am afraid we don't know her current whereabouts: she disappeared from all of our scanners a little over a week ago. However she was last seen in the vicinity of Carnthout, in the northeast Dune Sea not too far from a sandpeople camp.  
-Dee-dwoo?!  
-No, oddly they welcome her. I speculate that the rumours of her skill have even reached these primitive creatures. Thats all we know so far.  
TK gave a low string of beeps, sounding oddly like a sigh. He then took the holorecorder he'd been offered. TK thanked the informant who gave a small nod before trotting away hurriedly, he didn't want his master to notice his absence after all.   
TK gave a thoughtful whistle before unexpectedly using his scanners to try and locate the idiot captain. He had to pass this onto him. However before he could even pinpoint his location a warning started flashing and the astromech received a message from the Storm's computers that the patient's life signs were dropping at an alarming rate. Cursing his luck, TK chose to just format the information he'd received along with the holo into a message and send it to the idiot captain before activating his thrusters and taking off from the back lanes over Paradise Road and Spacers Row - towards Docking Bay 35.

==SW: LB==

Jayden sighed when he finally got rid of a rather persistent Jawa that had been tailing him for the past half and hour and offering him products. He'd been a little too afraid of stepping on the little creature that came up to his knee to take any definitive measures. Still, he was making good progress and was now a few meters away from the entrance of Chalmun's Spaceport Cantina where he knew he could get a reprieve from the scorching heat of Tatooine's suns. As Jayden entered the Cantina he couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious- would his old friend recognise him? It had been 10 years after all and he had grown quite a bit as well as matured. Jayden was no longer that weak, scrawny little boy that was terrified of speaking a word and ran away to a big muscular Wookie who would protect him while he only reached the wookie' kneecap in height. Jayden now stood at approximately 1.83 meters (about 6 feet) and had a lean, but strong body - he had made a name for himself as a feared bounty hunter in the most elite house in the Bounty Hunter's guild, he would no longer cower. However that didn't mean he didn't miss the sense of safety the big Wookie had also given him. Jayden shook his head at his thoughts - even if Chalmun didn't recognise him, it was alright. He'd remind him and thank him anyway.   
Having explored the Cantina from top to bottom when he'd last been here Jayden was oddly relieved to find that it hadn't changed much. It seemed business was booming for his Wookie friend. The Cantina was a single-storey building made of sandstone, inside it consisted of a bar area, three private offices, something akin to a VIP lounge (though no one had much of a clue why Chalmun had named it that and those who dared ask were often left without a limb or two - the Wookie was very protective over his creations), a private hangar, a band are, a basement where the bartenders Wuher or Ackmena (they worked different shifts) would come up with new drinks along with Chalmun and of course there was that phoney shop out back. All in all the Cantina could house up to 120 humanoids .Jayden smiled beneath his face mask when he saw the same gruff bartender perhaps a bit older behind the bar - Wuher, hadn't changed too much.  
Jayden could barely conceal the happy grin on his face as he sauntered up to the bar and leaned against the counter. Wined turned to him and frowned:  
-So what'd you want?  
Jayden struggled to keep his voice neutral as he replied:  
-A Tatooine Sunset, just hold back on the alcohol.  
The human bartender gave an affirmative grunt and ducked below the bar counter to gather the necessary ingredients. Jayden gave a tiny sigh, he hoped a cool drink would clear his head a bit so the last thing he wanted was to get inebriated in the middle of the job. While Wuher set about mixing the drink he cast an inquisitive look at the customer who had ordered it. Curious, he gruffly inquired:  
-You a lightweight or somethin'?  
The customer laughed and shook his head, prompting Wuher to notice how young he seemed. And how eerily familiar too. Amusement in his voice the mysterious young man replied:  
-Not exactly. I just need a clear head now so alcohol won't help.  
-Are you even of age, kid?  
The young man leaned his head to the side in an amused manner:  
-Who in the Galaxy cares about my age here, Wuher? And as far as I remember I don't remember you being the inquisitive type.   
The bartender started at the young man's words - that intonation and tone of voice! He had known it was him! Wuher struggled to remain nonchalant as he handed the kid his glass. Even though he had been expecting to see a familiar face Wuher was still startled to find that he had indeed been right in his suspicions. And yet the kid had really changed since he'd last seen him - he'd definitely grown much taller and had some muscle on him, his face had matured as he grew older and there was something about the way he held himself, an aura almost that warned people not to do anything stupid. Wuher gave a surprised look before snorting in amusement:  
-Well, you've got that right, kid - no one gives a flying banthanerf here whether you're 15 or 95.  
-What happens on Tatooine stays on Tatooine, right? Especially if it's your corpse.  
-Hey, so ya were listening, ignorant brat.  
Jayden laughed as he clasped the bartender's outstretched coarse hand:  
-I just pretended not to, grouchy man.  
Wuher chuckled and let the kid get back to his drink while he poured a Hutt's Delight, a Yatooni Boska and a Tatooni Junko for a group of 3: a male Aqualish, a female orange-skinned zabrak and a white-furred Cathar of the same gender. Once done he headed back over to Jayden who had placed the credits for the drink on the counter and was now absentmindedly swirling the remainder of his drink around with a stirrer. Wuher sighed and decided to cut straight to the chase:  
-I'm guessing you didn't come here to reminisce?  
Jayden gave him a wry smile and a small nod:  
-Yeah. No offence to you guys, but I'd rather never set foot on this dustball again. Wuher, I need to see the Big Boss - Chalmun. I have a problem and he's the only one who I can trust to help me with this.  
The bartender gave Jayden a crooked smile:  
-Well, you're in luck - both he and Ackmena are in the office now. I trust you know the way?   
Jayden grinned as he pulled his face mask back up to cover his face up to his nose. Jayden nodded:  
-Yeah, I do.

==SW: LB==

Alana felt as though she was drifting below water, warm calm water - like the water in something akin to a bath. The water was gently cradling her within itself, soothing her and making her feel safe and protected. Her limbs felt lighter than ever and her eyelids slid open effortlessly. The first thing Alana realised was that she was no longer in the Storm's medbay, but rather in a place that was coloured in gentle blue-green hues and with rippling lights - like she really was underwater. This all felt so surreal, like the time she had nearly died by the hands of Rrask and had met her Sith grandfather (she still wasn't sure if she should believe him or not). Was she dying again? Was the Force messing with her mind once more? This silence... Softly, with traces of wonder in her voice, Alana murmured:  
-Am I really looking death in the face again?  
She hadn't been expecting one, but she got an answer to her question. A gentle, female voice responded this time:  
-Yes,though I wish dearly that that was not so.  
Alana sighed inwardly: she should totally have been expecting this, didn't it happen the last couple of times? Slightly frustrated, Alana huffed and muttered:  
-For sanity's sake, Force, will you stop messing with me?!  
It seemed that the newcomer, a woman, had heard her as she gave a laugh:  
-It is trying to help you, you know.  
-Yeah, making me go insane is very helpful!  
Alana finally turned around to look at the newcomer and was a little surprised to see an odd woman looking back at her. The woman had flowing, shiny grey-silver hair that was wavy at the ends like Alana's and eyes that were only a few hues lighter than her hair, she looked to be in her late 20s or very early 30s. There was something about her that seemed oddly familiar to Alana and it took her a few moments to realise that the woman had a fairly similar facial structure to her. Alana looked at the woman suspiciously:  
-Who are you?   
The woman smiled and took a step forward, reaching out to touch Alana's cheek:  
-You look so much like your mother and myself. There are traces of your father in you too, but not much of Kayin. I bet that drives him up the wall.  
Alana looked at the woman in stunned silence before whispering:  
-You knew my grandfather? And my parents?  
The ghost-like lady nodded:  
-I did. My name was and is Ala'ila Kalean. I'm your paternal grandmother, Alana.  
Alana's breath caught in her throat and she took a step back from shock, letting her light caramel-brown hair fall back to frame her face. Her expression was a mix of shock, disbelief, wonder, fear and joy - all at the same time. Alana didn't want to disbelieve this woman, but right now her heart was just too fragile to accept the fact that there was someone who she could trust, she probably should trust. Losing Kii had hurt and her falling had broken her heart, she didn't want it hurt again. Alana shook her head, the light in her midnight blue eyes wavering:  
-No, that's not true.  
Ala'ila gave a sad smile:  
-I know this is hard to believe, but I swear it is the truth.  
Alana stubbornly shook her head again:  
-No. Why now? Why out of all times in the world do you show up when I'm at death's door?! And he did too! I'm grateful, don't get me wrong, but why didn't you talk to me before?! Why will no one give me any answers?! Do any of you really care about me?!  
Ala'ila's face betrayed her pain, her hand was clutched over her chest as she took a step towards her granddaughter:  
-We do care! Alana, please--  
Alana rapidly blinked and turned her back to Ala'ila, shoving away all her feelings of hurt, pain and abandonment. She wanted to know the people who were her family, but it hurt! Six years with no word on anything! She had been terrified, lost and confused and they hadn't even shown up! Who would claim that they cared and yet leave a 10 year old child all alone on an abandoned world?! Who did that?! She knew that she was being unfair and perhaps acting like a brat, but six years of pain wouldn't magically disappear with just one glance. Voice betraying a mix of anger and sadness, Alana whispered:  
-I just want to know why. Why?   
-Why what?  
Alana whirled around, anger and hurt blazing in her dark blue eyes:  
-You claim to care. So why did you all abandon me on a dead world?! Why did you never come looking for me?! Why have you never shown up before?! Not so much as message in six freaking years! I have amnesia! I have no clue who I am and where I came from! I don't even know my parent's names! Why? All I want to know is why. What did I do? How can I fix it? Please, tell me!  
Ala'ila sighed, a conflicted expression on her face:  
-I wish I could tell you. The truth is - I do not know. I died when my son was only 8 years old and I could only watch over him like this, through the Force so I don't know all.  
Alana's eyes widened:  
-You're dead?  
Ala'ila nodded and gave a small sad smile:  
-I'm afraid so. While I do not know my son all too well, I can promise you that what he did and what your mother did was done to save you. To make sure you would live on. Alana, they both love you and would give their lives for yours. I can promise you they never wanted to leave you all alone, but they had no choice.  
Alana covered her face with her hands and her crouched down. In a choked up voice she whispered:  
\- There's always a choice. Who were they? Or are. I just want to know who the people who gave me a chance at life were.  
Ala'ila crouched down and wrapped her arms around her grandchild's trembling form:  
-I'm sorry we hurt you. Sometimes I think this family is cursed. I just hope it doesn't befall you. I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm so sorry. Please, forgive us.  
Alana's arms instinctively wrapped around her grandmother's back and to her dismay tears began to rim her eyes. Damn it, she was turning into a real crybaby lately. Ala'ila sighed and stroked her grandchild's head. The Force truly was a mysterious thing. It had torn this family apart so many times and had caused them so much grief and pain, while it had also protected her grandchild and still did. The Force gave Alana a chance to live. Ala'ila finally understood what Kayin had meant when he thought that Alana looked like her - she really did. Alana had her mother's dark blue eyes and her father's caramel-brown hair, but her facial features and hair quality was purely hers. Ala'ila was proud of her granddaughter- she was growing up to be a strong woman who could use the Force to protect those that she cared about and those who could not protect themselves. Alana would never be a Jedi or a Sith- that much was certain, but even then she had the potential to become something much greater. After all words like "Jedi" and "Sith" were just that - words, and they shouldn't define a person. Ala'ila was an Iened, her son had the blood of the Sith flowing through him - he was a child of Ceperion, Alana's mother was a pure Arokorian, her Kayin was also of Sith blood and Alana's maternal grandparents were Arokorians through and through and then there was her. It seemed to Ala'ila that perhaps they and not the Force were to blame for the fate they had bestowed upon this child. She would never truly be a fully whole being, never belonging anywhere - such was the fate of a mixed blood. She was neither a child of Aroko, nor of Ceperion and definitely not of Ienam, but Ala'ila loved her nevertheless. She had never gotten to meet Alana when she was alive so this moment was precious to her, so, so precious. Softly, Ala'ila whispered:  
-Your parents. Do you really want to know their names? I can't tell you more than that.  
Alana looked up and nodded:  
-Yes. Even that much is enough. I'll probably die soon anyway.  
Ala'ila gave her a stern look:  
-Never say that and never believe that. If I could make it off a planet teeming with Sith with a newborn and still recovering from giving birth to him then you can beat this illness. Alana, remember: our family though cursed never dies easy. If we've got to die then we're going to go out fighting. I know that you're like this too.  
Alana nodded and Ala'ila smiled:  
-Good. Before I tell you their names, you should probably know something. I keep saying that this family is cursed and though that may be dramatic it's the truth. Kayin's parents, Kayin and I, your mother and father - our love, our bonds were broken easily. We were never given the chance to be a normal family. I never married Kayin, just like your mother never married your father and you were born an illegitimate child. This curse is cruel - it makes it so we can never have a happy life and that those we grow close to will always leave us. Your mother was a strong and truly wonderful woman, she was someone who everyone looked up to - her name was Neerean Coran. Your father, my son, also was a remarkable person and though he hurt both you and your mother horribly he did it to keep you safe just like I did when I hid him from his father - my son's name was...it was... Eren Sheelor. Your parents names were Neerean Coran and Eren Sheelor.   
Alana's eyes widened with wonder as she slowly absorbed this new information and Ala'ila smiled. She knew her time with her granddaughter was coming to a close, the Force could not permit her to stay here much longer and she still had not accomplished what she had set out to do. Ala'ila closed her silver eyes for a moment before speaking seriously:  
-Alana, I came here for a reason - to help sustain your life Force. You may not be a pure blooded Iened like me, but I can awaken the blood within you to keep this disease at bay.  
Alana's eyes widened a fraction as something clicked:  
-Wait a second, that abnormal healing rate I have is due to--  
Ala'ila nodded:  
-Yes, you are not human, Alana.   
-What?!  
-I'm sorry to tell you this, but you're not of the human race. Neither am I or your relatives. We're all an offshoot of the human species, but don't worry there's nothing to drastic that separates us from them. Our biology is almost identical but there are quite a few differences - your eye colour is a prime example. I want to give you a fighting chance, will you let me?  
-How?  
-I will use the Force to drive the disease away in a way none of your Jedi ever could.  
-You can use the Force?!  
Ala'ila laughed:  
-Yes. Now, will you let me heal you?  
Alana sighed and nodded, relaxing her body and closing her eyes:  
-Yes, please.  
-Good. Trust me, please.  
-I will do my best.  
-That's all I ask for.  
Ala'ila pressed her hand against the girl's forehead while the other hand rested over Alana's heart. She pulled on the Force and it responded wrapping around her and flowing smoothly like a river she was directing. The Force wrapped around Alana and the teenager suddenly felt weird. Had Alana opened her eyes she would have noticed lines that had spread all along Ala'ila's body - her species mark, it only materialised when one used the Force. Alana unexpectedly felt as though someone had lit up a blazing white inferno in her chest and it was slowly driving the disease back. When she felt Ala'ila's hands disappear from her Alana opened her eyes and was somewhat shocked to see her grandmother gone. She called out instinctually:  
-Grandmother?  
A warm and happy voice responded:  
-Stay safe, Alana. I will always watch over you. Beat this disease and beat the curse. I love you.  
Alana nodded and looked up at the watery surface. She wouldn't let her grandmother down even though she had not forgiven any of them for leaving her behind. Well, if she had accepted that her grandmother was that ghost-like woman she had no choice but to accept the fact that her grandfather was the Dark Lord of the Sith. Stars and Heavens above, what a messed up family she had.

==SW: LB==

Jayden knocked on the wooden door twice (Chalmun was  
from Kashyyk so he was pretty insistent on getting a wooden door to his office). A cheerful female voice with a heavy accent answered:  
-Come in!  
Jayden pushed open the door (the occupant of the office liked the old-fashioned doors for one reason or another) and was met with the scene of a messy-ish office and in which a two metre tall Grayish-beige wookie and a much shorter human woman with grey hair and brown irises stood- Chalmun and Ackmena respectively. He closed the door behind him. Jayden cleared his throat awkwardly and raised his hand in greeting:  
-Uh, hello!  
Before Jayden could dodge the large wookie gave a joyful roar and barrelled towards him before sweeping the teenage boy up into a bone-crushing hug that ended with him dangling about a 20 centimetres off the floor. The wookie was exceptionally strong and not just naturally, he had gotten stronger from the gang fights he had originally been in - the scar running across his chest from his left shoulder was testament of that. Chalmun hadn't always lead this type of more or less "clean" life (as if anyone on Tatooine was clean), he'd gone through quite a rough patch before buying this place and turning it into a cantina. Chalmun rarely ever worked at the bar himself, preferring to keep to his office, but he was very loyal to his regulars and anyone who treated them poorly was promptly kicked out. Jayden owed a lot to the big guy, it was due to him he was still alive after all. He owed Chalmun his life and so much more. While being squished into a hug that was threatening to break his bones, Jayden heard Ackmena speak, traces of confusion present in her voice:  
-Okay, boss man, you really should let go of our customer now. We don't want to kill him.  
The Wookiee let him go and Jayden took deep breaths to compensate for the loss of oxygen in his body a few moment prior. Noticing that his mask and hood were screwed up as it was Jayden dropped the disguise, he pulled off his hood revealing his naturally messy jet black hair and he pulled down his mask so they could see his face. Chalmun roared happily:  
-{ You're back! Welcome back!}  
Jayden laughed at Chalmun's enthusiasm. Yes, Shyriiwook was among the languages Jayden had picked up back before he became a bounty hunter. He hadn't told Alana this because it had slipped his mind at that moment, but Jayden had always had an aptitude for learning languages - much like his partner did, he just lacked the patience and the drive. Jayden grinned up at the Wookiee:  
-It's great to see you again, Chalmun. I see business is booming?  
-{ Yes! Things have been going great for me. You've grown a lot.}  
Jayden shrugged:  
-Yeah, well it has been ten years.  
Suddenly Ackmena, the night shift bartender, gasped:  
-It's you! It's really you. Jayden!  
The Mandolorian turned to face the woman and nodded with a smile:  
-Yeah, sorry about popping in unannounced, but it's great to see you guys again.  
Chalmun waved his apology off:  
-{ Nonsense, you're always welcome here! We've missed you. How have you been?}  
Jayden had a cocky grin on his face as he replied:  
-Well, I've made a name for myself, that's for certain.   
Ackmena cocked her brow thoughtfully:  
-Have we heard of you? I don't remember anyone mentioning your name.  
-You wouldn't have heard of me by my normal name. I go by Shadow in the criminal world.  
Both the Wookiee's and the human's eyes widened with shock and recognition. Smiling smugly, Jayden shifted his cloak so the sleeve of his shirt was visible on which Shadow's mark was visible, Jayden's mark. Chalmun looked sort of proud as he beamed:  
-{ That's my boy! You've become one of the most feared bounty hunters in the galaxy! I've been hearing your name all over the place, you know. I'm proud of you.}  
The Wookiee tried to rub the Mandolorian's head in what was meant to be an affectionate manner, but it caused Jayden to have to use all his strength to stand up. Jayden couldn't keep himself from smiling nevertheless:  
-Thanks, Chalmun. That means more than you know. I'm grateful to all 3 of you - without you I doubt I would be here today. So thank you.  
Ackmena shook her head:  
-You're a strong young man, Jayden. You would have survived.  
Jayden shrugged:  
-Maybe, maybe not. I do know one thing for certain though: without the big guy saving me from being trampled by a crowd back when I was a little kid and without the three of you helping me get off Tatooine without them knowing - well, I wouldn't be who I am today. Now, I need your help again.  
Chalmun frowned:  
-{ I had a feeling. You'd never see foot on this again rock willingly, would you? Not unless you had no other choice.}  
Jayden nodded, a serious expression on his face:  
-Unfortunately, that is so. No offence to you guys, but I seriously hate this planet.  
Ackmena sighed:  
-We don't blame you. Well, it seems like you boys are going to have your business talk so I'm going to go home and take a nap. Toodles!  
Waving her hand farewell, Ackmena easily slipped out of the office and closed the door behind herself. Sighing, Chalmun shook his head and sat down in his own especially large armchair, he motioned Jayden to sit down on the one across from him which was thankfully human-sized. Jayden sat down and interlocked his fingers, placing his elbows on his knees. There was a tense silence before Jayden spoke:  
-I need your help.  
-{ Yes, you told me. What is so important that it would make you come down to this planet? To face your nightmares?}  
Jayden snorted:  
-Chalmun, Tatooine barely appears in my nightmares at all. It's not Orvax IV.  
The wookie growled at the mention of the planet's name and clenched his hands. Jayden shot him a warning look, asking him to not say a word about that place. Silence fell between the two. It was a while before Jayden took a shuddering breath and whispered:  
-I need you to help me save her life.  
-{Her?}  
Jayden nodded, looking into one spot but not really seeing it. Sighing, he looked up into the wookie's blue eyes:  
-My partner is sick. Horribly so. I think she's dying, but there's nothing I or my other companion can do. He, my companion, said that there's a doctor here who can help her.   
Chalmun surveyed the young man carefully-he looked calm outwardly, but the wookie knew he felt uncertain and he had seen the shadow of fear in his face. He was afraid and yet he wouldn't admit that. Chalmun understood, he knew why Jayden would never admit that he cared about another's life deeply, he knew why Jayden had become what he was. The darkness... it had threatened to consume him and so Jayden did the only thing he could - he consumed the darkness himself. He was a part of it and so his heart was darkened too. For Jayden to feel fear for another's life who wasn't his blood family? Well, that was unexpected. Chalmun sighed and rumbled:  
-{ You're talking about the Miracle.}  
-The miracle?  
-{She's called the Miracle Healer or the Kehopua.}  
-Oh, "miracle" in Huttese.  
-{Yes. Nearly no one has ever seen her. She helps the poorest of the poor and asks for nothing in return. Nearly no one has ever seen her or does remember seen her. She can cure even the deadliest diseases and in such a way that it appears to be a miracle so that's why..}  
-That's why people call her the Miracle Healer, the Kehopua Pihog. Have you seen her?  
-{ No. I've only heard rumours.}  
Jayden frowned when suddenly his holocom began beeping. Bewildered , Jayden pulled it out and opened the file he had been sent. An image of a young female togruta popped up. She had large eyes, white markings on her forehead, under her eyes and chin. Jayden frowned when his chrono's time display was suddenly replaced by a scrolling text. Jayden was relieved to find it in aurabesh and quickly scanned it all. He shook his head when he saw the sender's signature. Of course it'd be him. Who else could find some solid information about a rumoured miracle healer only within hours of landing on the planet where said healer was rumoured to be located? Answer: only TK. That droid was someone extraordinary. Jayden looked up at Chalmun, grinning:  
-I think I may have a lead.  
The Wookiee looked genuinely surprised:  
-{Really? Well, I see you get around better than most people. We've been hearing about the Miracle Healer for almost two years now and yet not one person has seen fur or claw of her and you've been here for how long now?}  
Jayden chuckled, supplying:  
-Oh, I'd say about 13 hours, counting the time I spent sleeping.  
Chalmun gave a hearty chuckle before continuing:  
-{ You've been here 13 hours and you've accomplished what people have tried doing in vain for years - impressive.}  
Jayden laughed, standing up:  
-You flatter me, Chalmun, but I can't take the credit for this - this is my teammate's find. He seems to have connections all over the galaxy. TK's quite a character. Well, it seems she was last seen not far from Carnthout, in the northeast Dune Sea so I better head out there before the trail goes cold.  
Chalmun rumbled an warning:  
-{ Traversing the Dune Sea is dangerous, especially in these months - the sandstorms are much more active now. It'd be better if you didn't go out and look for the Miracle Healer at this moment.}  
Jayden shook his head, all traces of amusement erased from his face:  
-No. I can't wait, Chalmun. Even if I could how long would it take? I just can't. My partner, Alana, she's...,- Jayden paused and took a deep breath before attempting to speak again,-she's...She's important to me. I don't know how to explain it, but she just is. I can't lose her, big guy. Not when I have a chance to save her life , no matter how small.  
The Wookiee quietly observed the young man. His body was tensed and his right hand was curled into a fist - a habit, a way of dealing with emotions. He had control over his emotions, he normally did - that much was clearly obvious, but the Wookiee could see that when he encountered something new it threw him off balance, he lost control and this was that exact situation. In a way it was almost bizarre.  
Chalmun had only known about the existence of a human being by the name of Jayden Callen for a little over a decade and their interactions had been brief, but a bond did exist between them. He had saved a young boy from being trampled by a crowd and from being beaten to death on an impulse, he hadn't really thought about what he was doing until he had done it. Before, Chalmun had always made it a point to stay out of not his own business, but something had compelled him to save that pitiful human offspring - to this day he had no clue what it was, but he didn't regret his decision. Chalmun had never been a kind being, or one people would find easy to get along with, that had been especially true at the time he had saved Jayden, but that kid... He'd changed him in a way, made him more open to others - it had been half the kid's idea how the cantina should work. Chalmun had also helped Jayden get off Tatooine despite knowing that this could indirectly cause him to incur Jabba's wrath. He had watched the kid fly off into an uncertain future only to see him once more ten years later and find out that he had become a killer, a person who could look after himself, Shadow no less. The Wookiee was impressed, the boy had grown up to be someone worth respecting and saving. He could see the resolve in the boy's eyes and the nearly 200 year old Wookiee was pleased to see that he had indeed changed from the weak child who was in need of saving. Chalmun cared about the kid, but if he wanted to risk the life he had had saved then on the kid's own head be it. Stars knew, the Wookiee knew what it was like to lose a friend. Chalmun gave a sigh:  
-{ You're know you could die out there? Even a droid would not survive that sandstorm, it's impossible, a suicide mission.}  
Jayden grinned over his shoulder as he pulled his cloak back on:  
-Hey, if there's one thing I've learned from Alana it's that both of us specialise in the impossible. We're both too stubborn to give up. And yeah, I know, but I'm willing to try anyway. She's saved my life so many times...,- Jayden paused before looking at Chalmun with an odd expression on his face,- I owe her, Chalmun.   
The Wookiee gave a low resigned growl:  
-{ Stubborn, indeed. Teenagers. Alright then, Shadow, how can I help you?}  
Jayden lip's tugged up into a ghost of a sly smile:  
-Well, you could lend me a pair of goggles and help me track down a Jawa known as Fizz, you know? That would be very nice on your part. 

==SW: LB==

A jawa stood in the shade of the wreckage of a once fine ship known as the Dowager Queen, peering up at a suspiciously familiar figure of a human wearing a white cloak, a grey facemask and walking towards him. The Jawa sighed when he realised it was indeed the person he though it may have been - well, this should be interesting. If memory served the last time Fizz had met Jayden Callen was when both had worked together to get out of a holding area on Manaan nearly two years ago. It was a long and convoluted story. How the Mandolorian had located him again and among many of his brethren no less was a mystery to Fizz, but now was definitely not the time for speculation because Fizz would rather avoid this conversation altogether. It was high time to disappear.  
Jayden sighed in exasperation as he saw the precise Jawa he'd been looking for trying to scurry away and blend into the crowd. Nope. Not happening. Jayden easily caught up to the Jawa by sprinting and grabbed the creature by the back of his brown robe. Jayden shook his head tiredly as the Jawa tried to squirm out of his grip:  
-Hello to you too, Fizz. Not quite the welcome I was expecting.  
The Jawa huffed and quickly jabbered a frustrated statement in his native language:  
-[ Fizz no like Jayden. Jayden know that. Fizz no speak to Jayden.]  
Jayden sighed as he looked at the back of the creature he was holding up by the scruff:  
-Yeah and Jayden also knows that Fizz owes Jayden.   
-[ Fizz no remember anything like that! Jayden let Fizz go!]  
-No.  
Jayden stated simply, ignoring the odd looks he was getting. Oh many of the inhabitants of this accursed dustball knew how annoying Jawas could be, but still one seldom saw such an odd conversation between such an odd pair. A squirming Jawa and what looked like a young human man that was holding it up in the air by the scruff of it's neck - definitely not something one saw everyday, but Tatooine was, well, Tatooine so the beings in the city called Mos Eisely moved along impassively.  
Jayden continued on in the same semi-amused, semi-bored tone:  
-Seriously, Fizz? How many times are we going to do this? I mean this happens nearly every time we meet up, it's ridiculous.  
The little Jawa kicked his legs furiously:  
-[ No! Jayden let Fizz go. Stupid bounty hunter with big ego.]  
Jayden sighed and turned the Jawa around so he was looking it right in the face:  
-Okay, let's set things straight. Firstly - I will not let you go since I need to have a chat with you, secondly- I am not stupid, thirdly- while I may be a bounty hunter, I do not have a big ego.  
Fizz crossed his arms and grumbled:  
-[ Yes, Jayden does.]  
-Yeah, okay, maybe I do. In any case, will you stop acting like a child?  
There was a moment of silence during which Jayden glowered at the petulant Jawa, before the Jawa stopped struggling and acknowledged defeat:  
-[ Fine. Fizz will help, but Jayden let Fizz go first.]  
Jayden narrowed his eyes at the smaller being:  
-You run and I shoot. And you of all people know how accurate I can be.  
-[Yes, yes! Fizz no run. Fizz stay put.]  
-Good.  
Jayden easily dropped the Jawa onto the sand and with a grunt Fizz picked himself up again and grumbled:  
-[Stupid Jayden. Why Jayden drop Fizz like that?]  
-You wanted me to let you go so I let you go. Any complaints?  
Fizz huffed, but shook his head:  
-[No. What Jayden want from Fizz?]  
Jayden crouched down to be on eye-level with the Jawa. He quietly spoke, making sure that nobody overheard them:  
-Where's the sandcrawler, Fizz?  
Fizz shrugged:  
-[ Fizz no know.]  
Jayden raised an eyebrow and carefully enunciated:  
-You owe me, Fizz.  
-[Stupid Jayden. Fizz no know means Fizz no know! Go away!]  
Jayden sighed and raised a gun to the Jawa's head, making Fizz flinch:  
-Fizz, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. I need to know where the sandcrawler is and you will tell me.  
-[Fizz no want to.]  
-Tough luck. Give me the information now or I will blow that head off your shoulders.  
Fizz hesitated. Something was off about this whole scenario, about Jayden's tone of voice. From all the previous meetings with Jayden Fizz knew that while the bounty hunter was reckless and occasionally impatient this was not standard behaviour for him - that meant that something important hung in the balance. Fizz sighed and mumbled, knowing better than to test the Mandolorian's patience:  
-[ Fizz hear from Droydi that sandcrawler is just past Slauce Canyon. Why Jayden care where sandcrawler is?]  
Jayden sighed and stood up:  
-It's my business, Fizz.  
Suddenly the Jawa gasped and pointed at the bounty hunter, his voice betraying awe and shock:  
-[ Jayden going into the desert! Jayden really be crazy!]  
Jayden shrugged, a small smile on his lips:  
-Maybe. I just do what I have to. Thanks for the help, Fizz.  
-[ Jayden looking for death.]  
The Mandolorian's eyes glinted in an odd way as he turned around:  
-Believe me, Death has long found me and I it. Sorry about dropping you, Fizz. Thanks for the help. Hope your business goes well.  
As he watched the Mandolorian's figure becoming smaller and smaller as he walked away, the hot wind on Tatooine ruffling his cloak, Fizz mumbled:  
-[Jayden be as crazy as ever. Fizz no understand him.]  
And in all honesty the little Jawa hoped he never would. From what he knew of Jayden Callen if one understood him that meant that that one was as lost as he was and as close to the Darkness as the Mandolorian was. Jayden was playing with fire and even though he'd long been burned he danced around the flame, unable to rid himself of its influence. A flame, a dark flame burned in his own chest only darknening his blackened heart. Fizz sighed:  
-[Stupid Jayden. Jayden no know when to stop. Sand sea - dangerous.]  
The hot wind blew and the sands shifted as if confirming Fizz's words. The sand dunes whispered danger and any sane person would stay away, but Jayden Callen had never truly considered himself sane so he didn't heed the warning. He snapped on the goggles over his eyes and pulled up his facemask before clicking on his comlink:  
-Hey, Tracker, thanks for the info - I'm going out to look for this Miracle Healer now.  
TK's response betrayed his concern and uncertainty about the whole situation. Jayden sighed:  
-Yeah, I'm not too hot on the idea either, but it's the only chance we've got. How's Alana?  
The little droid reported that while her Life signs had started dropping in the last couple hours or so they had stabilised just an inch above critical level. He urged Jayden to hurry and the Mandolorian nodded, despite knowing that TK couldn't see him. Or could he? With that droid no one ever knew. Jayden frowned as he approached the exit from Mos Eisely:  
-That's not good. I'll do my best, but only time will tell.  
-Bee-dee-reet-dweet!  
-I know, I know! I know that she doesn't have time, but I'm not a super human, tracker.  
-Bee-fzzt-dwoot.  
Jayden's shoulder's slumped as a sad smile ghosted across his lips:  
-Yeah, thanks, TK. Wish me luck.  
-Beep-dwop.  
Jayden chuckled at the typical hotheaded response from the assassin-astromech and clicked the button which would end the transmission. As he headed for the gates that blocked Mos Eisely from the Great Dune Sea, Jayden fought to squelch that uncertainty within himself. He was Jayden Callen, he was Shadow, he was a Mandolorian, he was feared, but he was also human. A simple human young man who feared for the life of his friend. Alana's words echoed back to him from the deep recesses of his mind: "You are human, everyone has a weakness." Jayden shook his head to expel the absurd thought from his mind. Alana Sheelan being his weakness?! The very notion of such a thought was completely ridiculous and absurd. Why had such a thought even crept up in his mind? And there was that word again - " Why." It haunted him like a restless ghost. Jayden sighed and drew a simple conclusion as he stepped out past the gate and onto the hot sands of the Dune sea: Alana Sheelan and even thoughts of her would one day drive him mad. Jayden shook his head and expertly shoved those thoughts into the back of his mind, to the place where he kept unwanted thoughts that were a nuisance - for now he had a Miracle Healer to find and nothing would distract him from that goal.

==SW: LB==

Deep in the sand dunes, within a sand people camp a togruta kneeled beside her patient. She had bright red skin, large violet eyes that burned with determination, white markings on her forehead, her chin and under her eyes as well as dark blue and white montrails. The young togruta had an implant above her left eye and a scar that ran just above the right one She wore a black top that was ripped, exposing her left arm and her midriff as well as a pair of pants that matched the shade of the sand in the Dune sea, brown shoes, beside her lay a folded up electrostaff. In an annoyed, subconscious movement the togruta ran a her arm over her forehead, wiping away the rare beads of sweat that formed up there. Her movement were confident as she finished tying the bandages over the hand of the sand people's child. She sat up and smiled as she finished:  
-There! You should be all better.  
The child jumped up and after quickly jabbering anthanks in their native language ran outside. The togruta was about to call out to tell him to get some rest first, but sighed and simply rolled her eyes. She quickly packed up her supplies and attached her kit to her belt, before turning to the parents of the child. She smiled at them:  
-There, chief. You son should be on the road to recovery. He needs sunlight though, the rot in his fingers needs to get burnt off. Just a heads up.  
The sandpeople chieftain rumbled his thanks and asked where she, the Miracle Healer, was going now. The togruta made a face:  
-I'm heading in the direction of Jabba's palace, there's a moisture farm village along the way where I heard there's been a bad outbreak of the bledeon disease.   
The chieftain growled a warning and the togruta smiled as she picked up her electrostaff:  
-Relax, Okh'rurrs, I can take care of myself. Besides I've sent my student, Shuxto, ahead. We'll be fine.   
The chieftain grunted a thanks at the mention of the name of the togruta's student, one of his own people who she was training as her apprentice. He knew that this young outsider being was strong and talented, rough around the edges, but effective. She would be fine. Her and his mate bowed before her while the startled togruta desperately tried to wave away their thanks:  
-Uh, there's no need for that, guys. I'm really not a Miracle Healer. Seriously who even gave me that name? I swear people keep forgetting that I'm just a togruta, called Risha Zyran.  
Suddenly Risha's comlink beeped and she smiled. She winked at the chieftain as walked out of the tent, calling back:  
-Take care of your people, okay? I'll visit you later!  
As Risha passed through the sand people camp she often was stopped and thanked by the sandpeople who kept thanking her for one thing or other. Risha kept shaking her head and insisting that gratitude wasn't necessary. When she finally stepped outside the camp she was smiling brightly. However, a moment later that grin faded and was replaced by a frown. Risha glared as she detached her electrostaff and activated it:  
-You again. Tell Jabba my answer is still the same.  
The electricity switched on and crackled menacingly in her electrostaff. There was a moment of silence while the sand dunes shifted and the sand blazed before chaos ensued. The sands of Tatooine became still as this event occurred, ever silently watchful...


	45. Chapter 43 - Souls and Sands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya! I apologise for taking so long but I kinda had writer's block and until I figured out what I wanted to happen in this planetary arc I was sorta stuck. Thank the stars for Gym class when all I had to do was throw a ball against the wall and be allowed to think out loud! Now I know what I want to happen, but my character are stubborn people so I apologise for the iffy parts - like the ending of this chapter. Meh. Well, okay onto the notes:  
> 1) Okay, so this chapter is not as star-warsy as I'd like it to be, but as my little sister put it - it's a chapter about people, who make up the most important element in any story by far. Yeah, so it feels off to me, but what can you do?   
> 2) Originally this chapter was supposed to be bigger, but when I noticed that it was over 13500 words I decided to stop here. I don't want another 16000 word chapter again. I have a feeling my chapters are long enough as they are.  
> 3) [~]= Jawaese. Oh and this chapter is a little confusing chronologically, but I tried to make it understandable - you'll see what I mean.  
> 4)As usual apologies for any missed typos and stupid autocorrects that I missed. I've trying to weed them out. Feel free to point them out to me.  
> 5) Than you for all the feedback I've been getting.   
> 6) Enjoy!

====SW: LB==========  
Chapter 43 - Souls and Sands

Tenebris sighed as he leant against the viewport in the more private section of his flagship. Another sleepless night... Not that it truly bothered him, but having insomnia often was become more frequent and annoying. As Tenebris watched the stars of different systems glimmer, he couldn't help wondering what the galaxy would be like if the Logos system, his home system, had never separated itself from it. He knew why it had done that, but the question of what if was always there, it had always been there and would always be. At moments like this Tenebris envied his quarry: she was oblivious to what had befallen their home and so she would remain until one day, at last, she would remember. She would remember it all - the pain, the horror, the reason why she had survived when all others had perished and of course she would finally know who and what she was. Once she did it was only a matter of time until they would clash. The future of this galaxy would depend on who lived and wlaked away intact from that duel. A small traitorous part of Tenebris questioned quietly whether he really wanted to dispose of the only tie to his past. The Sith Lord shook his head to cut off that line of thought - he would kill Alana Sheelan, plain and simple. A quiet voice interrupted the Sith Lord's rumination:  
-Sir? Is something wrong?  
Tenebris turned his head slightly to see his second in command, Cestele Largrah, giving him a worried look. She was a Chiss woman, lean, with bright blue skin and large red iris-less eyes, currently she was out of uniform and dressed in a simple grey t-shirt and loose black pants with her silky black-blue hair falling loose to her shoulders. It seemed she wasn't able to sleep either. Tenebris locked his arms behind his back and turned back to the viewport, shaking his head:  
-No, commander. Everything is fine. I'm just restless.  
She walked up to stand in front of the viewport too. There was a comfortable silence before she spoke again:  
-The men Bendak chose are doing a good job maintaining control over Sullust.  
Tenebris nodded:  
-Yes. Our raw materials supply had increased greatly. I am pleased.  
-That's good, my lord.  
Silence enveloped them once again and to his own surprise Tenebris found it a little suffocating this time around. Maybe this was just his basic biological need for companionship that pushed him to speak:  
-How is your sister? You seem worried about her.  
A faint smile ghosted across Cestele's lips:  
-Did the Force impart that knowledge upon you, sir?  
The Dark Lord chuckled:  
-No, commander. It's pretty obvious given your appearance - you look like you've been trying to go to sleep, but it's eluding you and seeing as your sister hasn't returned yet I'm guessing she's the cause.   
The Chiss woman sighed and nodded:  
-Yes, Nirra is the cause. I haven't heard from her since she told me that she'd completed her mission on Corellia. As observant as ever, sir.  
-It's simple, commander. Has your sister reconsidered her position on joining you?  
Cestele slowly shook her head:  
-No. She promised to keep her mouth shut, but she is loyal to the Ascendancy so she won't join us. I'm sorry, sir.  
Tenebris shook his head:  
-It's alright, commander. She's your sister and I will trust her to keep her word since you vouch for her.  
As he spoke those words Cestele noticed a vulnerable expression flicker across his face, one of sadness before it disappeared without a trace. Cestele knew Tenebris trusted her far more than he did others and she was grateful and because of that she would never ask any questions that would make him uncomfortable. Darth Tenebris was their leader and she greatly admired him, respected him so having his trust no matter how limited was a great honour. Still at such moments Cestele was reminded that Sith Lord or not he was also just a man, a man with great power - yes, but one who had had a past and people he had been connected to once. A ghost of a smile curled upon the second-in-command's lips as she bowed her head:  
-Thank you, sir, that's more than I could ask for. Sir, if I may ask a personal question?  
-Go ahead, commander, but I may not answer it.  
-Yes, sir. My Lord, what will happen if during the final confrontation you are, Force forbid, killed?  
Tenebris was silent for a few moments before carefully speaking:  
-Commander, the possibility of me killed exists and I'm not foolish enough to dismiss it. If that happens one of the two will occur - either Alana Sheelan will contact you or you will receive my instructions on a dead-man switch. If my prey does contact you then you will move ahead with operation Switch and you are to show her the same loyalty that you show me. If she defeats me, which I doubt is possible, she will have proven herself. Whatever occurs, you must preserve our Order and wait for our signal to let the galaxy know of us. Is that understood?  
Cestele saluted him:  
-Yes, sir!  
Tenebris smiled and started walking away, back towards his private quarters:  
-Good, commander. I leave tomorrow so I trust you and Bendak will keep things running smoothly in my absence?  
-Of course, Sir.  
-Very good. Goodnight, Commander.  
Cestele smiled and nodded:  
-Goodnight, sir.

==SW: LB==

Sand, heat, suns, heat, hot wind, heat... About an hour into his trek of the sand dunes Jayden was beginning to doubt his vocabulary. Jayden had been to many planets in his lifetime, but Tatooine was by far one of the bleakest planets he'd been forced to traverse. Though he had to admit that there were worse places to trek through, Asmeru was one for example. Asmeru... He'd been planing to go there next, hadn't he? Before Alana fell sick. Yes, yes, he had. Jayden shook his head: the heat was really starting to affect his brain. Still it was just heat. Jayden could endure heat, but the cold... The cold? Oh no, it brought back painful memories for him. Memories his supposedly brilliant mind would not let him forget. He wanted to forget them, to go on living as a normal free man (well, as normal as one could be when he became a bounty hunter at 10 years of age), but no, the world denied him even that small mercy. He'd always have to live with what he'd done, what he'd gone through. Jayden hated remembering, he hated it so much. As a toddler Jayden had been upset when his older cousin had told him that he wouldn't remember these years and if he did they'd just be a blur, he'd made a wish that he would remember, unknowing that the universe had already granted him this gift and unknowing of what pain it would bring. Sometimes he just wanted to wake up with amnesia.   
Jayden stopped dead in his tracks as he registered that thought. What in the universe was wrong with him?! Had that thought really just flashed through his mind?! Jayden would have punched anyone who had said that in front of him, but since it was himself he couldn't really do that. If he had had this thought pass through his mind more than a month and a half ago Jayden wouldn't have even blinked, but now he felt as though he had been struck by lightning (metaphorically of course, lightning hurt a lot more in reality even simulated). Amnesia was now one of the worst things that could happen to a person in Jayden's mind. He hated admitting it, but his time with Alana had made that so. Jayden really respected his partner despite what he said sometimes and (dare he say it?) he cared for her. She was strong, much stronger than he was and he understood that. How could he not? He had tried placing himself in her shoes and had been nearly overwhelmed with pure terror. She said she was used to it and had accepted it, but Jayden could see it - her burning desire to know, to remember. It was almost funny to the point of cruelty - them. Here he was with a perfect memory that he wanted to forget bound by the Force to a person with amnesia who wanted nothing more than to remember. Jayden would have laughed had he not been afraid of using up the fluids in his body too quickly. Heat was a dangerous foe.  
Jayden stopped when he finally noticed the tracks in the sand that a sandcrawler would leave. Beneath his facemask Jayden smirked - Bingo! Jayden extracted his arm from beneath the white cloak to look at his chrono. He was slightly surprised to see that almost three quarters of an hour had passed since he had last checked. So he'd been in the desert for almost two hours and had been trekking at quite a speed - no wonder he was thirsty. Jayden detached a small canteen from his belt and took a sip, quenching his thirst before reattaching it. There, with his biological needs taken care of he could continue the hunt. Jayden snorted - he was hunting a sandcrawler. Well, that shouldn't be too hard, considering they had been kind enough to leave him a trail he could follow so why was he concerned? Oh right, because his life never went according to plan.   
Jayden managed a grim smile beneath his facemask as he trudged on. The sand beneath his feet was deep and walking on it was an arduous task as it kept shifting and threatening to bury him beneath itself. Many people who had never ventured out onto the traitorous sand dunes believed that the sand was silent, but that was not so. No, it was anything but silent. It's movements were subtle, barely noticeable, but it whispered. It whispered of a long forgotten past when this planet had been a vibrant world, of the present where it sought blood to quench it's thirst and of the future in which the trespasser no longer existed. That was the way it had always been and would always be - there simply was no other way. The sand on Tatooine was dangerous, it was alive and it was unforgiving- punishing all who disturbed it's rest.  
Jayden's slightly philosophical line of thought was cut off as he heard an odd sound. Frowning, Jayden turned to his right and his eyes widened behind the goggles glass. The sand from the far dune was now swirling in the air, something had roused it and as Jayden looked more attentively he could see that there was more of it further away, swirling. Heart lurching in his chair and a jolt of adrenaline rushing through his veins, Jayden muttered:  
-...Can't be! A sandstorm?!  
Jayden's first instinct was to run, as far away and as fast as possible, but Shadow took over before sentiment and instinct could take hold. Shadow narrowed his eyes at the swirling and billowing sand - he had a feeling this was definitely not a sandstorm and his feelings were rarely ever wrong. Shadow reached to his belt and unclipped a pair of microbinoculars. He unfolded them and raised them to his eyes, sliding the goggles out of the way. Shadow's mouth curled up into a confident smirk when he made out a few dark blurry shapes among the billowing sand - a bantha herd. Normally, this would be very bad news and Jayden would run as fast and as far away as possible, but this was not the case right now, right now he had another plan and the Banthas could aid him. Knowing that he had only a few moments before the stampeding Banthas reached his position, Shadow quickly sprinted a few meters away from the Sandcrawler tracks and when he was a good ten meters away he activated his stealth generator, thanking his foresight for wearing his survival belt instead of just equipping his lighter one. A second later he was invisible, just part of the normal Tatooine scenery.   
As he braced himself and waited for the Banthas to reach his location Shadow pulled down his goggles, remembering the billowing sand. Less than two minutes later the ground beneath Shadow's feet began to vibrate. Hoping that this crazy plan worked, Shadow sat down on the sand, cross-legged, hands clasped on his lap and eyes closed. He took a deep breath of the scorchingly hot air and reached out. Shadow did not claim to even begin to understand how the Force felt, how it worked, how it even existed but what he was experiencing right now, what he was in contact with was what he would call the Force. This arcane, abstruse, ubiquitous and omniscient power was everywhere around him - it surrounded him, washed over him, pierced through him - slowly enveloping his entire being within itself. The sensation was so intense, so foreign and yet so familiar, so gentle at the same time that the Shadow persona fell away and Jayden found himself gasping for breath as a memory was pulled to the forefront of his mind, one that he had forgotten.  
A very little boy, perhaps no older than two years old with messy jet black hair and lively green eyes sat on someone's lap in a living room. He was currently struggling to get out of that someone's hold. That someone that Jayden somehow instinctually knew was his mother.   
Lea Callen was trying very hard to pay attention to what her husband and the recently arrived Jedi Master were discussing, but her restless son was not helping matters much. She sighed and tugged the squirming toddler back onto her lap, holding him gently but firmly against herself. It had been two weeks since Jayden had started exhibiting signs of Force sensitivity and it was of such a magnitude that it terrified all of his family, except his grandmother, Yelena, who was oddly calm and just thoughtful. Two weeks and half of the house was destroyed, literally. It was only two weeks ago when Jayden had thrown a fit that had resulted in the entirety of the west wing being destroyed to nothing in a few seconds. A week ago Lea had found Jayden playing in the garden with a multitude of birds and animals sitting in a circle around him, looking at the child thoughtfully and her son was laughing. Two days later Caleb, her husband, had found him sitting on a kitchen cabinet with the cutlery and dishes doing some crazy dance, scaring the droids half to death. Oh and of course, there had been that incident when Jayden had somehow hypnotised about five grown clan members to bring him candy a week and a half ago. Heck, Lea herself had been feeling a strange compulsion to bring her son candy when he was waving around his hands and babbling something about candy despite her own firm rules about no sweets between meals. In short, Jayden Callen was most definitely proving that he was Force sensitive and even a blind man could see it. As proud as Neerean was of her son she was also dreadfully sad. This meant that she would be losing her son soon, maybe even today - she just hoped the darling little boy would not pick up on her feelings. But of course he did. Lea sighed once more when she heard her son speak:  
-Mama? Mama, what wrong?  
She smiled and stroked his unruly jet black hair:  
-Nothing's wrong. I'm fine, son.  
He shook his head:  
-No. Mama, you sad.  
Before Lea could say anything the Jedi Master, a tall human man with longer light brown hair, piercing blue eyes and a small beard smiled and spoke up:  
-I do believe your son is correct. Your emotions are worryingly negative.  
Lea and her son looked at the speaker and the mother managed a weak smile:  
-Well, I doubt you can really blame me.   
-No, I cannot. I am Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn, outside is my padawan Obi-wan Kenobi.  
Lea nodded and held out a hand, while keeping the impatient toddler restrained with her other:  
-Lea Callen and the surprisingly Force-sensitive ball of energy currently trying in vain to escape from me is Jayden Callen. Do sit down.  
The Jedi Master nodded as he sat down across from the mother and child. He was silent for a moment before quietly asking:  
-You say his Force-sensitivity is surprising, have you no Force-sensitive in your bloodlines?  
Lea shook her head:  
-None that I know of. Definitely not any that became Jedi.  
-And you yourselves?  
Lea laughed bitterly:  
-No, obviously. I feel like the world is going mental right now and I'm failing as a mother. I've been told of the Force and about the Jedi since I was a little girl, but I have never felt it. And if Caleb isn't hiding anything from me...  
Caleb quickly shook his head, though his expression remained thoughtful:  
-No. I'm not. As far from it as possible.  
The Jedi Master cast a curious look at the father:  
-You appear to be at a crossroads with yourself.  
Caleb sighed and crossed his arms over his chest:  
-I have a feeling my mother is a Force-sensitive. She's too calm about this and as a child I witnessed impossible things.  
The Jedi Master revealed a gentle smile:  
-Nothing is truly impossible if the Force is involved. Things that seem impossible and unexplainable are either miracles or acts of the Force's will. Now, Jayden...  
The little boy looked up at the strange man, oddly calm. Qui-Gon's eyes widened slightly when he felt the little boy poking and prodding at his own mind and Force presence - this child... He was strong in the Force, untrained and yet he had some meagre measure of control over it. If he was taken to the temple in a year or so he had the potential to become a great Jedi, though there was a sleeping darkness ,behind that blindingly light Force presence that infants possessed. Qui-Gon pulled away from the child's presence and spoke calmly to the boy:  
-What can you feel, Jayden? When strange things happen, what can you feel?  
The boy bit down on his lower lip before speaking, using the whole of his vocabulary to try and put the ever-present sensation into words:  
-Strong. The world. Alive. Pulse. It is too strong, but warm and calm. Like Mama and Dada. It alive, Jedi man. I feel safe but ouchie too. It alive. Dark and Light. It alive.  
Qui-gon frowned: the first part of the description was normal enough, but the second part? The way the infant insisted that it was alive and the mentions of what could only be the dark side was unusual - normally, children due to their pure nature only came in contact with the Light Side, but this child was brushing against both. The theory of the Living Force was the one the Qui-gon Jinn subscribed to, but to hear it from the lips of an infant was a surprise. He would make a fine Jedi one day, provided he was taken to the temple in a year or so. Qui-gon cast a discreet look at parents to see them watching their son with wonder. The mother was fiercely protective over her son and the father would not hesitate to fight him if matters came to it. Inwardly, the Jedi Master sighed - why did the council have to give him this job? Well, yes, he and Obi-wan had been in the area, but still. This was the part he strongly disliked, he was only grateful for the small mercy that he was not the one who would take the child from his parents.  
Jayden jerked out of the memory abruptly, breathing heavily with the sand billowing around him. On an impulse, feeling nothing but raw instinct and emotion Jayden reached out into the Force and it was as if the floodgates had opened, releasing all the stops and restraints. Jayden stood to his feet as if in a trance and suddenly the world seemed to move in slow motion, silence was all that he could hear. The sand fell abnormally slowly as Jayden thrust out his hands and using the Force tugged on all the Force-presences of the herd of Banthas, willing them to stop. He pushed into their minds and bent them to his will. Suddenly, the world moved again but Jayden remained still, feeling that immense power thrumming through him. A minute later the sand had mostly settled and before Jayden stood a whole herd of 15 or so grown Banthas frozen with a faint purple light surrounding them, kneeling before him. Frowning, Jayden recognised it as the light Alana had used to freeze Zeth and himself back on Bestine IV when she'd first met Ordo. This was odd. Taking a deep breath and making sure to not lose focus, Jayden deactivated his stealth generator and slowly walked towards the creatures. Jayden tentatively approached one and as soon as he touched it the others were freed from his control, promptly proceeding to sprint away. Shocked out of his trance, Jayden felt the strong sensation of the connection breaking and it was as if whatever doors had opened locked once again. A profound sensation of loss overwhelmed Jayden then, it was if a part of himself was missing and it finally clicked. This is what it was - the Force, this is what it felt like. This is what Alana felt around her all the time. This was what he had felt when he had been a child. The Force was there, it had always been there, supporting him and watching over him quietly. But why could he no longer feel it? If he was truly Force-sensitive as Alana had claimed then why? With no small bit of shock Jayden realised that he missed it, the connection. He shook his head and sighed, turning to the Bantha that stood before him, watching him almost thoughtfully:  
-I have absolutely no clue what the heck I'm doing so you don't mind if I talk to you for a sec, do you?  
The Bantha gave a snort which Jayden decided to interpret as a "no":  
-Good. You see, I just had a strange moment of connection with something called the Force so I'm still dazed. Anyway, sorry about using it on you like that. I need to find a sandcrawler, think you can help? I know, I know, terribly rude of me to attack you and then ask for favours, but you were otherwise occupied and I do need the assistance. So, what do you say? Temporary partnership?  
The two meter tall Bantha, a bull with shaggy dark brown fur and yellow one-spiralled horn looked at him with it's large dark brown-red eyes before issuing another snort that sounded more like a yes and bent it's head. Jayden's eyes widened in surprise, but he took that as his cue to climb aboard. With a bit of effort he did. The Bantha growled something that Jayden could only describe as a warning before suddenly taking off, making the Mandolorian on it's back cling on for dear life. As he was tossed and thrown left and right, Jayden couldn't help but smile - his life never went according to plan, but, Jayden mused, sometimes that was a good thing rather than a bad one. 

==SW: LB==

A shuttle ducked down from the stratosphere of Tatooine and slowly descended into a hangar bay in Mos Ila Spaceport, gliding perhaps a little roughly to a stop. As the pilot left the ship for a moment to deal with the local authorities, the passengers chatted amongst themselves. Well, most of them at least. A certain young man sat silently looking out of the window at the unremarkable sand that covered all of Tatooine and that seeped even into the hangar bay. He wore a plain brown poncho over a loose cream-sand-coloured tunic and pants the ends of which were tucked into his boots which were of the same hue. The hood of his poncho was thrown back and his youthful and perhaps attractive face was visible. He had chestnut brown hair, soulful pale green eyes that stared into the distance currently not really seeing and a scar that ran across the top part of his forehead that his jagged fringe concealed. His seat mate, from the looks of things a vacationing farmer, nudged him in the arm and announced:  
-Hey, mate, we're here. You okay?  
The man blinked twice to focus and turned to the speaker, nodding with a small absentminded smile:  
-Yeah, just thinking.  
The farmer chuckled:  
-Eh, don't do that too much, son. Bad for your health.  
The younger man's lips tugged up into a genuine half-smile as he voiced his agreement:  
-Don't I know it, but since I'm already doing stupid stuff that risks my life why not think for good measure, right?  
-Well, it's your life, son, you do what you want. You're a free man. Ah, I remember when I was young... You gotta a girl back home?  
The green eyed man blinked in surprise at the abrupt change in subject:  
-Um, uh, I suppose I do. It's complicated.  
The farmer chuckled and winked at him:  
-Well, don'tcha let her slip through your fingers. I made that mistake once.  
Looking slightly uneasy with the subject the younger man shrugged:  
-Oh, I certainly try. We have a complicated work situation.  
-Ooh, an office love?  
A mysterious smile flitted across the younger human's lips:  
-Yeah, something like that. So why are you here, old timer? On Tatooine, I mean.  
The farmer grunted:  
-Work. I owe a friend a debt and I live here with my missus, kids flew the coop ages ago. Smart buggers.  
Just then a chime sounded, alerting the passengers that the boarding ramp was now released and that they could exit. The farmer stepped out first with the younger man following him after slinging a pack over his shoulder. As they queued up to leave, the old man suddenly spoke up again:  
-Hey, son, what's your name?  
-What's yours?  
-Cheeky, huh? Jude Herts. So?  
The young man remained silent before he jumped of the side of the ramp while it had been a good two or three meters off the ground, grinned and replied:  
-Kai Lionis. Nice to meet you, old timer! Have a safe trip.  
As the farmer watched him stride away with confident steps, he shook his head and muttered:  
-Crazy kids these days.  
Kai Lionis stretched as he walked along the sand. His joints were starting to ache after sitting still for so long. Apparently flights from Drukenwell to Tatooine took longer than he thought, especially public ones, but Kai couldn't risk being followed. He had followed the trail Wuku (his nautolan contact on Nar Shadaa) had pointed him to and after nearly meeting a dead end on Druckenwell he followed the Sith Lord's trail to Tatooine, a desert planet. Kai grimaced: he hated hot planets and places, a trait which he shared with his padawan. His padawan who, Kai noted with a trace of surprise, seemed to not be too far away maybe on one of the neighbouring planets, of course what she was doing so far off course was the million credit question, but Kai trusted Alana's judgement. Turning the corner, Kai stepped into the spaceport an was instantly assaulted by a strong array smells and cool air. The smells weren't pleasant in the least, but the air conditioning was salvation. It was times like these and on planets like this one that Kai was prone to thinking that air conditioning was the best invention ever, but then again that could just be his hatred of heat talking. As he walked through the slowly-falling apart spaceport, Kai couldn't help but think how unhappy his padawan would be if she saw this. His Padawan as odd as it was was a supporter of the Empire that had existed during the Cold War and though she admitted that it had it's many faults she said that the organisation of the masses was much neater and more orderly than that of the "hypocritical" republic and no matter how many times they argued over this topic Kai just couldn't sway her as she kept rendering him speechless by calmly and easily pointing out the flaws in the Republic's system. Over 3000 years ago Mos Ila had been an imperial spaceport and even though this was Tatooine the place had been kept much cleaner and neater during the Cold War so to see in such a state of deprivation now of all times was saddening to say the least, especially since symbols of the once orderly imperial rule still existed with the empire's insignia in grey and red still hanging here and there - which Kai noted with a bit of confusion was a little too alike with the Republic's current symbol. Huh, a curious history point, one that Alana could no doubt explain to him, what with her love for history and whatnot. Alana Sheelan was like a little sister to him, but even after spending 6 years with that enigma of a child Kai was still surprised by certain facts - like the fact that her mind contained countless history facts and she loved diving into a new article about this or that event whether it was as widescaled as the Mandolorian wars or as seemingly mundane as the house debates on Alderaan. Alana was like a walking, talking encyclopaedia of history and most questions one could pose she could answer swiftly and calmly, she loved to learn. Her reasoning? Kai frowned - she had said that if she had no personal history she would much rather bury herself in the galactic history rather than wallow in unhappiness, especially with all the unseen lines that ran across it and criss-crossed, creating what most people called unexpected events of a wide magnitude and what she called obvious. She often mentioned how fascinating it was what people missed just because they were reluctant to study the history of this or that place. Her knowledge was what often bailed them out of tricky situations, well it was either that or the lightsabers and the Force.  
Kai rolled his eyes at the memories as he made his way over to a battered and faded security console around which an old security drone hovered. After easily registering Kai loitered at the exit, reluctant to leave the shade and the air conditioning building, but sighing he forced himself to step outside, pulling up his hood. The streets were filled with beings of numerous different species from Trandoshans to Jawas and from sentiments to non-sentients, the plating of a droid flashed here and there through the crowd. Kai rethought his decision and pulled off his hood, letting the blazing sunlight hit his head and making him stand out less. He did not want to be spotted and who knew where that Sith had people watching for him, though , Kai mused, he probably didn't amount to much in the grand scale of things. If Kai was right and he hoped he wasn't, something was coming - a storm that no one could predict was brewing, ominously looming in the shadows and threatening to come crashing down any second. Kai shook his head and began walking down the street, heading towards a cliff edge on which a certain Cantina was situated - the Siltshift Cantina where he was meeting with a certain somebody who was supposed to be able to direct him to the place where the Sith had been. Kai, much like his adversary, had many people on many worlds who he could get in contact with and of who the Jedi Council would never approve. Alana and J2 were the only ones who knew about his contacts and he just hoped he hadn't passed that leniency on criminals and smugglers onto her, but even if he hadn't she was too trusting and ready to try and understand for her own good. As he approached the Cantina he once again reaffirmed the fact that Mos Ila was indeed situated on the rocky higher grounds on Tatooine - more specifically somewhere between the Mospice High Range and the Xelric Draw, geography had never been Kai's strong point in any case. The Jedi Guardian made sure to tread carefully as he walked along the rocky path, weaving among the many drunk patrons stumbling dazedly out of the Cantina. Kai smirked: seemed like Xander was still doing his job right. The Jedi readjusted his poncho to ensure that his lightsaber was concealed and entered the Cantina. It too had once seen better days, but it still held an air of dignity about it, welcoming in patrons left and right. The Cantina itself was situated on the lower floor, below what looked like a more or less dignified sitting room. Kai easily found the staircase and descended down the winding steps, smiling at the familiar tune that the band was playing. At the last step of the staircase he was met by a pair of gamorean guards who looked the man up and down before shrugging and letting him pass. Kai grinned.  
Neon pink, blue and green lights danced around the room, flashing from the projectors that hung closer to the ceiling. On an elevated area not far from the bar the band played along with some dancers, there were many small tables with glowing tops around which there were puffy red couches on which three people could comfortably sit. The patrons were many and different- Kai counted 5 mirialans, 6 twi'leks, 11 Jawas, 3 Trandoshans and about two dozen humans. Hm, seemed to be a slow day. The band playing was comprised of 2 Ortolans, a Bith, a pair of twi'leks, a human and -surprisingly enough- a Wookie. Kai shook his head in exasperation, a small smile on his face: Yep, Xander was definitely going stir-crazy here. Time to say hello to an old friend then.  
Kai calmly sauntered up to the bar counter, slid into a stool and tapped the bartender on the shoulder all the while barely suppressing a grin. The bartender, a Mirialan, turned around and froze in shock, making Kai burst out laughing. A second later the other man joined in:  
-Kai! You pirate! Where've you been the past two years?!  
He slapped Kai hard on the shoulder to which the Jedi don't even since and merely laughed on. Chortling, the two men bumped fists as a greeting. When he'd somewhat recovered from his laughing bout Kai shrugged:  
-Well, you know me. Jedi duties and all.  
-Ah, yeah, forgot you're being respectable now. Sure ya can't run off for a year and be a pirate again?  
Kai snorted at his close friend's suggestion and shook his head:  
-'Fraid not, Xan, though I'd love to. The Council won't buy my previous line again and my student will have my head if I run off for a year again. Sorry, buddy.  
Xander sighed and waved it off:  
-Ah, no big deal - I'm running a pretty good game here anyways. Not sure I wanna hand it over to my brat of a nephew in the kitchen right now.  
A voice from the kitchen protested:  
-Hey! I resent being called a brat!  
Kai and Xander laughed before the Mirialan grinned at his Jedi friend:  
-Oh, yeah - you're raising a little spitfire too, aren't you?  
Kai rolled his eyes:  
-Alana? Spitfire? Yes. Raising her and little? Hardly. I'm 26 and she calls me an old man, can you believe it?!  
Xander could barely contain his laughter as he pictured his former captain as a wrinkly old man with a little girl prancing around him and calling him an old man. Kai pretended to sulk, mumbling:  
-Some friend you are! It's not funny, bozo!  
Xander tried to look apologetic, which not only made Kai's sulking facade crack but make Xander look very comical indeed with his green facial tattoos stretching out:  
-Heh, sorry, buddy, but that's hilarious. We can both be old man pirates together if it makes you feel better!  
Kai snorted, shaking his head:  
-You're really set on the pirate idea, aren't you?  
-Hey, we had a great thing going. Robbed some, saved some, got the ladies! It was freedom! Now you're being a respectable law man and I'm stuck here running a cantina.  
-You could go pirate yourself, you know?   
-Nah, won't be the same without my captain. You sure you can't convince your fancy-shmancy Council to send you undercover somewhere? We can even take your spitfire along with us!  
Kai chuckled:  
-Oh, we'd love to, but there's this little thing called a war going on, you know? And I'm not sure I can find another holocron to appease the council and convince them I was doing that for a mission.  
-Heard of it, yeah. Such an unnoticeable thing. You sneaky bastard, knew I liked you for a reason!  
The two grown men broke out into thoughtless snickering before Xander turned around to make Kai a drink:  
-You want your usual? Or have you tastes changed from our pirating days?  
-Nope, still love your brew. Don't hold back on the Ice.  
-I hear you,pal. One double juma with extra ice and sweet soda coming up.  
As Xander set about mixing the drink, Kai watched him silently, thoughts drifting to his reasons for visiting. Quietly, under the cover of the catchy song in the background, Kai spoke:  
-Xan, will you help me?  
The Mirialan turned around, slid the fizzy purple drink over to the Jedi and leaned against the counter using his elbows. He nodded:  
-Sure. Ice or Fire I'm with ya all the way, Captain.  
Kai smiled slightly at the nostalgic vow they had all once made. His year as a pirate was something he looked back on fondly - it had been an amazing time. The only time Kai truly felt free and it was also the time Kai had established his contact network all over the galaxy. Alana had been mad at him when he returned though he apologised for dropping her training for a year she just gave him a confused look and said that she was mad because he didn't take her along. Like Master-like student, he supposed. Though he maybe had enjoyed himself a little too much that year he had spent undercover was a necessary one. Kai sighed:  
-I'm chasing a Sith Lord.  
-Uh-huh.  
-And he stole some old crazy thing that buried here during the Cold War.   
-Oh yeah, that thing. I saw smugglers loading it onto a ship. It was pretty large, no clue what it does.  
Kai took a sip of his drink, enjoying the coldness of the drink before narrowing his eyes at the glass:  
-It's nothing good. I need to find where it was buried.  
Xander sighed:  
-Had a feeling you'd say that, Captain. I had my people dig up the coordinates, but here's where stuff gets weird.  
-Oh?  
-Yeah. The entrance to the place where he got it from had been buried for over 3000 years, it was out of ether's view.  
\- A cave? There should be a second entrance then.  
\- Maybe, but Kai it's dangerous out in the dunes. Especially now. The sands are restless.  
\- I know, but this is important. I have to find this place. Can you give me the approximate coordinates?  
-Yeah. I also have a speeder you can borrow and goggles as well as one of our old crewmen in Jabba's palace. I'll put him on standby and tell him that our Captain is here.  
Kai gulped down the remainder of his drink and grinned at the Mirialan, who simply slid a data drive across the counter:  
\- You are the best, Xan!  
\- I know, that's why I was your first mate, remember?  
-Yeah. Any advice before I go off to who-knows-where?  
Xander nodded:  
-Two things. One - Find the Jawas they can take you there, Two - Do not tempt the sands, they don't take kindly to that. Kai, the sands of Tatooine are restless and you should not anger them further.   
Kai stood up from his seat and looked at his friend:  
-Thanks. I'll take that under advisement.  
-Good. The speeder is out back. Take it. Good luck, Captain. Stay alive.  
Kai smiled and after placing two fingers to his temple saluted his former first mate:  
-Aye-Aye, sir!  
As the Jedi walked out of the bar and toward the staff exit, Xander couldn't help but watch him worriedly. Kai was too noble for his own good and too reckless, the sands fed upon those. He just hoped he wouldn't do anything stupid, but then again this was his Captain and he wouldn't be the way he was without being as ingenious as he was. Xander smiled and shook his head: this was Kai Lionis and he'd be fine. He always was.

==SW: LB==

Jayden Callen was good at a large number of things, but Bantha-riding was not one of them. As the Mandolorian picked himself up from the sand for what felt like the thousandth time, he cursed softly under his breath. It was becoming increasingly annoying, but Jayden was persistent and about as stubborn as his partner. There was no way in this galaxy that he would let a Bantha beat him. Though the next time he ended up on the sand about 10 minutes later Jayden felt like he was begging to have his mindset changed, though in reality he was lucky his bones were still in one piece. Sighing, Jayden just lay down on the sand for a bit and cast a glare at the Bantha that was standing still and looking down at him with almost a confused expression:  
-What? I'm tired of getting thrown off all of the time.  
The Bantha huffed in such a manner as if it was telling him he was acting like a child. Jayden rolled his eyes:  
-Yeah, no, you don't get to tell me that I'm acting like a child. You're a Bantha and I'm a human. Not sure you know what human children are like.  
The bantha gave a low growl and stamped its foot, kicking up sand. Jayden groaned but sat up nevertheless:  
-Alright, Alright, I'm coming.  
As Jayden approached the Bantha he noticed it staring at something. Confused, he followed its gaze and through the shimmering heat he saw the faint outline of something that looked like a sandcrawler. The big shaggy creature nudged him in the shoulder toward it. Jayden nodded:  
-Yeah, we're nearly there. Let's go.  
The Bantha growled it's agreement and for once bent down to let Jayden climb up easier. Jayden smiled as he climbed on and sat down. The Bantha rumbled what sounded like a warning and Jayden grabbed onto it's fur tighter and braced himself. The next moment it felt like he was flying and struggling to hang on for dear life at the same time - in short it was an exhilarating feeling. Not unlike the last few times, though this time the Mando managed to hang on. Swaying in tempo with the Bantha' rapid pace, Jayden was jerked back and forth but wasn't thrown off. The wind whistled in his ears and ruffled his already messy dark hair, his cloak's hood long thrown off. Slowly but steadily the Sandcrawler grew larger and more defined. Realising the Bantha would have to stop soon, Jayden followed his instincts and loosened his body's grip on the galloping creature and just a moment before it stopped he pushed himself off and landed in a roll on the sand before the sandcrawler. Thankfully, in one piece. Adrenaline still pumping through his veins, Jayden stood up and brushed the sand off as much as he could. The Bantha watched him silently, almost curiously. Jayden pulled off his goggles and his facemask, pulled up his hood. He looked at the Bantha and nodded:  
-Thank you, you've been a great help.  
The Bantha snorted and shook its head. Jayden sighed and patted it on one of it's twisted horns:  
-Happy now?  
The Bantha gave an affirmative snort, butted its head against the Mandolorian in what was probably meant to be a farewell manner (it ended up with Jayden quite a few feet away) before turning around, lazily walking a few paces and then galloping off sand billowing behind it. Jayden coughed and shielded his eyes from the billowing sand, turning around. That shadow that the large sandcrawler cast almost reached his feet, he was only about 30 or so meters away from it.   
His first objective was nearly complete, but Jayden knew that he had to hurry - time was running out, Alana's time. He would not let her die on his watch and he knew TK wouldn't either. For all the times Alana and he poked and prodded each other and no matter what one said to the other, Jayden knew that there was more between them than just their Force-bond. She was his partner, his rival, his equal and in some sense of the word she was his opposite. She had this strange ability to try and see the best in people, that was what he had originally perceived as mere naïveté, but it was obvious that it was more, so so much more. He was Shadow, a murderer and yet she was able to pull out Jayden from within him at the strangest of times. She was his friend, a friend that understood him in ways others couldn't and slowly step by step she was becoming important to him. Jayden wasn't sure what the thing between them was, it didn't seem to have a name yet, but in any case he would not let her die - not if he had the chance to save her. Jayden's resolve hardened and he nodded to himself.   
Okay, time for step two. Jayden approached the sandcrawler at a brisk pace, slowly formulating the best plan possible to get him to his next destination. He had friends among the Jawas apart from Fizz and a few owed him a favour so getting them to agree to help him out wouldn't be that hard, however he just hoped they hadn't sold or scrapped what he had left behind with them 10 years ago. Jawas were tricky like that. As soon as they noticed him a few Jawas rushed over to him, surrounding him, looking at his blasters and stealth belt and such, making Jayden sigh as he looked down at the gaggle of little brown-cloaked creatures:  
-Um, guys, I need to speak to Droydi and Llen, any ideas where they are?  
The group just continued jabbering in Jawaese and more or less ignoring the bounty hunter. Tricky indeed. Suddenly Jayden saw two Jawas dropping down from within the Sandcrawler, followed by a human man. Jayden frowned - this was unusual, they usually didn't let humans in their home. The two Jawas and the human made their way over to him and Jayden was pleased and somewhat relieved to see that the two newcomers were just who he was looking for. The man looked like he was in his late twenties, dressed like any casual traveler, but through the Force Jayden could tell he was no ordinary man. Forcing himself to concentrate, Jayden identified that presence - the man was a Jedi, there was no question of that now. However, what was a Jedi doing with Jawas in the middle of the desert? Meanwhile Droydi and Llen set about shooing the others. Apparently they were leaving soon and they had only stopped to make a few repairs. Once the crowd had dissipated, the two Jawas looked up at the newcomer. For a second there was silence before one of them, Droydi most likely, asked:  
-[ Big man look like Jayden. You Jayden? You big hunter Fizz tell me about?]  
The other, Llen, shook his head:  
-[No, no! He no be Jayden! Jayden gone! Whoosh whoosh! Remember, Jayden tell us to look after machine?]  
Droydi crossed her arms:  
-[He look like Jayden though.]  
Llen shook his head again, a habit of his:  
-[Jayden no so big. This new big man.]  
The human man looked at them with a slightly confused expression on his face, before turning to Jayden who was grinning:  
-You have any idea what those two are on about? I'm no good at understanding them. Huttese I can speak, but in their language I can only catch a few words.  
-It's not that hard. Huttese and Jawaese have the same roots. But to answer your question - they're currently debating whether I'm their long gone friend or not.  
The man raised an eyebrow:  
-And are you?  
Jayden lifted a finger to his lips and nodded his head, a mischievous glint in his eyes. The man smiled and shook his head, rolling his eyes . So he had a sense of humour? Good, a Jedi he could put up with then. He sort of reminding him of Alana a tiny bit - maybe it was the eye roll. Sighing, Jayden spoke up:  
-You know you could always just ask me who I am?  
The two Jawas looked at each other before chorusing in unison:  
-[Who are you?]  
Jayden crouched down to be on eye level with the two beings:  
-Well, I'm someone you two know and apparently were just having a heated discussion about. I see you still have a keen eye Droydi and Llen you're just as stubborn as you were back then.  
Droydi and Llen exchanged a look before they both started hugging Jayden around the arms, shouting:  
-[JAYDEN BACK!]  
The Mandolorian laughed and smiled:  
-You guys are really that happy to see me?   
-[Droydi very happy to see Jayden. Fizz complain to Droydi all about Jayden. He say Jayden big hunter now.]  
-That I am, but you two and Fizz, believe it or not, are still my friends.  
-[We miss you.]  
-I missed you two chattering all the time too, but you two know I can't really come back here. It's not good for me or for you, remember?  
The two Jawas nodded their heads before Llen quietly asked:  
-[Jayden have trouble? Can friends help? Jayden save our lives ten years ago and we want to help friend.]  
Jayden smiled. Droydi and Llen were really the two most kindhearted and unusual Jawas he'd had the good fortune to meet. If anyone would be willing to help it'd be then. It was hard to believe that Droydi and Fizz were even related. Jayden nodded:  
-A friend of mine is sick and I'm looking for someone called the Miracle Healer. Have you two seen her?  
Droydi exchanged a look with Llen:  
-[ We seen her, but Jayden no want to go where she is. She in trouble with Jabba. Friend saw her get taken]  
Jayden sighed:  
-Just my luck. Still, I've got to find her. She's the only one that can help my friend.  
-[ We can take Jayden close to old camp, but we never go near Jabba's palace. We still have what Jayden left us and parts too!]  
Jayden smiled and stood up:   
\- You guys are lifesavers, really. Thank you so much.  
Llen looked up at the bounty hunter:  
-[ This mean Jayden come with us?]  
-Yeah, if you'll have me along for the ride.  
-[ Of course! Jayden and Kai come! Before storm comes]  
As Jayden and the man were dragged to the Sandcrawler by the two enthusiastic Jawas, Jayden turned to the man:  
-I don't believe we've been properly introduced.  
-No, we haven't. You a friend of these two?  
-Yeah. Jayden Callen by the way. They helping you out too?  
-Yep. Kai Lionis. Nice pair these two, energetic though.  
Jayden nodded:  
-You have no idea. Where are you headed?   
-Me and my speeder are headed to the Bantha Plains.  
-Hm? Me too. Guess we'll be heading in the same direction after these guys drop us off near Beggar's Canyon. Nice to meet a civil Jedi.  
Kai cast Jayden a look but shook his hand:  
-Seems so. Nice to meet a surprisingly Force-sensitive bounty hunter.  
-Life's full of surprises.  
Kai laughed:  
-Believe me, I know that. Better than anyone I do.  
As they climbed up into the Sandcrawler neither Force-sensitive noticed the faint tinge of a presence on the other, but it was there. The sand of Tatooine shifted, curious as to where these new trespassers were going. They were silent for now, but the sands were watching, waiting for an opportunity to quench their thirst with blood...

==SW: LB==

Alana shook her head in exasperation as she stood in the atrium of the Temple on Aroko. This situation was so bizarre. After she had finished talking with her grandmother Alana found herself in the same dark tunnel that she had been in when the crazy doctor had nearly killed her with that Force-suppression collar. Recognising the situation, Alana decided to take this chance to explore Aroko some more. To Alana Aroko was like an unsolvable puzzle, but one that she was desperate to solve. Something within the young Jedi was telling her that if she solved Aroko's riddle she would gain a clue to her past. She had woken up amnesiac and abandoned on Aroko after all - whatever had occurred in her past was connected to this planet whether she liked it or not. And to be honest Alana wasn't really sure she cared. Aroko was fascinating to her on more than just a personal level it was a planet that had no set coordinates, that one could not access voluntarily and there were only two sentences on the possible existence of this planet in the Jedi Archives. The historian within her was extremely curious and wanted to know more, though how she should go about finding out more still eluded her so for now she settled on exploring the temple. Besides she was dying, her physical body felt like lead and her mind and would had for some reason retreated here. Self-preservation maybe? Alana was no expert on dying of course, but her intuition told her that the longer she kept her mind active the more time she bought Jayden to find a method of curing her. She of all people knew he would never forgive her if she just gave up and died, he'd proven her to that twice. He was doing his best and so she would do her best too.   
Alana had decided to start her exploring at the central atrium since that was where she had originally woken up and since she was least likely to get lost in here. Could she even get lost in her own head? Alana wasn't sure she cared to find out. Still, even with that possibility looming over her Alana felt safe and , oddly enough, at home - just like the last time she'd been here. Alana shrugged it off - she had enough on her plate as it was without this extra question. Alana looked around herself, mentally cataloging this whole room. The atrium was circular, wide and well lit - currently by natural sunlight (because Alana's head had decided it was midday for no apparent reason) but it had the artificial lighting as well for nights and evenings. The room was mostly paved with smooth, rosy-cream coloured stone that shined like marble and only the middle was left with grass on which the stone circle lay. Other than that the room had a high arching ceiling and the roof was made of clear glass. There were four hallways leading off from this room, and two large staircases leading up to the second floor. There were a few blue banners hanging on the walls with the same symbol as on the stone before the entrance stitched on in white thread. There were windows in the alcoves between the thin pillars springing upwards from the walls with window seats below them. A few potted trees stood here and there, brightening up the room. In short the room looked spacious, welcoming and though it didn't have many things in it it made for a fine atrium. Very different from the Temple on Coruscant, yes, but then again it didn't have to be. Alana wasn't even entirely sure it was a Jedi Temple after all. Biting her lip, Alana glanced around the room trying to decide where she should go:  
-I swear this is the hardest part whenever I go exploring.  
Alana closed her eyes and spun around on the spot with one arm out. She opened her eyes to see her hand pointing at one of the staircases. Alana shrugged and accepted that as her direction. Alana walked across the atrium and started ascending the staircase. The exterior of it was made of the same light-coloured stone while the steps themselves were made of a gentle brown colour just like the rest of the second floor. Alana looked around in wonder as she stood on the second floor. There was a pair of big doors close to her which were closed and according to the little plaque at the side (thankfully in aurabesh) this was the Council's meeting hall. Alana raised an eyebrow at that. The council? As in the High Jedi Council? She pushed one of the doors open a bit slipped in quietly.   
Alana had been expecting to find a hall resembling the Jedi Council's meeting hall on Coruscant, but this was nothing like that. Sure, the room was spacious and circular, but it was designed in such a way that it didn't give off the oppressive feeling that room on Coruscant inspired in Alana. There were the customary twelve seats arranged in a crescent shape sitting on a slightly elevated level, but the cushions were gold instead of red. There were three windows behind the seats and and a pair of large trees grew inside the room, soil planted in the corners of the room. In the back of the room there were a pair of sofas with high backs an there were small coffee tables between them. Alana guessed this Council allowed viewers. Alana glanced up to see a pair of mirrors at the higher part of the walls. The room was painted in a warm brown colour somehow making it seem cozier, safer. Still, Alana didn't feel comfortable here - she and Council rooms didn't mix well. Just as quietly as she had entered Alana left, closing the door behind herself.  
Curious as to where they lead, Alana made her way over to one of the three remaining unexplored arches. She passed through a small corridor and then she saw it, something that made the historian inside her start jumping around excitedly - a whole archive room of countless texts, some even on paper. The lost knowledge which this place within her mind had kept intact! It was incredible! This would definitely help her solve Aroko's riddle! Alana couldn't stop herself from grinning - finally something good happening! She hoped she'd have enough time to at least find something substantial before Jayden arrived or she died. One of the two.  
Alana made to step into the archive room when suddenly she felt a small tug within the Force. Alana stopped and looked over her shoulder, trying to stretch out with the Force to see if there was anyone. She blinked in surprise when on one of the statues in the corridor she saw a convor watching her unblinkingly. The bird was white in colour with a few golden feathers at the edge of its wings and the colours on its tail slowly changed too. Convors were rare birds and in folklore they often were portrayed as observers, always having some deep meaning behind their presence. They had always fascinated the young Jedi, but she had yet to meet one in person.  
Alana wasn't really sure of what she was doing, but her intuition told her to follow that bird so she made a step forward to approach it. The convor cocked its head to the side, blinked its blue eyes and suddenly spread it's wings, taking off effortlessly. Obeying her intuition, Alana chased after the odd bird. Where the heck was it taking her and even more importantly what was it doing here? Despite her feeling totally at ease here Alana had yet to encounter a single living creature on Aroko so far, at least in her mind, so this meant that the Convor was acting independently and was not her sick mind's creation. At least, that was what Alana believed. The bird made a sharp left turn and ducked into one of the yet unexplored by Alana hallways with the Jedi following after it. Maybe it wasn't just her intuition, the Force was telling Alana to follow that bird. Alana smiled: well, what harm could chasing a bird around in her own head do after all? It was rather fun, she had to admit.   
Absentmindedly, Alana wondered how Jayden and TK would react when she told them about this. TK would probably say it was completely unscientific and stupid, while Jayden would give the droid his customary look and laugh at the mental image of her chasing a bird around a Temple... And then Alana stopped. She froze, her steps halting. In all honesty Alana knew she should probably be chasing after the convor, but the thought following her theory made her steps come to a grinding halt. Alana Sheelan was no fool, she knew perfectly well that she was dying and though she thought she had come to terms with that fact she hadn't truly realised what it would entail. It was obvious and yet it had not occurred to Alana. She was living in a period of war, people died all the time, but she had not understood. If she died, if her heart stopped pounding it's steady rhythm, if she became one with the Force - she would never see or speak with Jayden and TK again. She would never laugh with them again, she would cease to exist simply and in time they would forget her. The realisation hit Alana like a sledgehammer and she staggered, leaning against the wall. This was obvious, common knowledge and yet she had forgotten. Alana's hands reached up to grasp her arms and she slid down against the wall, her arms bracing around herself. Alana's eyes betrayed her shock and her smile had been replaced by a confused and devastated expression. With no small amount of shock Alana realised that more than anything she did not want that. She did not want to leave Jayden and TK behind and move on. They were her best friends and she could never do that willingly. What's more if she died there was a chance that it would kill Jayden! Alana's eyes snapped back into focus at that, determination replacing any sadness and denial. No, this would not do - not at all. If she died that was one thing, but there was no way in the universe this or any other that she was dragging down Jayden with her! Her fate was her own and his should not be tied to hers! The Force gently nudged her, reminding her that the decision wasn't up to her and if she wanted to keep Jayden alive she would have to stay alive herself. Slowly, Alana stood up again and whispered:  
-So, that's your game, is it? You know that I won't allow him to die if I can do anything about it. I can't believe it... Master Mundi was right in the end. He told me not to get attached, not to care, but I fell right into that trap. I do care for both of my friends and that's why I can't make completely objective decisions. You wanted this, right?  
Alana slowly turned to look at the convor pointedly. The bird was hovering in the air, looking at her with what could only be described as a serious expression. Alana matched it's expression and narrowed her eyes at it challengingly. There was a tense silence before the convor gave a low affirmative action hoot. Alana sighed and nodded:  
-Fine. Let's go.  
The bird twittered and took of down the hallway, Alana walking after it. This time around she was determined. Unfortunately, she had no control over the bond right now, but hopefully Jayden had been smart enough to close it down for a bit. Though knowing him he'd probably keep it wide open to make sure she was alive. Well, then she better not disappoint. She just hoped wherever this bird was leading her would be a place that would keep her mind active.  
Alana stopped in a corridor full of doors, all of them with small plaques. Oddly enough the convor was nowhere to be seen. Instead of it Alana heard something like an echo, a pull towards the middle door. It seemed distant, almost a whisper, but Alana was certain she heard the laughter of a man, the cheerful voice of a woman and the delighted gurgle of a baby. She could feel it inside her chest - something was pulling her towards this room, the Force or whatever it was wanted her to enter. The voices also sounded vaguely familiar, like she'd heard them once long ago - maybe in a dream? Heart pounding in her chest, Alana pressed a button on the panel to open the door. To her surprise, however, it didn't slide back like she had expected it to, instead a small microphone popped out and a mechanic voice ordered:  
-Please state your name so we may verify your ID.  
Alana frowned: a smart security lock? The Jedi Grandmaster, Alana read the plaque with no small degree of surprise, had really wanted his office private when he locked the door. Alana hesitated for a moment before characteristically for her throwing caution to the winds and stated:  
-Alana Sheelan.  
There was a pause during which Alana inwardly berated herself for her fooolishness. Of course, it wouldn't open this was Aroko before it had fallen to ruins and so there was no way the system would accept her. Though there was a slight possibility that it would since it was her mind after all... Alana didn't brood for long because the next second there was a beep and the door calmly slid to the side with a hiss, welcoming Alana in. The mechanical voice spoke once more:  
-Vocal pattern recognised. Welcome back, Alana.  
The young Jedi blinked rapidly, barely containing her surprise. Just to be sure, Alana rubbed her eyes, but the open door remained there. Well, weirder things had happened and then again this was in her mind... Alana shook her head - trying to figure this out was futile, there were far too many pieces missing and she wasn't of clear enough mind to trying sort through the facts anyhow.   
Shoving her confusion to the back of her mind, Alana stepped into room. It turned out to be a small, round, office-like room. There was a desk and a pair of seats either side of it, a bookshelf with a pair of pillows scattered next to it as well as a small potted tree. There was a window behind the desk with thin white blinds drawn. The room itself was painted in a pale green colour, soft and calming. To Alana's surprise, on one of the walls she noticed what looked like a child's drawing, scribbles. Somehow that out of everything made Alana most curious. She quietly made her way over to that wall, closing the door behind herself, and crouched down, tracing the red and blue lines with her fingertips. Unexpectedly Alana's head gave a throb and a bunch of images flitted before her mind's eye: all of a little girl with two tiny ponytail scribbling on the wall furiously with red marker, then it seemed like a man (who'd previously been trying to dissuade her from the activity) had picked up a blue marker and joined in. She had beamed up at him, a hauntingly familiar grin on her face. Alana jerked back from the wall in shock. This was her mind so why in the Galaxy was she still seeing memories that she didn't recognise here? She felt so confused. Alana sighed and stood up. She glanced around the room when the a light blinking on the datapad caught her eye. Curious, Alana made her way over to the desk and slipped into the seat. Nervously, for a reason she didn't know herself, Alana picked up the datapad and swiped her finger across it. To her surprise the passcode was bypassed and the datapad was unlocked. She found herself staring at an open folder full of videos, which were apparently saved on the inserted data drive. Alana frowned at the drive: it looked a lot older and much different from the data drives she normally saw. Hm, weird, but then again what wasn't in her head? Alana forced herself to concentrate: these videos could hold a clue as to how to decipher Aroko's riddle. She had to focus. Since this was apparently the Jedi Grandmaster's datapad, maybe it held videos of meetings or something. Seriously, what would Master Yoda's datapad hold? Alana shook her head: oh no, she was not falling into that sinkhole! She had to focus. Alana nodded to herself and tapped the first video, expecting to find something to do with the Jedi's presence on Aroko, anything really. However, what she found was anything but that.  
The video feed showed a little baby sleeping in a crib in a nursery. The bay from what Alana could tell was probably still a newborn, maybe a week old no more. It was a baby girl. She would probably have light coloured hair if the strands on her head were any indication at this point. She was actually very tiny in size and was so still in her sleep that if not for the rhythmic rise and fall of her tiny chest Alana would have worried that she was dead. The room was empty and the newborn was alone, the mother had probably popped out for a bit. Suddenly, there was a shadow in the room and a few moments later the figure of a man appeared. Subconsciously, Alana gripped the datapad tighter, worried about the baby. She needn't have worried as the next minute showed. The man just stood over the crib, his caramel-brown hair seeming slightly golden in the sunlight, looking down at the baby. He was positioned in such a way that Alana couldn't see his face from this direction. The man just stood there before tentatively reaching a hand out and placing a fingertip on the newborn's tiny palm. The baby stirred in her sleep, but didn't wake, only curling her fingers around the finger and placing her other tiny fist in her mouth. Alana heard the man laugh quietly, keeping his voice down so as not to wake the child. He whispered softly, seemingly to the napping baby:  
-Hey. I don't believe we've met. You're looking a lot less red and wrinkly than newborn babies are said to be, but then again you are 7 days old now. Sorry, I haven't had time to meet you before now, but the Council does like to keep me busy. I didn't want to become the Grandmaster, you know? I'm pretty sure I don't deserve the spot, especially given my heritage. Ah, sorry, I probably shouldn't bore you with this.  
The newborn shifted in her sleep again and pressed up against his hand now, causing the man to smile judging by the smile in his voice:  
-Well, I'm glad you like me so far, though you are asleep and you probably don't understand a word I'm saying. Anyway, I probably should introduce myself since there's no way in the universe your mother is going to do it and don't tell her I was here, ok?   
The baby's lips moved, but no sound came out probably due to her still sucking on her fist. The man laughed softly and gently removed the fist from the baby's mouth:  
-Don't suck on that, you're not even teething yet. So, I'm not sure how one introduces himself to babies, but... Hello, little one, I'm your daddy. No matter what anyone will tell you you do have a daddy who cares about you, but, yeah, he's not around. I'm sure your mummy will do a good job of raising you, but don't worry, I'll try and stop by when she's not home. Mummy and Daddy are in a complicated situation, see? Anyway, it's nice to meet you. You know I don't even know what your mother named you, little one. I'm failing as a dad already. Wow, I'm really going to be a lousy father even with me missing all the time - what kind of dad doesn't even know his daughters name?!  
The last word seemed to be aimed more at himself than at his sleeping daughter. The man sighed, running a and through his hair, agitatedly:  
-Sorry about that. Before I forget can I say - you are the most beautiful baby I've ever seen and, no, I'm not biased. You have no idea how many babies a Jedi Master and now Grandmaster meets. Well, you probably don't know much of anything right now, but I know you're going to grow up and be a smart and beautiful woman and it looks like you inherited my hair colour, huh? That must make your mother worry. Be a good girl and listen to your mummy, ok? She'll have a tough enough time once news of your birth get's out - I'll try to stop the gossiping, but even I can't control the entire populace. Anyway, it seems your mother is coming back and I've got to go. It was nice to meet you, little one and I'm really happy that you're my kid. I can sense how strong the Force is with you and I know that one day you'll make a great person even if you don't want to be a Jedi - I think I'll be proud of you no matter who you become. Goodbye for now, daughter.  
He stepped away from the crib and gently extricated his finger from the baby's grip, causing her to whimper unhappily. The man gently readjusted her blanket, which the baby had kicked off and turned around. Alana caught a flash of ice blue eyes before he was gone from the screen completely and the video ended, leaving Alana completely confused.  
Sitting up straighter, Alana tried to sort things out in her fuzzy mind. So this was a private video of the Grandmaster meeting his newborn daughter who according to him wouldn't know about him. And since Jedi weren't allowed to marry or fall in love this made Alana believe that this baby had been born as a result of an affair. She winced - children from a union like that were rarely happy. That one memory of her early childhood that had returned to her was proof, well, she if she was an illegitimate child, that was. In any case, she'd seen enough of that with her Master. So most probably the mother was a normal woman and she and the father had gone through an affair resulting in this baby. Somewhere, deep inside, Alana felt sad and sympathetic towards this family and she had no idea why - she hoped they found some measure of happiness at leat. They deserved it, but the road ahead would definitely not be easy, especially for the child. Alana sighed and merely tapped the next video. The playback began.   
At first there were voices, the man's and an unfamiliar woman voice while the video feed showed the baby's room. The child was nowhere to be seen, but judging from the way the room had been changed the baby was quite a few months older now. The voices were muffled, but Alana could still make out what they were saying. The woman was speaking:  
-Come on, Eren, it's your day off and I really have to go. Surely you can watch your daughter for two hours?  
-Shh! For star's sake, Rika, do you want everyone to know? Neerean only told you! Though for the life of me I can't understand why.   
The woman sighed:  
-Eren, come on - it's not like you just found out you have a kid today, right? Listen, I won't tell Neerean and you get to see her when she's awake. You've only glanced in when she's been asleep, right?   
-Yes, but Neerean will have my skin if she finds out I was here with her daughter.  
-She's your daughter too. When was the last time you saw her? In person, I mean.  
There was a pause before the man named Eren admitted:  
-After she was born, just over 7 months ago.   
-See? Listen, I know that you and Neer are in a complicated situation, but she's your child too and she needs a father figure in her life even occasionally, if you don't want her to know that you're her dad then don't tell her. Besides she's a baby - she won't remember what you said or repeat it to Neerean.   
-She can't speak yet?  
The woman, Rika, laughed:  
-No, of course not. She's only 7 months and one week old, Eren. She only babbles and even that's rare - she's a quiet kid. Oh and I probably should mention that she just started crawling and using the Force to throw objects around when she's upset. Anyway, have fun - I've got to run. Be back in an hour or two!  
-No-- And she's gone...Ugh...  
There was a heavy sigh from the man and soon he stepped into the baby's room after what sounded like the door closing. Eren crouched down on the floor and looked around:  
-Where are you, kid? Please don't make me look for you.  
There was no response, making Eren sigh. He stood up and looked around again, this time searching through the Force too seemingly. He must have located his daughter because he walked behind the lone armchair and shook his head:  
-Why are you hiding?   
There was no response and after bending down Eren stood up again with a small baby girl in his arms, furiously burying her face in his shoulder. The bay had indeed grown, but she was still tiny compared to what seven month olds should look like. She had the man's caramel-brown hair and was dressed in a light blue onesie. She clutched onto his shirt and hid her face in his shoulder. She didn't want to look at him. Eren looked uncomfortable and nervously ran a hand down her back, whispering:  
-Uh, um, what's wrong, little one? Why are you so upset?  
There was a moment of silence before the baby mumbled plaintively:  
-Mama...Mama...  
Eren froze and sighed:  
-Oh, sweetie, your mother's not here. She'll be back soon.  
-Riri?  
-No, Rika isn't here either.   
Seemingly confused by this new person who she oddly felt safe around the baby pushed away and looked up at Eren. Alana's eyes widened as she looked at the baby's face. Suddenly Alana's head pounded horribly, making her clutch it in pain and barely suppress a scream, dropping the datapad. She'd never felt pain quite like this before. It was as if something was forcing her way into her mind and forcing her to forget what she'd just seen. The clouds in the back of her mind suddenly moved form their normal position and engulfed her completely. Alana fell to the floor, still. The world around her slowly faded and before she completely went unconscious even within her mind a voice she had her only a few times before whispered:  
"No, precious child of mine, it is not time yet. You must forget what you have learned, you are not ready. I will allow you to keep the memories of Aroko, but no more. You are not ready, child. Please forgive me, for this and for all the times before...."  
And then there was nothing. Just blackness and the sound of sands shifting... Dimly Alana thought - the sands of Tatooine...


	46. Chapter 44 - Caves and Canyons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, everyone! I'm back and I've managed to bring you another chapter which is abnormally long. Thankfully it's hasn't beaten my highscore of being 16000 words long, but it has reached 15000 words of length. I'm not sure if that's good or bad. Anyhow, I like this chapter a lot more than I did the last one. For one it feels a lot more star warsy, for two it flows together a lot smoother and for three I had a lot of fun writing it. Which is good, because if I'm bored while writing it that means it's gonna be terrible. Why? No clue, that's just how the universe works for me at least. And now it's note time:  
> 1) While writing this chapter I went through quite a rollercoaster of emotions, especially during a certain part so I hope I conveyed at least a shadow of them.  
> 2) [~]- Jawaese  
> 3) Apologies for any missed typos!  
> 4) Readers on fanfiction-dot-net this will be in two parts for you, but it's the same chapter.  
> 5) Thanks for sticking with me this long! Enjoy!

====SW:LB=======

Chapter 44 - Caves and Canyons

The icy peaks of the frozen mountains and glaciers on Ilum glimmered, as a blue-green aurora danced through the inky blue sky- for once the storms ravaging the planet's barren surface were nowhere to be seen. The night and the landscape was silent, disturbed only by the footsteps of a lone Trandoshan. He was armed with a sniper rifle and dressed in survival gear that helped him blend into the snowy landscape despite white not being his preferred colour to dress in. Rrask Fess's steps were determined, he had a Gorgodon to catch an he would not let it slip away. Gorgodons were large native predators on Ilum with blasterproof skin that apart from being worth a lot of Jagganath points were sure to fetch a good sum on the markets and since Rrask was saving up anyway this would only help. The Trandoshan looked around, his eyes scanning for the warm-blooded on an infrared level. He spotted it heading into one of the icy caves. Rrask gave a low growl: he was not about to let his prey slip away from him. Rrask picked up his pace, for the millionth time glad that he was a cold-blooded creature by biology and the frigid cold had no affect on him. If the climate was cold his body would be cold and if it was hot his body would be hot subsequently - a definite advantage in Rrask's book. The Trandoshan easily slipped into the ice caves, following the heat signature. The cavern floor was naturally slippery, but Rrask's talons kept him in place and ensured good traction as he pursued his quarry. Swiftly and quietly, the hunter pursued his prey immersed in the hunt completely and utterly. This is what he lived for: the thrill of the hunt ,the adrenaline rush, the battle of minds as well as bodies and the eventual satisfaction of the prey lying dead at your feet. Rrask had always enjoyed it just like any Trandoshan did and what's more he was very good at it - only one quarry had ever escaped him: his Ghrakhowsk - the female Jedi, but he held no grudge. In fact Rrask was proud to be of service to her, his loyalty would be to her and her legacy eternally. At the thought of the small, but fierce hunter - the Scorekeeper's Herald of Victory, Rrask's lips tugged up into a semblance of a grin. Rrask was as smart as he was powerful, he controlled his prey's movements even though it was running from him with a well thrown grenade here and there, by collapsing ice bridges at some points and things of the like all the while making sure he was not seen. Time disappeared for the Trandoshan and all that existed was the hunt, him and his prey. In what seemed like moments to him the Trandoshan had the large predator cornered. Triumph blooming in his chest, Rrask crouched down and peered through his rifle's scope before taking the shot. He had one chance to get this right - one shot straight through the eye, that was the only way to kill his prey for one who did not posses a lightsaber. He timed it perfectly, a moment later the Gorgodon lay dead below him. A triumphant growl rumbled from Rrask's chest as he jumped down from his perch, swinging the rifle over his back. The grey-furred beast lay splayed at his feet on its stomach, displaying its back which had just the right amount of blasterproof skin Rrask needed. However, before the Trandoshan could set about acquiring the skin, he sensed a disturbance. It was the odd: his senses picked up nothing and yet his intuition was telling him to be on high alert, warning him that something was amiss.  
   Deciding to trust his gut feeling, Rrask quickly activated his stealth field generator and climbed back up to a higher ice shelf in the cavern to conceal himself. A moment later his decision to hide was proven to be a wise one as 3 people emerged from a side tunnel, flanked by what looked like a small battalion of droids, each pushing an empty crate or repulsor lifts. The 3 sentients were a white-furred female Cathar, a male light-blue skinned Chiss and a rattaki man. Rrask's brows tugged together out of surprise and confusion  - what in the Scorekeeper's name were they doing here?! Traders? No, Ilum had nothing of value here and it was uninhabited. This didn't bore well with Rrask: a simple hunting trip should not be getting so blasted complicated! Still, Rrask remained silent and still, watching. Something was telling him that this was going to be very important, very important indeed.  
  The rattataki man blew out a puff of warm air, shoved his hands into his pockets, grumbling:  
-How much further is that blasted crystal cavern? Did the commander send us here to become ice popsicles?! If she wanted man-sized ice shards she could have ordered some from our people back on Hoth!  
The Cathar raised a single eyebrow, her blue eyes narrowing dangerously:  
-Are you doubting Commander Lagrah, Cerak?   
The rattataki rolled his grey eyes:  
-No, I'm just making a point of how pointless this is.  
-Oh, stop whining like a kit.  
-I think you mean like a child, Ry. Besides you hardly have any room to talk - you always start whining when we're on desert planets.  
The Cathar huffed, placing her gloved hands on her hips:  
-Firstly, my name is Rylihri, so at least call me Ryli if you can't manage that. Secondly, I complain I do not whine.  
The Chiss man cut across his squabbling companions:  
-Enough, both of you. Do you really want your subordinates to know how their Captains bicker like children? Or better yet have you forgotten what Lord Tenebris said?! "No discord"!  
Both the man and the woman exchanged a look of guilt before apologising. Despite their differences they were still the captains of the reclamation teams. The Chiss man nodded in approval:  
-Good. At least now we can contact to commander without looking indecent.  
The Chiss man pulled out a holocom and began a transmission on a secure frequency. A moment later a pair of small holographic figures that Rrask barely discerned as a man and a woman from his distance popped up and all the captains snapped into a respectful salute. The Chiss man spoke:  
-High Command, this is Reclamation Alpha. We have reached point Gamma. Do you read us?  
-High Command here, we read you Alpha. Good job so far. What's your progress?  
-Commander Lagrah, we have arrived at our appointed destination. Checking in before communication becomes impossible.  
-Roger that, Alpha one. Do you and the others remember your task?   
The Cathar woman nodded:  
-Yes, Commander. We have all the equipment at the ready.  
The  holographic man nodded in approval:  
-That's good to hear, Alpha Three. You have 48 hours. If we don't hear from you in over two rotations we're dispatching Beta squad. This operation is vital, the Silencer Mark 2 will not work without the kyber crystals power source. Is that understood?  
-Sir! Yes, sir!  
The holographic woman crossed her arms over her chest as she surveyed "Alpha Squad":  
-Captain Jinos, Alpha Three?  
The Cathar woman snapped to attention:  
-Yes, Commander Lagrah?  
-You are on medical duty.  
-Roger that.  
The man spoke next:  
-Captain Worne, Alpha Two?  
-Sir?  
The the other commander surveyed the rattaki:  
-You are on demolitions duty.  
-OH HECK YEAH!!!!! THIS IS GONNA ROCK, BABY!!  
Cerak's overjoyed shout resonated throughout the whole icy cave system. Distantly the sound of crashing snow was heard, making Rrask wince- that could be problematic. It seemed that this Commander Lagrah was thinking along the same lines:  
-Alpha Two, we are very pleased with your enthusiasm, but please try to keep it contained and retain at least a semblance of professionalism. We are after all the True Order, not a Huttball league fan club.  
The holographic man beside her smirked:  
-So is it the Coronet Krayt Dragons or Branada's Secret Rancors, or even the K&M industries Nerf Herders? I mean which league are we rooting for here?  
The woman shot him a glare:  
-Do shut up, Bendak. I'm not going down that road with you again. Alpha Two, am I understood?  
-Yes, Commander Lagrah.  
-Good. Now, Captain Onguo?  
The Chiss man saluted the woman:  
-Yes, sir?  
-Alpha One, you are taking point in this operation. Do not fail us.  
-Understood!  
The holographic man nodded:  
-Very good, soldier! Alpha Squad, move out and May the Force be with you! High Command out.  
The holographic figures winked out of existence, signalling the end of the transmission. The Chiss man, Captain Onguo, turned to his colleagues and quietly said:  
-For the True Order.  
His companions echoed his words:  
-For the True Order.  
There was a moment of silence before the only woman in the group, Rylihri, turned to the droids behind them and called:  
-Come on, you guys, you should have heard Commander Durgen and Commander Lagrah too - we've got ourselves some other crystals to find! Forward, my fellows!  
Yelled a certain white Cathar as she charged into a tunnel system with the droids storming after her. There was a pause before Cerak looked at their Chiss leader:  
-Think we should follow them, Savair?  
-Unfortunately, yes. Let's go, Alpha Two.  
-Right behind you, Alpha One. Let me just place a homing beacon here. As much as I love this frosty, eternal wintery scenery I don't want to get lost here.   
Savair nodded and marched off after his wayward subordinate, sighing. The rattataki did as he had said before following after them too.  The scenery became vacant again, occupied only by the corpse of the Gorgodon.  
  Rrask sat up, his mind spinning. This was definitely turning into something much more serious than a mere hunting trip - members of the organisation Alana Sheelan had asked him to investigate we're here and we're looking for these "kyber crystals" to power the Silencer Mark II. Whatever it was it did not sound good. During his travels he had kept an ear out for any word of this True Order, but had heard only whispers - nothing worthy of reporting. Now, however he had to. As soon as he reached civilisation he would contact her, he hoped this would help. But for now he had a Gorgodon to skin...

==SW: LB==

Slowly night settled over Tatooine as the twins suns set, turning a pale red colour and quietly slipping down the horizon. Just past Bestine, in between the Jundland Wastes and The Great Mesra plateau, a large sandcrawler traversed the Dune Sea slowly, but steadily. On top of the Sandcrawler, revelling in the calm light of the dusk and the cooling late evening air, sat two human men. One was younger than the other with jet black hair and bright green eyes, he had his white cloak an ammunition strap off as he worked with an old-looking speeder and an assortment of parts. The other man was older, with chestnut brown hair and pale green eyes - he had taken off his poncho, spread it out and had laid down on it, looking up at the dark ending sky. There was a comfortable silence between them, disturbed only by the occasion click as Jayden worked on the speeder bike. Kai suddenly spoke up:  
-You seem to know what you're doing.  
Jayden shrugged slightly as he worked to replace the power core of the left forward stabiliser:  
-I used to do this a lot as a kid. Muscle memory mostly - I'm no mechanic. I can fix speeders and ships somewhat, but that's about it.  
-Well, that certainly more than I can do. My Padawan doesn't even let me fly the ship, let alone fix it.  
Jayden snorted in amusement:  
-Are you really that bad?!  
-She seems to believe so.  
Kai mumbled unhappily, making Jayden shake his head amusedly. There were a few moments of silence before Jayden cautiously probed:  
-Hey, you Jedi deal with the Force, correct?  
-Yes.  
-So you should know about Force-bonds, right?  
-I do, but I'm no expert.  
Jayden shook his head as he locked the catches into place, securing the new core:  
-I don't need an expert. Tell me between who can they form?  
-Well, that's a tricky one. I assume you're referring to a Force-Bond that all participants are aware of?  
-Uh, yeah, let's go with that.  
-Alright then. As far as I know the most common one is between Master and Padawan and that takes years to carefully grow and cultivate.  
Jayden moved onto carefully undoing the pieces keeping the engines in place, grimacing:  
-Any others?  
Kai laid a hand under his head thoughtfully:  
-Well, another one can be domed if a life is saved by tying one dying Force presence to another one to pull a person back from the brink.  
Jayden whipped around so fast that he hit his head on a speeder handle:  
-You can do that?!  
-According to history - yes, but it's a last resort. Going back to your question though a Force Bond is formed between blood relatives, however it's normally nonexistent with Jedi. There's also a theory of a Force-Bond between lovers, but again Jedi.  
Jayden sighed as he carefully removed the engine, making sure to keep his hand steady:  
-Has there ever been a case of a Force-Bond forming for no apparent reason?  
The tone in which these words were said made Kai start. There was something in the tone, something indiscernible and unsettling that made Kai think twice about his evaluation of this boy. There was more to him that met the eye and the Force... It existed within the boy, but there was something blocking him from using it and he had never been trained which was unusual. There was something in his Force presence too - it was like there was a string attached, like it was only half of a whole. Was this why he was asking about a Force-bond? Because he had one? Kai opened his mouth to ask, but the kid beat him to it:  
-In case you're wondering I'm asking because that happened to me and my friend. We're connected through the Force and neither of us did anything to cause it.  
Kai sighed:  
-It is possible obviously, but the specifics of the Bond are not something I can explain to you then. Um, what are you doing?  
Jayden glanced over his shoulder to see the Jedi sitting up and watching him in total confusion. Calmly Jayden replied:  
-Oh, I'm replacing the engine of the speeder with a swoop bike engine and fine tuning it to make sure it doesn't explode. I also just fixed the stabilisers and calibrated them to work on sand, fixed on a pair of headlights and replaced the mounted on canon, on top of calibrating the movement mechanism. Not much.  
-Not much?! With skills like that you could start your own speeder business.  
Jayden froze for a moment before turning the wrench almost violently:  
-Uh, thanks, but that's not really my thing, like I said it's just a childhood thing.  
-It's impressive nonetheless. I'm guessing that's how you became friends with those Jawas?   
-In a way. We leant from the same person.  
-A guardian you stayed with as a kid?  
-Something like that.  
Jayden spoke through clenched teeth, though it was possible that was due to him using all his strength to push a certain rusty lever into position. Kai raised an eyebrow at the tone:  
-I'm guessing you didn't like him much.  
-That would be putting it extremely nicely.  
Kai sighed and stretched out on his poncho:  
-Well, we all have that one relative we don't like. Take my Uncle Ruddy for example- he's a freaking monarch and I don't like him! He even tried to shoot down the Tempest when I came over!  
Jayden blinked twice as the words slowly registered in his mind. Almost in slow motion he looked over his shoulder:  
-Your uncle is royalty?!  
Kai cast him a look:  
-Hm? Oh, yeah, he is - the pompous, obnoxious prick. My parents are too , but they're not pricks.  
-You say that like it's normal.  
-Well, it doesn't affect me so that's just a fact.  
Jayden sighed:  
-Fact or fiction is not the point - don't say that so damn calmly!  
Kai looked at him, curious:  
-What's got you so worked up?  
Jayden rubbed a hand across his brow:  
-Sorry about that -kinda hit close to home. I'm of noble blood by birth.  
Kai arched an eyebrow quizzically:  
-And yet you're a bounty hunter?  
-Your family is royalty and yet you're a Jedi?  
-Didn't have much of a choice in that one.   
-I believe you could leave.  
-Fair point.  
A calm silence fell over the pair during which Jayden locked the catches around the swoop engine and started closing up the panel. Kai was the one who broke it by suddenly announcing:  
-I was also a pirate for a year.  
-The heck?! You - a Jedi, were a pirate?! When'd you find the time?!  
Kai shrugged:  
-Long story short I ran away to be a pirate for a year - well, it was originally a mission, but I may have gotten a tad too creative.  
Jayden threw his hands up in surrender:  
-I'm officially done. I swear you are one of the craziest Jedi I have ever met.   
-You've met another one?  
-Oh, yeah. You remind me of her right now.  
Jayden replied as he fixed on the panel and flipped the locking mechanism. There was a pause before Kai suddenly asked:  
-Why did you become a bounty hunter?  
There were a few minutes of silence, disturbed only by the sound of the Sandcrawler's low hum and the sand shifting, the silence was so long that Kai thought the kid wouldn't answer, but eventually he did. His voice was quiet and low:  
-Why does anyone do anything? In between the time we are born and the time we die there's this thing called life. I just do what everyone does, I did what I had to survive.  
-To survive?  
Kai echoed, a sense of confusion and an odd sort of anxiety welling up inside him. Jayden didn't answer, he merely stood up and stretched - his legs had started to fall asleep. The suns had long set and the sky was now a dark inky blue colour, a colour that - Jayden noted - was nearly identical to the colour of his partners eyes, only a bit less vibrant in hue. Wordlessly, Jayden picked up his cloak and ammo strap, placed them on the speeder and stepped onto a pressure plate which caused a panel of the roof to tilt down, forming a ramp into the top level of the Sandcrawler. Jayden grabbed his speeder by the handles and turned to Kai:  
-We should go inside - the suns have set which means the Sandcrawler is going to switch on the forward lights soon and unless you want to be a target for Tusken target practice we really should get off the roof.  
Kai stood up and picked up his pocho. Dusting it off, he asked:  
-Speaking from experience?  
A shadow of a smile ghosted across Jayden's lips:  
-I had a few close calls. Come on.  
-Right behind you.  
Jayden nodded and set down the ramp, pulling the speeder along, once again thankful for the existence of repulsor lifts. As soon as he and Kai were inside, Jayden flipped a switch and the panel slid back up and the lights switched on. Kai looked around the narrow, long room in surprise:  
-Huh. I didn't notice this when we last went through here but it doesn't smell as bad as the rest of the place.  
-That's because I got an air filter for this place when I lived with them for a while. I offered to install it so the whole place would smell ok, but they refused so that's the way it is.  
-You lived with the Jawas?  
-Only for a week or two.  
-You know I think you may trump my past on the unusual scale.  
-Maybe. Come on, follow me.  
Pushing along his speeder, Jayden led Kai down the narrow hallway-like room before stopping at an indent on the wall. He pushed a low hanging button with his foot and the wall-door slid aside to create a small opening. Kai shot Jayden a look to which the latter just shrugged and said:  
-Jawas.  
Kai sighed, but got down on his knees and crawled through. From inside the small but thankfully human sized room Kai called:  
-How'd you get through here as a kid?  
-I was really scrawny.  
Replied Jayden who had also crawled through, leaving the speeder in the hallway. The room was small, barely furnished save for a small mattress, a thin blanket and a pillow as well as a small pile of parts in a corner. Jayden settled down in one corner while Kai sat cross-legged and leaning against the opposite wall. For once an almost awkward silence settled over them. What were they supposed to do? Dance the conga? Do handstands? Talk? About what? One of them was a Jedi with royal blood and an ex-pirate on top of that while the other was one of the most feared bounty hunters in the Galaxy and a Mandolorian of noble blood to boot. Also there was that nagging little fact that if Kai realised who Jayden was exactly he'd probably arrest him per the Chancellor's orders - few people were as trusting and as against the republic's head as Alana Sheelan was. In all honesty Jayden had no clue what they should do. Kai apparently was the same way:  
-Sooo, what do guys talk about when they're alone?  
Jayden shot him a "what the heck?" look:  
-No clue. How should I know?  
-Hm, me too. Then what do girls talk about?  
-Normal girls?  
Jayden clarified. He was acquainted with another kind after all. Kai nodded:  
-Yeah.  
Jayden shrugged:  
-Gossip? Guys? Pick one.  
-I'd rather not. So do we talk about the opposite?  
-What opposite? You mean the news?  
-And girls.  
Jayden looked mildly horrified:  
-Uh, that's a definite no!  
-Mm, me too.  
There was a pause before both men suddenly erupted in laughter, making the awkwardness dissipate completely. Somehow the idea of them talking about news and girls seemed wildly absurd and somewhat hilarious to the two. Once he'd recovered from his laughing bout, Kai suggested:  
-Well, if not that then how about 20 questions or "would you rather?"?  
Jayden grinned:  
-Option number two.  
-Great. Ever played?  
-Of course. You?  
-Mhm. Played with Master Yoda once - now that was fun.  
-I'd love to see that. I think I'll let you have the first go.  
Kai arched an eyebrow and folded his arms over his chest:  
-You sure?  
-Positive.  
-Okay. Would you rather give Jabba the Hutt a bath or be the Sarlaac's dentist?  
Jayden mirrored Kai and crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow:  
-Well, that's certainly....creative....  
-Why thank you. Now answer the question.  
\- Don't be pushy, besides the answer is pretty obvious.  
Kai narrowed his eyes at Jayden in a challenging way:  
-Oh, it is, is it?  
-Sure. I, Jayden El'kar Callen, pronounce myself the Sarlaac's dentist and I promise to make his teeth gleam before his meals.  
-Theatric much?  
Jayden rolled his eyes:  
-Oh, come on - let me have some fun.   
-Whatever you say. Still why the Sarlaac's dentist? Wouldn't giving Jabba a bath be easier?  
Jayden fixed the Jedi with an incredulous look:  
-Have you ever met Jabba? In person.  
Kai wracked his brain for a moment before shaking his head:  
-Nope. Not in person.  
Jayden grinned:  
-Then you will have a very interesting impression upon meeting him. You'll choose the Sarlaac over the Hutt in a heartbeat.  
Kai raised his arms in surrender:  
-I'll take your word for it then. Let's see if you can beat me in the toughness of the question.  
Jayden smirked at the dare:  
-Challenge accepted. Okay, I've got it. Would you rather fight a sink crab on Bestine IV while fully clothed and 90 metres under water level or would you rather fight two Fefze beetles that spew battles on Duro?  
Kai frowned at the Mandolorian:  
-I don't like the look on your face.  
Jayden made an innocent face:  
-What face?  
-That face!  
-Do you have a problem with my face?  
-No, I have a problem with the expression it's making!  
Jayden tried to look utterly confused:  
-I'm sorry?  
-Oh, drop the act. My padawan is the same age and the same way as you - I've been stuck with her for 6 years so I know what that look means!   
Jayden laughed and dropped the act:  
-Heh, alright, Master Jedi. So what's your pick?  
Kai frowned and thought for a moment with Jayden watching him with a smirk on his young face. Kai sighed and shot the younger man a glare:  
-You've done both, haven't you?   
Jayden's smirk turned into a full on grin:  
-That would be a positive, General.  
Kai ran a hand down his face in exasperation:  
-Ugh, teenagers. How are you not dead yet?!  
Jayden adopted a thoughtful expression:  
-You know I often wonder that myself, but then I start wondering about the meaning of life and then about my reason for existing and then about where was I before I existed and then--  
-Alright enough. You want to know my answer? Fine. I would rather fight the fefze beetles on Duro.  
Jayden cocked his head to the side curiously:  
-Huh. What'd you know - you picked the safer one.  
-Safer one?!  
Jayden shrugged:  
-Well, the other one did almost end up with me nearly dying. Your turn.  
Kai looked at the kid incredulously - was he for real?! No, seriously, who acted so calmly about a near-death experience?! Well, Alana possibly would, but still... Kai was forced to snap back to the game when he heard Jayden speak in a sing-song voice:  
-That is, unless you concede defeat.  
-Never. I, Kai Rowaan Lionis, shall never surrender to the likes of you!  
-Bring. It. On.  
-You shall quake in your,-Kai glanced down at Jayden's feet,- uh, boot-like shoes before the day is done.  
Jayden shot Kai an unimpressed look:  
-Jedi, the day is done. It is currently four minutes past midnight GST.  
Kai heaved an exaggerated sigh:  
-I was speaking metaphorically! Anyway, would you rather--  
A small voice from the doorway cut across Kai:  
-[Droydi sorry to interrupt, but Droydi and Llen have news.]  
Jayden and Kai both turned their heads to see a pair of Jawas standing in the doorway.  The amusement form Jayden's face vanished instantly the minute he noticed their demeanour:  
-Droydi, Llen, what's going on?  
Kai frowned at the notes of anxiety he picked up in the kid voice, there was also a tremor... was that desperation? The two Jawas looked visibly uncomfortable if their tiny little body postures were anything to go by. Slowly Jayden stood up and crossed his arms, looking at his two friends:  
-Guys, what happened?  
The two Jawas exchanged a look before Llen spoke:  
-[We encounter a little problem. Sandcrawler can't go forward no more]  
Jayden looked confused:  
-Did the wheels break or something? The engine? Can't you guys fix it?  
The Jawas exchanged another look, making Jayden more agitated. He didn't even know why he was reacting like this, but for some reason he felt very uneasy. Something was going or had gone seriously wrong, but what? Kai was the one who answered Jayden's questions:  
-Kid, I don't think this is something they can fix,-he looked at the two quiet jawas,-Am I correct?  
Droydi nodded her head and quietly explained:  
-[ Sandcrawler can't go further because of sandstorm. It wake up. If Droydi and friends go there then Sandcrawler get ripped apart and we die.]  
Jayden froze. A sandstorm. Tatooine's fiercest of monsters and one that could never be tamed. It ripped apart and destroyed anything that came close to it unless they were extremely lucky and judging by the way things were going luck was not on Jayden's side. Realising that if this kept up he would only be wasting more time, Jayden slipped into his Shadow persona and a cool calmness enveloped him, his mind focusing solely on the mission. Shadow frowned:  
-Where are we right now?  
All three remaining participants in the conversation looked up at the speaker. Droydi and Llen instinctually took a step back - there was something about the aura he exuded that made them want to back away to a safe distance. Kai's half-closed eyes snapped wide open at the dark presence in the Force, it took the Jedi a moment to realise that that was the bounty hunter. Kai double-checked and, yep, it still was him though it seemed like a whole other person. Droydi decided to speak up since her friend didn't:  
-[ Sandcrawler not far from sandstorm that roams the plains just past the Mospice high range. We apologise, but we can not go any further until sandstorm stop.]  
Shadow looked thoughtful for a moment before snapping back to attention:  
-How bad is the storm?  
And suddenly the pieces in Kai's mind clicked. He knew what the kid was planning to do. Oh no, this was a really bad idea! From the short time they'd spent talking Kai had already guessed that the kid was reckless, but this level of reckless was insane! Llen shrugged:  
-[Storm should stop by morning.]  
Shadow sighed and shook his head:  
-That's not good enough, that way I lose too much time. I'm going now.  
Kai stood up and walking over to the kid, placed a hand on his shoulder:  
-You are not going into that storm, are you?  
Shadow turned around and regarded the Jedi cooly, taking the hand off his shoulder:  
-I am, there is no other way. I must find the Healer.  
The Jawas looked mildly alarmed by Shadows words and started waving their hands frantically:  
-[No! Jayden will die if Jayden go into storm!]  
Kai nodded:  
-Kid, there's always a choice. Listen it should die down in the morning, just gove it a little time--  
-Time is a luxury I do not have and neither does my partner!  
Snapped Shadow, nearly switching to Jayden. The Mandolorian quickly picked up his cloak and ammunitions strap. He fastened both on, secured his facemask around his neck and made sure his goggles were still on his head. He was more or less ready to go. He was about to leave the room when Kai's words made him stop for a moment:  
-Are you sure about this? Have you really though this through?  
There was no hesitation in Shadow's voice when he spoke:  
-Yes. It has been nice spending time with you, everyone. Goodbye.  
Shadow ducked through the small entrance and left the room. Kai and the pair of Jawas listened to him walk away with what sounded like his speeder in tow before there was the sound of the ramp to the roof lowering and the sound of the speeder starting up.  
  Kai wasn't sure what to do. Common sense told him that what the kid was doing was absurd and he should stop him, but then another voice reminded him that he did not know the full extent of the boy's reason for going to these extremes. And extremes they were at least to Kai's mind. He had mentioned that they shared a bond that had appeared for no apparent reason so there was obviously more than met the eye when it came to Jayden and his unknown partner. Kai was only certain of one thing - she meant enough to the kid for him to go barrelling into a sandstorm just to save time. Also the kid himself.... Everything about him seemed normal, but from what Kai had just experienced it was obvious that there was so much more to him than met the eye. Kai sighed: what should he do? He could stay detached and not get involved at all, but... His gut and the Force were in perfect sync telling him to get moving and follow the kid. Kai struggled with himself for another minute before:  
-Oh, Damn it all! Kid, wait up!  
Kai shouted as he ducked through the small entrance. This reminded him too much of Alana. How did he keep finding himself in these messes?!

==SW: LB==

Darth Tenebris stormed through the dark barely lit corridor with his lightsaber blazing and his dark cloak swishing behind him and his jaw set. As the native inhabitants fell before him with one blast of the Force from his hand or a single stroke from his lightsaber, Tenebris's  yellow eyes blazed with a mix of tamed fury and something akin to sorrow. Still, those emotions within him didn't unbalance him, they only made him more deadly and more precise. This place, this temple... it was sacred ground for a man like Tenebris, no, it was sacred ground because he was Darth Tenebris. This place... It was a temple, preserved from time, but not from creatures by its outer architecture and it was also one of the only places that Tenebris would hesitate to enter and yet he was supposed to. This was in some small measure for him. All they did was always for him. It had never been otherwise.  
   As the last wingman nesting here fell before his feet, Tenebris stopped and deactivated his lightsaber, hooking it back onto his belt. He sighed - this was beginning to get exhausting, he needed to get his mind under control! The images of them were not helping! Tenebris leant against the cool wall and closed his eyes, resting for a moment. There was a calm silence around him and for once Tenebris felt serene, tranquil and almost at peace before he heard a whisper of a very familiar female voice echo through his mind: "Master! You're back! Welcome back!" Tenebris eyes snapped open at that voice and he sighed when he noticed that there was no one there. Of course, there would never again be. Tenebris placed his head in his hands, hiding his face behind them. He should not have come here. Another voice, this one male, suddenly joined the previous echo: "Master, I don't mean to be rude, but you're wrong here, you know. Want me to do it over?" Tenebris buried his face in his knees and clapped his hands over his ears. He didn't want to hear them, the voices. They hurt. These voices they were one of the few things that could truly hurt Tenebris. Loudly, with no subtlety at all a third voice, also male, joined in: "Oh yeah, Master's invincible! Take that, suckers! Master, you're the strongest person I know!". Tenebris gave a humourless, dry laugh - he was strong? What a joke. Yes, he was powerful in the Force and he had mastered all 7 lightsaber forms (preferring to stick to form VII - Juyo), but of all the things he was Tenebris was not strong and neither was Valoren Tenebrae. Still, he owed them this much so he needed to gather what meagre amount of strength he had and further enter the temple.  
   With those thoughts in mind Tenebris breached the inner sanctum of the temple, blasting the stone door out of the way with just the Force, turning it into rubble. Three tombs lay within the circular room, all tilting slightly upwards, bathed in the sunlight streaming down through the ceiling skylight, perfectly preserved despite the many thousands of years that had come and gone. All three tombs had an inscription on the lid in the high Sith language as well as the language the Logos system had originally used before converting to basic like the rest of the Galaxy. Silently, lips pressed into a thin line, Tenebris approached the first tomb and quietly read the inscription aloud, translating it to basic automatically:  
-Nadia Erest - a master of the dark and light arts, the original master and the 1st founder of the True Order.  
Tenebris blinked rapidly as the memories of a girl with bright yellow eyes, a sheet of short faded blonde hair and a pair of mint green tattoos on her face danced before his mind's eye. Nadia Erest. Little Nadia had bloomed as he'd envisioned after all. A ghost of a smile settled on Tenebris's lips - he was proud of her. No finer person could have created the True Order per his words along with the boys - she'd probably done most of the work anyway. The shadow of a smile still lingering on his lips, Tenebris walked over to the next tomb and read the inscription it bore:  
-Exo Telons - a master of the battlefield, of the lightsaber arts, an intellect with few rivals and the 2nd founder of the True Order.  
The corner of Tenebris's mouth tugged up a bit as he remembered the boy with long-ish dark hair, green-yellow eyes and a scar running across his eye. It seemed that Exo's mind had not led him astray - he had managed to help Nadia found the True Order. Ever the "brainiac" according to Nadia. Slowly Tenebris approached the last tomb. The inscription on it was the oldest of the three:  
-Rylo Cedrax - father of the fleet, General of ten troops, devoid of the Force and yet the powerful 3rd founder with few equal.  
Ah, Rylo... Yes, he'd been a special one. He may not have had the Force thrumming within him, but Rylo had had a skill with mechanics like no other. His designs had become the basis for all of the ships in the True Order's fleet, proving far superior to any rivals in any era, even now - all they needed was the updated technology and they were good to go. Rylo had designed everything - from the snub fighters to the Heavenward - the flagship of the fleet. Rylo had also designed and created many of the Order's mechanical armaments, testing them himself apparently. In short, he was an invaluable individual albeit a little energetic.   
   Tenebris released a quiet sigh as he looked at Rylo's tomb. It had been so long ago for them and yet to him it seemed like only a few months ago he'd been speaking with them. He remembered Rylo with his bright red hair and blue eyes chasing Exo around the office while Nadia laughed her head off from her workspace, pelting them with Tenebris's collection of ores with help from the Force and permission from Tenebris, while he watched the chaos with amused exasperation, once again glad the walls were soundproof. The man in question sighed once more:  
-It's been a while, old friends. I dare say I missed you - thank you for doing what I could not back then. Forgive me for leaving you behind and moving forward, I could have asked for no better students.  
Tenebris could feel a lump welling up forming in his throats as all the memories flashed through his mind. He missed his students, his confidants and his most trusted accomplices. In a way they'd healed the gaping wound his older sister's death had left behind. Nadia and Exo were his apprentices - given to him by Karred when he'd achieved the rank of Sith Lord at the age of 17 - the two had only been 12 back then. Rylo was a slave that Tenebris had saved from execution on one of his trips around the Galaxy. Rylo was a year younger than the two apprentices and he was Force-blind, but he'd quickly proved his worth. Nadia and Exo had happily accepted him into their chaotic little group. Well, he'd had that rivalry with Exo, but they'd more or less gotten over it later. They had been a close knit group - completely opposite to what Sith doctorine dictated so Tenebris had to remind them to keep this quiet. They were just kids in his eyes and he believed that they should have some freedom of spirit. Yes, he taught them to be Sith, but his teaching methods had produced unexpected results: his students weren't Sith or Jedi (not unlike Tenebris and his prey) - they used the dark side and the controlled it - the dark side only corrupting their eye colour no less. Their morals and humanity had remained firmly intact. In short, they were the original force-sensitive members of the True Order, something much greater than the servants of light or darkness. His students had passed down his teaching perfectly and had created an almost perfect Order. They had only been 14 when he'd assigned them this task before leaving when he had been 19 himself and they had not only survived the bloody fall of Ceperion without him, but they had reshape a good portion of the Galaxy, swayed the hearts of thousands and had created something that had withstood the test of time, always watching from the shadows, unseen. True, when Tenebris had located the Order in this era 6 years ago there were only 200 of them, but all of his student's work was still there - ready and waiting for him. He was very, very proud of them and immensely grateful to them too. He would miss them no matter what happened.   
   Tenebris shook his head to rid himself of regrets he could not erased, he turned to leave the burial chamber when suddenly he heard a voice:  
-It's been a long time, Valoren Tenebrae. Master.  
It took his shellshocked mind a moment to recognise the voice and once he did Tenebris whipped around. This was improbable, impossible and yet he was certain - that had been Nadia's voice. Not little Nadia's, but grown up Nadia's. Upon turning around Tenebris found the burial chamber still empty. Confused, he called out:  
-Nadia?  
Unexpectedly, the space between the coffins lit up and three holograms were generated. Tenebris found himself staring at the smiling holograms of his three students in their 20's. it was a pre-recorded, voice-activated message. Nadia leaned her head to the side, gently smiling before speaking:  
-Welcome back, Master. We missed you.  
And suddenly, for the first time in years, Tenebris gave a true, genuine smile.

==SW: LB==

If one had ever been in a storm they'd say that the three most noticeable sensations any being experiences are lack of breath, pain from whatever was pelting them and lack of visibility. And if one had been in a sandstorm they'd also add the sensation of being literally blown away. That was what a certain reckless Mandolorian by the name of Jayden Callen was experiencing. His face mask was pulled up to prevent him from breathing in sand particles, goggles pulled up to allow him some limited amount of vision and he was riding his speeder to battle against the wind. He was glad he'd refitted the engine beforehand - the swoop engine could handle this, thankfully.  
    Jayden knew that what he was doing was very stupid, reckless and borderline suicidal, but Alana would do the same for him, had done the same for him when she'd held off Grievous, purged Karness Murr when he'd possessed him, pulled the Storm away from an a star, saved him from drowning at risk to herself, fought Rrask - she'd saved him so many times with no regard for her own life. This time it was his turn. He owed Alana his life and it was way past time to return the favour. And if this sandstorm though it could deter him from his goal then it was a million light years too early.  
   Jayden gritted his teeth and pushed on forward through the wind and sand that was whipping him across the face. He couldn't see well at all and the nighttime wasn't helping much. His skin stung, but Jayden payed it no heed. He had to get through this somehow, unfortunately the lack of visibility was not helping matters much especially since he was heading through the Beggar's Canyon Area - one of the deadliest routes on Tatooine in existence. He needed a way to see.   
Unexpectedly a voice called over the rumbling chaos the storm created:  
-You really do have a flair for the theatrical, I think you may have missed your calling as an actor - I've never seen someone ride a speeder off the top of a sandcrawler and dive headfirst into a sandstorm.   
Jayden started, but didn't miss the chance to retort:  
-Then you've never gone Swoop racing on Nar Shaddaa! Why in the galaxy are you following me?!  
He turned in the direction from which Kai's voice had come from. A moment later Jayden saw Kai appear beside him, riding his own speeder with the headlights switched on. The Jedi was dressed in his previous clothes, his poncho was on, he had a sturdy wrap of cloth around half of his face and a pair of goggles shielding his eyes. Kai shrugged and shot back:  
-Well, I love a good, well-thought out plan and you've obviously thought your actions through.  
-I do not need a lecture about how suicidal this is!  
-Good, I'm bad at public life coach speaking anyway. Listen, the Force is yelling at me to follow you and so I am. Besides you'll never get through this sandstorm alive unless--  
Jayden made a sharp right turn to narrowly avoid crashing into a rock and finished for Kai:  
-Unless I duck into Beggars Canyon, I know. The storm should be less powerful there. What are you suggesting?  
-Well,-Kai paused as he swerved around another rock,- I have the Force - I believe I can guide us into it. You have to trust me.  
-I don't like this, but fine. You better know what you're doing.  
-Don't worry! If I fail we'll be dead.  
-That is so reassuring!  
-Why thank you! I always thought I was good at giving public morale a boost!  
Jayden groaned:  
-Are we - oh chuba - doing this or what?!  
Jayden did a barrel roll with his speeder to avoid a small avalanche of rocks rolling down from a nearby cliff face while Kai used the Force to push them out of his way. The storm only intensified as though furious with them for avoiding it's trap. Kai sighed and shouted over the chaos, his voice as always slightly muffled by his wraparound mask:  
-Ok, Fine. Follow me.  
The Jedi closed his eyes and tightened his grip on the speeder handles, reaching into the Force before suddenly swerving left. Jayden made a sharp turn to follow Kai's fading figure in the sandstorm, mumbling:  
-I hate it when they do that!  
Jayden had thought he had adapted to the harsh conditions of the sandstorm, but he had not been prepared for the strong tail wind that followed. It spurred him and his speeder on towards a towering, sharp, cliff face. Jayden tried to pull on the brakes, but for some reason they didn't work. Well, this was bad. This was very, very bad. Jayden's mind quickly began figuring out escape routes, but the cliff was a little too fast approaching. The young man's first instinct was to brace for impact and close his eyes, but suddenly something much more powerful and somehow much brighter overruled it. It was a sensation. A sensation Jayden knew. Realising that there wasn't much time to debate this, Jayden decided to trust in it, to trust in the Force just like she would. Sure, Alana's assurance hadn't always been enough for him, but after the days earlier demonstration he would believe in it. Acting on that particular impulse, Jayden closed his eyes and detached one hand from the speeder handles. He could feel it inside him- Jayden reached out and pushed. That insane power rushed through him again and Jayden felt warm and overwhelmed inside again - this was what he was missing and this was what he feared. There was suddenly a loud sound, like an explosion, but Jayden didn't dare open his eyes until a second later. He was stunned to find himself flying through a previously nonexistent tunnel.  Well, this was new.  
   Jayden quickly got ahold of himself and focused. He zoomed out of  the tunnel and made a sharp right turn, coming to a stop thanks to the once again working breaks. Well, that had been fun, however, it wasn't over quite yet. The storm seemed persistent, almost relentless, it ripped through the hole in the cliff that Jayden had created and had the Mandolorian not swerved away when he had first entered he would have been blown into the opposing cliff in the Beggar's Canyon. Jayden frowned and decided to try something out while the gates weren't locked to him again. He lifted one hand up, focused on the rocks resting atop the cliff and using what he supposed could only be the Force tugged them down. To his surprised a whole avalanche of rocks came tumbling down and piled up in front of the hole, closing it up. The wind in the canyon was still strong, but at least there wasn't any billowing sand. Jayden sighed, his shoulders sagging in relief:  
-Well, that was unexpected...  
A slightly muffled voice chimed in:  
-I'll say. I've never seen a non-trained Force-sensitive with such control of the Force. You just blew a hole through a 6 meter thick cliff with just one push. Do you know how hard that is?  
Jayden turned around to see a certain Jedi glide to stop beside him on his own speeder. Jayden cast Kai an accusatory look:  
-You ditched me.  
Kai shook his head and raised a finger:  
-No, I lost you in the storm. There's a difference. Still, how did you do that?   
Jayden shrugged:  
-I don't know. From what a friend of mine told me apparently I'm Force-sensitive, highly so, but from what I see I might as well be a dud. I have no control over it at all.  
-And yet you just knowingly used the Force twice to do something that quite a few Jedi would struggle with. I wouldn't say you have no control or that you're a dud. You could have been a powerful Jedi one day, had you been taken to the order.  
Jayden sighed and shook his head:  
-I doubt it. I'm not cut out to be a Jedi - that's just not who I am. Maybe I could have been that person, but I had to take a different path. Anyway, we better get moving - I don't like the idea of staying in one place here. The cliffs shield us from the storm, but Tatooine holds many dangers.   
Kai's eyes smiled at the comment:  
-I'll take your word for it. Unfortunately, I have no idea where we should go.  
Jayden rolled his eyes before closing his eyes and digging through his memories of Tatooine. He sifted through them, refusing to break under their considerable weight, looking for a specific one. Finally, he found it. Jayden opened his eyes:  
-I have a feeling I do though. Follow me.   
Jayden adjusted the speeder's settings and took off with Kai following on his own speeder. Jayden sped through the canyon, keeping a careful eye and ear out - the beggar's canyon was home to many creatures, ranging from a wimp rat to a canyon krayt dragon. He kept the lights in the back of his mind flickering, making sure none of them appeared hostile. Well, there was a small group, but it was rather far away so Jayden wasn't too worried. He just had to be careful the rock formations here were tricky and many a spacer had died in here. This place had been carved by three rivers back when Tatooine was still a lush jungle world and had once been used in the Boonta Eve Race circuit, but it was later deemed too dangerous even by Tatooine standards which was definitely saying something - he'd learned this from Alana when they'd been playing the Random Facts game while stuck in Hyperspace. At the thought of his partner Jayden's hands tightened on the speeder's handles, his knuckles turning white. He couldn't let her die. In a way it was almost funny to a point of cruelty how determined he was to save her life right now when he'd nearly killed her a few times: there had been that time when they first met, then on the Atlantida, then on Corellia (though in his defence that had been more Karness Murr than him) and then of course there had been that time in hyperspace when he nearly strangled her. Jayden frowned - had he really come this close to ending her life so many times? And yet she was fine with him? Going as far as to call them friends? If that was so then he didn't deserve a friend like her, in all honesty she made him understand just how horrible of a person he was when she was near him. Yes, she had her own sins too and Stars knew what a temper she had and what she could say, but she was so much better than him. She was something he could never hope to be. Her control of the Force? Now that was something to see. Jayden had once absentmindedly commented that it was like an extension of her body and sometimes it really seemed so - Alana and the Force just flowed together. Were all Jedi like that? He didn't know. Jayden sighed and shook his head to refocus, letting the cool wind caressing his head wash away those troubled and confused thoughts. He would focus only on the task at hand.  
    Kai watched his companion with a sense of unease and wonder. There was something off about him, something that didn't quite sit right with Kai. Yes, he reminded him of Alana, but not her at the same time. There was something that didn't add up to Kai. The boy had a remarkable amount of control over the Force for a non-trained individual and even if he was acting on impulse what he had done was extraordinary. This was not normal. Kai had refrained from mentioning that what he had done was probably utilised the Dark Side in a moment of fear and as instinct for self-preservation, but still for such destruction to be contained and controlled as rigidly as it was... Well, Kai wasn't sure what was required. It was slowly becoming more and more apparent to him that his initial assessment of the boy was wrong, immensely so. Jayden Callen was proving to be quite an enigma to him, one that seemed dangerous to unravel. Then there was also that mysterious string in the Force that followed the boy... It was all very confusing to summarise. Kai frowned when he noticed the boy trembling slightly. He squinted and double-checked to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him, but the boy indeed was shivering and it wasn't cold out. He also looked like he had a hard time maintaining his concentration. Could it be a side-effect of using that strong of a push with the Force? Could this really an aftershock? It was possible. And then there was another possibility, but he doubted it was possible so he'd best not even ponder on it. Jayden Callen was a very curious young man indeed. Kai was abruptly jerked out of his thoughts when he heard the young man in question unexpectedly call back:  
-Hey, Pirate Jedi, you ever raced a swoop or a pod before?  
Kai frowned, failing to see how this was relevant in any way to right now, but replied:  
-No. Why?  
Surprisingly, the kid laughed:  
-Well, then you better catch on quick, because this is about to become like one. We're coming off main avenue into the Dead Man's Turn!  
-Into the what?!  
Kai's question was soon answered when the kid made a sharp turn on his bike. Kai watched in relative awe as he raced up the canyon wall to avoid crashing into said wall and for a moment he was flying upside down before he did a barrel roll mid-air and descended diagonally back down the canyon's wall. Once back on normal ground, the kid pushed the brakes to stop and raised an eyebrow at Kai before calling:  
-There's no other way to make this turn, Pirate Jedi. You've got to do it!  
-You're insane.  
The kid laughed, a bright happy sound, like the tone of voice he should always have, chiding Kai:  
-Tut tut, Master Jedi, you really shouldn't be such a coward.  
-I am not a coward.  
Jayden placed his hand on his hips:  
-Really? Then do the jump! There's no other way anyhow.  
-Fine, I'll do the damn jump.  
Kai growled and moved back a bit before moving his speeder forward on full throttle. Only a moment too late did Kai's common sense come back to him and did he realise what he was doing, but by then he had already jumped the deadly turn which had killed many a racer. It was strange, but this felt oddly exhilarating and extremely fun even thought he was basically looking Death in the face. Kai landed and found himself laughing - that had been fun, like something he'd do in his pirate days. The kid nodded and took of further down the canyon shouting something about how they weren't done yet. Kai unexpectedly found himself hoping that they weren't.   
   Jayden raced ahead of Kai, wind whistling in his ears and a grin on his face. He felt adrenaline rushing through his veins, his heart pounding in his jest and most of all he felt free. His worries, his dark past, his pain - they were all gone for a while, washed away by the freedom he felt. This was amazing. It reminded him of his swoop racing days back on Nar Shaddaa. That had been fun even if it had been for a job. Jayden was a good pilot and that was no joke because the things he had done with the Crimson Storm were often unbelievable (like the landing on Bestine IV though that was a tamer example), but what Jayden truly was great at it was racing swoops. He didn't need to worry - he just followed his gut. He had been damn good on it back when he'd been here 10 years ago- that's how he had escaped with Llen and Droydi from a certain individual that Jayden hoped for that person's sake he would not run into. The outcome would not be pretty. Jayden snapped back to reality when he heard Kai shout:  
-Hey, is it just me or is the canyon getting narrower?  
Jayden grinned beneath his facemask:  
-You're not claustrophobic, are you? 'Cause that would be a very bad thing here.  
Kai groaned:  
-Ugh, I'm gonna regret asking, but why?  
-We're approaching our next obstacle - The Notch. Good luck!  
That was all the Jayden said before racing forward. The Notch wasn't the hardest obstacle on the course, but once again many people had died doing it. There had been at least two 11 years ago during the famous Boonta Eve Classic race that Anakin Skywalker had won. That'd been a hard race to forget. Jayden remembered watching with baited breath as the boy not too much older than him cleared the narrow gap in between the walls of the canyon - the Notch. He was coming up on it now. It was dangerous during the day, twice so during the night, but then again he hadn't placed first in all the Nar Shaddaa swoop races for nothing - Nar Shaddaa's course made Tatooine's look like a child's playpen. Jayden zoomed up to the narrow crack and a second before he would have hit Jayden flipped his speeder sideways and shot through the opening, safe and sound. He moved on, eager to get to a wider plain. He could also hear Kai narrowly slip through behind him. Hmm, so the Jedi was learning - good. Jayden was impressed - he was a quick learner, just like his partner. So, okay, maybe there were Jedi who weren't just arrogant old men stuck in their ways. That was good to know. The aforementioned Jedi's slightly annoyed voice made him grin as they hurtled through the canyon:  
-A little heads up would have been nice!  
Jayden laughed:  
-Where's the fun in that?  
-The fun is in not dying! Crazy teenagers...  
-Oh, fine, Pirate Jedi - I'll warn you. We're coming up on the final obstacle- The Needle. High rock formation with a loop, the canyon is going to start sloping upwards anytime now.  
-Well, that sounds fantastic!  
-Glad you approve!  
-I was being sarcastic!  
Jayden chuckled:  
-I know. Good luck!  
The canyon's path had indeed started sloping upwards, soon enough it would cut off and end up as a cliff. Sure, there was a detour around the needle, but this would save time. Yes, Jayden wasn't flying a T-16 Skyhopper, but he could make this work. Jayden quickly switched gears on his speeder bike before pushing the engines to full throttle. He picked up speed, soon everything was complete blur, he could see the edge approaching and the needle, and then his speeder jumped the end. That familiar pit formed in Jayden's stomach, but he payed it no heed only leaning forward with speeder. Come on...come on...Come on! Yes! The speeder rocketed through the eye of the Needle and fell. Jayden whooped as gravity pulled him back down, cutting the engines for a second before revving them up again and coming to a more or less graceful landing on the canyon path. A few seconds later Jayden saw Kai make the jump and gave a low whistle:  
-Whoo, the guy's getting good. He has potential. Now if only he'd stop screaming...  
A mere two or three seconds later the Jedi landed next to Jayden, completely out of breath and voice hoarse from overuse. Jayden patiently waited for Kai to catch his breath and once he did the Jedi declared:  
-You are insane.  
-I prefer creative.  
-That was suicidal.  
-Possibly, but it was fun.  
-That was terrifying.  
-Nope, it was awesome. You ready to   go, yet?  
Kai sighed and focused his eyes on the young man:  
-Depends.  
Jayden raised an eyebrow:  
-On what?  
-Are there anymore crazy death traps?   
-On the route we're taking? No.   
-Good. I'm not sure I can handle anymore.  
-Alright then, let's go, but fair warning - this is a Tusken area so we have to be quiet.  
-Got it. Any chance of an ambush?  
Jayden paused for a moment before shrugging:  
-There's always that chance. Just be on the lookout.  
-Roger.  
Jayden nodded and started to press on forward with Kai following him. He made sure to pump the brakes a bit - he could not afford for the Tuskens to hear him. Sure, most people considered the Sandpeople to be a primitive race, but that didn't mean they couldn't kill you. In fact they were exceedingly good at it. And while Jayden was acutely aware of that fact a certain memory judged him to remember another situation. A situation in which a certain Tuskegee had not killed a small, wounded human boy and instead the Tusken had been merciful and let him live. Jayden looked down at his left elbow where he knew a scar rested from that occasion - he had managed to limp away alive. While many sandpeople were indeed cruel and animalistic, there were those that were different. Just like humans or any other species. It had always been true and would always be true, but even so Jayden would rather not tempt fate. He and Fate shared a love-hate relationship, though it tended to lean towards the hate.  
  Unexpectedly, a light in back of Jayden's mind flared and seconds after it was joined by many more. Jayden stopped and held out a hand as a signal for Kai to stop. Deciding to trust his judgement, Kai did as he was told. Jayden paused, alert and listening. His hearing and sight yielded no information so Jayden closed them off mentally and focused. A second later he found himself yelling at Kai to move. Jayden started up the engines again and pushed forward at full speed, pulling out one of his blasters and sending a few shots behind them. He didn't have time to comprehend how he knew that there was a horde of unfriendly sandpeople behind them - he had just known that they were there, lo and behold there they were. Kai glanced over his shoulder to see a horde of sandpeople riding Bantha's chasing after them. He slammed on the throttle, shouting:  
-I thought we were quiet!  
-Me too.   
-So why are they chasing us?! Is this normal?!  
Jayden shook his head, yelling back:  
-Nope! Not even by my standards! I have no idea what's going on.  
Kai was about to answer back when suddenly he felt something cold and unexpected creep up on him. Darkness, pure darkness. Kai shivered involuntarily and shielded himself instantly - why in the galaxy was the dark side so prominent here?! Kai didn't have much time to wonder that as he realised the sandpeople were closing in. This was unnatural. And then it clicked:  
-Kid, they're possessed by the Dark Side!  
-What?! How'd that happen?!  
-I have no clue, but something tells me it's connected to the Shock Drum.  
-Wh--You know what?  Now's not the time for this - we've got to get out of the--  
Jayden was cut off by the sound of blasterfire. He craned his next to see that the sandpeople had started shooting at them. This whole week was getting better by the second. Jayden looked around, scanning the high walls of the canyon for anything they could use to climb out. He found nothing. Gritting his teeth, Jayden turned his speeder around and switched the movement to reverse. Kai cast him an "are you insane?!" look:  
-What in the universe are you doing?!  
-Buying us time. Less talking, more moving.  
Jayden shot back as he activated the mounted on blaster cannon and started shooting at the sandpeople. Even with the movement he managed to hit two, but since they were riding single file, that didn't mean they wouldn't be replaced by another pair. Jayden softly cursed under his breath. This was the time he needed Alana and TK the most, between the three of them they could probably come up with something! He couldn't do this alone. Jayden looked around when he heard Kai shout:  
-This is bad! They've got us cornered.  
They had reached a dead end and the sandpeople were closing in. Damn it. What now?!  
  Suddenly, as if in answer to his unspoken prayer, a storm of blasterfire and explosions rained down on the sandpeople from high up and a strong low-pitched sound was emitted, causing Kai and Jayden to clap their hands over their ears and the sand people to give a terrified cry and scatter. Absentmindedly, Jayden noted that the sound had sounded a bit like a Krayt Dragon's roar. Slowly, Jayden lifted his hands from his ears and looked around the night Tatooine scenery in wonder:  
-Who was that? Or what?  
Beside him Kai shrugged:  
-I have no clue, but whoever it was they saved our lives.  
Unexpectedly a string of familiar beeps and whistles reached Jayden ears. The Mandolorian's eyes widened when he recognised the small sliver figure. There was no way, but who else could it be? Who else had the knack for showing up when he was needed the most? Who else would claim that organics were stupid and yet be there to save Jayden and Alana's lives no matter what? Who else had such an arsenal of offensive weapons? Who else could make a whole group of enraged sandpeople scattered by raining blasterfire and grenades from the sky? And who else would be chirping cheerfully about it right now? Jayden's mouth curled up into a smile - there was only one being in the entire universe that he knew was capable of that. Not hesitating for a second, Jayden jumped off the speeder and somewhat shakily walked over to the droid in front of them. He pulled down his facemask to reveal his grin as the odd silver and navy droid focused in on him and whistled a "hello, idiot suicidal captain.". Jayden laughed and shook his head:  
-Hello, to you too, tin can. How'd you know we were here and in trouble?  
-Bee-dee-reet-ree-dwoo! Dee-woo.  
-Well, I guess that is a fair point- Alana and I are always in the middle of things. But how'd you find us?  
TK chirped that he'd placed a tracer on this pair of Jayden's shoes before he left, just in case. Jayden lifted an eyebrow:  
-I didn't say you could.  
-Fet-Twee-doo.  
-Ugh, Fine, fine. I'll admit that was a good call, seeing as how you just saved our lives.  
-Beep.  
Kai, who'd approached them, looked between the two in confusion:  
-Do you two know each other?  
Jayden nodded, removing his goggles from his eyes:  
-Yeah, he's my friend. One of my travelling companion. Kai Lionis meet TK-26, Tracker this a Kai Lionis, he's a Jedi that used to be a pirate.  
TK whistled a polite hello which caused Jayden to roll to his eyes. Kai gave a short nod, slightly bewildered by the turn of events. Jayden sighed and went to stand up when suddenly his legs buckled under him and he was saved from falling down only because TK had appeared at his side. Jayden raised a hand to his head, it was pounding like crazy and he was shaking. He hadn't noticed that before due to the adrenaline rush, but his body felt like lead and his vision was slightly hazy. Kai cast him a look of concern:  
-Are you alright?   
Jayden nodded, barely standing up with TK's help:  
-Yeah, just shock. Not sure why though..  
TK whistled a concerned query if he'd been feeling like this before. Jayden shook his head:  
-No, but then I was running on adrenaline. I think I'm just..tired... I'm fine.  
His headache was becoming worse and black spots were dancing in his eyes. He defines wasn't feeling well, but why? Jayden was about to speak when Kai beat him to it:  
-We need to keep moving. We don't know when the sandpeople will return.  
-That's a good call. We need to--  
TK cut him off by stating that they needed to find shelter for the night and that he, the idiot captain, needed to rest or he would be of no use to anyone. Jayden was about to protest when Kai agreed with TK:  
-You do look pale, kid, and you were shaking at the start of our ride. You sure you feel ok?  
Jayden's mind was hazy and his throat was starting to hurt. He forced himself to maintain at least a semblance of composure:  
-Maybe I am tired, but we need to keep moving, we'll lose time if I rest.  
Kai sighed as he climbed aboard his speeder again:  
-Yes, but if you don't rest you could end up dead. You don't look good. Besides we've covered a ton of ground already - you need to take a break and I could use one two.  
Jayden looked between TK and Kai, before acknowledging defeat:  
-I can't win this argument, can I?  
-Beep.  
-It's in your best interests, kid. So, TK, do you know a place where we can stay?  
-Beep. Dee-deen-whrit.  
TK pushed Jayden to his speeder, waited for him to climb up before igniting his boosters and taking off down the canyon path. Exchanging a shrug, Kai and Jayden followed him on their speeders. Jayden frowned as he fought to maintain control over his consciousness - what in the universe was going on? It couldn't just be shock, it was something else, but what? Jayden sighed: he hated being so weak.

==SW: LB==

Kai sat in front of a faintly crackling fire in a darkened cavern. He had no idea why the droid had had pieces of wood within itself and a flamethrower, but he was grateful. Sometimes it was better to just go with the flow. Kai cast a look over his shoulder to see the droid injecting something into the kid. They'd arrived in this cave about half an hour ago and a soon as he'd managed to step off the speeder the kid had collapsed. Kai and TK had been worried since the kid wouldn't respond to his name. He turned out to be running a really high fever and the droid had said something about this being the exact same way as "her". His sick partner probably, but how was her sickness affecting him? Was it contagious? The droid had said it wasn't.   
   TK-26, the droid, had turned out to be quite a unique one. In a way he reminded Kai of J2 (who he'd left back at druckenwell), but this odd droid of an unknown model seemed to be a lot more responsible if a little trigger-happy. Despite him grumbling about organics (which Kai had noticed he liked to do), he seemed to really care about this kid and perhaps his partner too. Apparently he'd been staying behind on their ship with the kid's partner, but when he realised he couldn't do anything and his sensors had picked up the elevated stress level of the kid he'd come rushing over all the way from Mos Eisely. If that wasn't loyalty and devotion from a droid, Kai wasn't sure what was. TK had also turned out to know some basic medicine since he'd gotten out a medpac to try and patch Jayden up a bit. He was definitely a weird droid, but one that Kai decided he would trust.  
  Sighing, Kai turned to the droid who was spreading out the kid's cloak over him as a blanket over his shivering form:  
-How is he?  
-Dee-ree-whop-blip-woo.  
-So no change?  
-Beep.  
-I see. You have any clue why he's like this?  
The silver droid buzzed something about the teenager being a complete and utter idiot as well as taking things too far. He paused for a moment before adding that there was a high possibility this was because of the Force Bond that he shared with his partner. Kai sighed and poked one of the rocks surrounding the fire with the toe of his boot:  
-It could be. Is this mysterious partner of his Force-sensitive?  
-Beep. Dee-beep.  
-"Very"? Huh. How in the galaxy did we miss not one, but two powerful Force-sensitives running about the galaxy?  
The droid remained silent, deciding to keep whatever he thought to himself. Kai drew his legs up to his chest, looking into the mesmerising flames. This was turning out to be one heck of a chase. Kai closed his eyes and took a deep breath, reaching into the Force to centre himself.  
    This galaxy was full of chaos, pain, hatred and deceit right now. It hurt to be in full contact with the Force right now. People died every few minutes and all because the Jedi hadn't seen this coming, all because the someone was manipulating the whole game. There was a Sith Lord, but who was he? It wasn't the man he was hunting, was it? Why was that man even after Alana? Kai knew she was gifted and there was that strange glow, but that couldn't be all, could it? Kai hoped Alana was ok wherever she was. She was strong, but she was young, trusting, naive and reckless. She needed people beside her to help her. He believed in her strength, but still he was worried. He really should have sent J2 with her.   
  Lost in his thoughts, Kai watched the fire and listened to the wind whistle outside their cavern. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't notice Jayden's Force presence flicker as it came in contact with another.

==SW: LB==

Jayden was standing in a completely white room wearing his current clothes but without the cloak. He looked around in confusion - what was going on? The last thing he remembered was struggling to hang onto the speeder as the world slid in and out of focus, he remembered making it to a cosy cave with his head swimming and lastly he remembered climbing off the speeder and then falling into what felt like an abyss. So where was he now? This definitely didn't look like Tatooine. What was this weird bout of illness doing to his mind and where had it come from? Dazed, Jayden muttered:  
-Where am I?  
A quiet and familiar voice supplied in an almost sing-song tone:  
-Well, I don't have a map, but I'd say we're somewhere in the middle of the Force. Or in our heads since you never know with this Bond. Personally, I favour the first option.  
Jayden froze. He knew that voice. What in the galaxy was going on here? Okay, so he must be unconscious from this weird illness bout and since he had been primarily focusing on her the whole day his mind had conjured up her. The real Alana was lying sick and dying in the Storm's Medbay, there was no way she'd risk her life to talk to him via the Force. Even she wasn't that stupidly reckless. At least he hoped so. The person who sounded like Alana spoke again, a tiny bit annoyed, but amused at the same time:  
-You do know, that not looking at me won't make me any less real, right?   
-You aren't real.  
-Right, because you know all, oh great and powerful Cap'n.   
Okay, so it was indeed her. Nobody else knew how much that particular nickname annoyed him and that sarcasm. Yep, definitely her. Jayden turned around with a tiny smile on his face to see the person who was indeed Alana smiling at him mischievously. She looked normal, healthy - like she always did or at least had before she'd fallen ill. Long-ish caramel brown hair, startling midnight blue eyes and a bright smile. She was dressed in her blue pjs with white embroidery on the bottoms of the pants and on her shoulders. The young Jedi raised one hand in a greeting:  
-Hi.  
Jayden raised an eyebrow, slowly getting over his shock at seeing her, his previous amusement returning:  
-Is that really all you have to say to me?  
Alana paused for a moment pondering before shrugging and adding:  
-I like your shirt?  
Jayden sighed and facepalmed, making the Jedi before him laugh quietly. Her vibrant dark blue eyes shone with amusement as she looked at him, that carefree smile back on her face. The smile that Jayden realised he hadn't seen since Bestine IV. Bestine IV was the last time he'd seen her happy and carefree even with all the craziness with Rrask that had occurred. After Bestine IV they had gone to Rodia which had broken her and forced her to take part in the war. He remembered her crying in the lobby of the Grand Protector's Guildhall while he tried to offer her some of his own strength by holding her as she let all the sorrow out. Tears didn't suit Alana Sheelan, however, smiles did. That was just the person she was. Jayden gave an over exaggerated sigh:  
-You're impossible.  
Alana grinned:  
-And yet you're friends with me anyway.  
-Somehow.  
-You know you like me.  
-Nope.   
-You do. Who else would bug you if not me?  
-The tin can?  
-Yeah, in binary, but that's no fun.  
-Maybe I like being called names in binary.  
-Ladies and gentlemen, we have found Jayden Callen's dark secret! He likes being called names in binary!  
-Hey! I didn't mean it like that, princess!  
She grinned teasingly, leaning her head to the side like she was the picture of innocence:  
-How did you mean it, hunter?  
-Are you serious?  
-Deadly.  
The wordplay had been meant in good humour, but it struck deeper than it should have. The smile faded from Jayden's face replaced by a somber expression and realisation dawned on her face. She clapped her hands over her mouth and quickly apologised:  
-Stars, Jayden, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to make fun of your efforts! Sorry!  
Jayden looked at her in confusion:  
-My efforts?  
-To save my life. You're probably going through a kinder version of hell out there, hot planets are evil.  
Jayden took a step forward with a strange expression on his face. Carefully he took Alana by her shoulders, making her look at him in confusion:  
-Uh, Jayden?  
-You still don't get it, do you?  
Green eyes bored into confused dark blue ones demandingly. Alana looked even more confused than before he'd spoken:  
-Get what?  
-Your life. It's not something to throw away and not care about so easily! I told you this back on Bestine IV! Alana, don't you care whether you live or die at all?  
A tense silence descended upon the pair as the Jedi averted her eyes, a pained look on her face. Jayden refused to look away from her, intent on getting an answer to his question. Finally, Alana sighed:  
-I'm not going to die,- she looked Jayden in the eyes, determined,- Do you hear me? I will not die. I will not put you in danger like that.   
-This isn't about me. Alana, do you want to live? Do you want to stay with us?  
Alana was silent as she contemplated his words. Alana had never been one to care about her own life too much that's why being reckless was natural to her. Sure, she didn't want to die and she wasn't suicidal, but somewhere deep down she wasn't sure why she was still alive. Something beneath the swirling clouds of amnesia in her mind had always whispered that this was wrong, she wasn't supposed to be alive. Alana hadn't payed attention to it either, but still. She'd been abandoned on uninhabited planet as a little girl with numerous wounds and amnesia, her relatives had never come looking for her - why wouldn't they? Surely, they wouldn't leave a child alone like that unless they wanted it gone and possibly dead? Alana cared about her Master and Emira deeply and she didn't want to make them sad so she did her best to keep the recklessness to a minimum, but inside? Inside, she didn't really care much whether she lived or died. Sure, she would miss her Master and she'd miss laughing with Emira that was natural, but that burning desire and that refusal to die had not existed. Death had always seemed a natural part of life to her. It was like a starship to the next great adventure that she would willingly get on when the time came. Alana Sheelan had never feared death, not even now. Though now, she didn't want to die. She wanted to live. She remembered that from her exploration of Aroko's temple - she did not want to die. She wanted to keep having fun with Jayden and TK even if it got them into potentially dangerous and life-threatening situations she was happy. She wanted to live. She refused to die. Alana smiled and finally looked up into the concerned eyes of Jayden Callen, the person who was risking his own life to save hers. Quietly, she whispered:  
-You want the truth?  
-Yes and nothing less.  
-Yes. I do want to live. I don't know when it came to that, but I don't want you and TK to forget me. As cheesy as this will sound - I want to keep being friends and having fun together. Sheesh, that even sounded cliche. I hate conforming to stereotypes and doing cliche stuff!  
Jayden laughed at her words, making her grin self-depreciatively. Maybe admitting this wasn't such a bad idea after all. Alana had no idea what made Jayden and TK different from Emira and her Master, but she cared about them enough to want to sat with them no matter what. They were the people who understood her like the others couldn't. Jayden was her best friend (though she was in no way ready to admit that!) who was there for her whether she was laughing or crying, TK was a droid who had saved their lives over and over and no matter what he'd always hold an important place in her heart. Alana shook herself inwardly - when in the universe did she get so sentimental? Well, what's done was done and Jayden looked happy with her answer. Speaking of Jayden...  
   Alana looked at Jayden sternly, locking her dark blue eyes on his bright green ones:  
-Hunter, you don't get to be a hypocrite.  
-Huh? I do care about my life.  
-Oh, really? Then tell me what's the status of the bond right now? How do you feel right now?!  
Jayden looked uncomfortable, giving Alana all the answers she needed. She sighed and took a step back, making Jayden let her go. Why was he such an idiot? Okay, so it was a trait they shared, but why didn't he realise that he was only endangering himself by keeping it open? Alana facepalmed:  
-Jayden, this is idiocy. Why don't you close the bond? You're slowly killing--  
-I'm fine.  
-yourself. Look at what's happened: you're experiencing my sickness right now because you won't close it!   
Jayden shook his head stubbornly:  
-No way. I'm not closing it. I can't.  
He took a step forward making Alana step back again. She needed to prove him wrong and she would. Alana glared at Jayden:  
-Yes, you can. It won't change anything. Jayden, this bond is killing you.  
-I can't close it.  
-Yes, you can and you know how. You have to.  
-No, I won't.  
-Why are you so damn stubborn?!  
-Look who's talking! Look this is my choice and I'm not closing the Bond.  
-You have to!   
-No, I don't. I'll be fine!  
-If you call dead fine then yes, you will be "fine"!  
Alana glared at Jayden and the Mandolorian glared back, refusing to do what she told him. He had his reasons! He wouldn't close it. Annoyed, he retorted:  
-Why do you care?! It doesn't matter! It's not like it affects you! So why do you care what I do?!  
Alana looked slightly hurt by the question, but she refused to break. Instead the young woman shot back:  
-I'm sorry?! Are you asking me why I care about your wellbeing?!  
Jayden locked eyes with her, firmly and calmly, with a tinge of coldness, he respected himself:  
-Yes. That's precisely what I'm asking you. It's not like--  
Alana cut across him right there:  
-You idiot! You utter idiot!  
She shoved him back a step, retreating another one herself, ending up with her back pressed up against a wall. Half furious, half upset she continued:  
-Jayden Callen, you are an utter idiot!   
-I think we've established--  
-Shut up! Just shut up and listen to me for once!  
She glared up at him and Jayden had no choice but to shut his mouth. Her hands were clenched into fists and they were trembling at her sides with fury:  
-Just this once try to get this through your sick Mando skull! I may be just your partner and we are not family, just two people who ended up with a Force Bond to you, but you must be an utter fool to ask me that question!   
-Why?  
-Why?! And you tell me I don't get things! Why do I care about your health?! Because your my best friend you idiotic Mandolorian fool! You are my BEST FRIEND and I won't let you lose your life for me because of this bond!   
She had shouted the last two sentences and Jayden had winced at the unexpected loud sound. He had never seen Alana blow up like that before, not even at Ventress or at him during their fight on the Storm. Right now, she was refusing to look at him, her face downcast and her head leaning down, her fringe hiding her eyes from his. Jayden was shocked speechless. She considered him her best friend? For some reason he hadn't seen that one coming. He wasn't sure what he should say or if he should even speak. He had hurt her again and all because he couldn't keep his temper under control and because he apparently did understand typical human norms. Unexpectedly, Alana barely audibly whispered:  
-Please, don't do this. Jayden, I beg you don't do this to me and to yourself. Please, I don't want to have the blood of another friend on my hands! Not again! Please!  
Her voice betrayed an immense pain, buried deep within her very soul. Jayden would have normally asked her what she meant by those words, but even he knew that now was not the time. Wordlessly, he took another step closer, closing most of the distance between them. He leaned against the wall with one hand and looked at her. Softly, he whispered her name:  
-Alana.  
Slowly, she lifted her head. Her dark blue eyes shone with pain, but no trace of tears were there thankfully. He sighed:  
-I'm sorry. I didn't mean that.  
She shook her head:  
-Jayden, I don't need your apologies because even if you didn't apologise I would forgive you. It's a flaw of mine perhaps. I'll always forgive you, no matter how you hurt me. I've done that before.   
Jayden hung his head in shame and closed his eyes. There it was again. That inherent kindness she had that he could never hope to accept. He didn't deserve it and he knew. Yes, she had her own darkness, but compared to her who could forgive so easily and so purely his heart was the definition of black. At the start he'd thought her too trusting, too naive, too lost in an illusion of a just world, but he was wrong. He was wrong and he admitted it. Yes, Alana was naive and  trusting, but she wasn't under an illusion of an unrealistic world. All she wanted was to see the good and cure the bad with that light and warmth she didn't know she carried. She was too hard on herself, too strict with herself, she never let the others take the blame and what's more she was brave to the point of foolishness. She was a good person no matter what she said. He didn't deserve her trust or her kindness. Barely audibly, he confessed:  
-I don't deserve it. Your forgiveness. I've hurt you and almost killed you so many times and even now--  
He was cut off when he felt a soft, warm, slender hand against his cheek. He refused to open his eyes - he couldn't bear the look her eyes held. The look that told him to stop beating himself up, that she believed that he was a good person and that he should know that he was too. She was wrong in that, he just couldn't tell her that. As quietly as he had spoken, but with a ringing intensity at the same time her voice sounded:  
-Yes, you do. Jayden, I think I can trust my judgement. I forgive you so just accept it, dummy. Look, Jayden, I don't want to lose you and at the rate you're going I will. You're my best friend and I worry about you, especially since I'm useless right now.  
Jayden finally opened his eyes to look her in the eyes. Her eyes and her mouth were smiling kindly. There was no pity in her eyes or uncertainty. This was the real Alana. Jayden knew she was right and her words resonated within his head. He felt torn. His inner conflict continued for a few moments before he sighed:  
-Alright, I admit defeat,  
-Then you'll do it?  
-Yes, you win, Alana. I'll close the bond so it won't affect me.   
Alana brushed her thumb tip against the skin of his cheek gently, smiling, before she removed her hand and nodded:  
-Thank you, Jayden. I--  
He suddenly interrupted her:  
-But you must promise me something.  
Alana looked confused, but nodded for him to go on:  
-Promise me that you'll stay alive. I'm not going to go running across half of this sandy torture planet just to be too late. No hopping on the dead train early, you hear me?  
Alana laughed and smiled:  
-Alright. I promise. I'll do my absolute best.   
-Good. You better not break your word.  
She raised an eyebrow:  
-Have I ever?  
-No, not to me at least.  
-There you go then.  
She smiled confidently, but smile seemed to have the opposite effect on her friend. Instead of reassuring him it only made him worry more. A traitorous little voice wondered whether this would be the last time he would see this smile. Before Jayden knew what he was doing, he pulled her to him and hugged her tightly. Alana was stunned for a moment before melting into the embrace. This was weird behaviour for Jayden, but if he needed a hug why should she say no? Besides he was very warm and very huggable. Not that she'd ever tell him that. Some part of her needed this hug just as much as he did.  
  Suddenly Alana's warm presence in his arms became an odd ghostly sensation and Jayden saw the dream-Force world begin to fade. He'd closed off the bond and it seemed his break was over. Alana stepped away and waved cheerfully:  
-Take care! Good luck, Jayden!  
-You too, Princess.  
The world faded from his eyes and was slowly replaced with the ceiling of a cave. He felt fine, in fact better than before, but he missed the bond. Determined, Jayden sat up suddenly, making Kai and TK whip around to look at him. Kai shot him a look of concern:  
-Kid, how are you feeling? Should you be sitting up?  
Jayden nodded, a confident grin on his face:  
-I actually feel fantastic. In fact I'm well enough to go find Jabba's palace now and find that Miracle Healer.  
Kai looked uncertain:  
-But you were just sick...  
Jayden grinned:  
-No, I was just being an "idiotic, thick-skulled, Mandolorian fool". Now let's get a move on.  
Jayden stood up, folding his cloak and placing it on his speeder. TK gave a cheerful whistle of agreement while Kai sighed:  
-I'm officially done trying to figure out teenagers.


	47. Chapter 45 - Tiptoe through the tunnel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'm back in the first month of spring. Yay, spring! For those if you who don't know my favourite season is spring - just another piece of my randomness (though it doesn't feel like spring over here :( ). So anyway my appraisal of the chapter is kind of wishy-washy. I mean it's not that bad, but it's not my best work - too choppy. Note time:  
> 1) I tried my best with this chapter and while it came out choppy it does shine a little more light on both Jayden and Kai. I hope I turned out ok since this was one of my qualms about sending them to Tatooine. There's too many pieces of Jayden's past scattered there, too many things that remind him of the past even if it wasn't on Tatooine.  
> 2) So Kai and Jayden are officially tricky to write even with their dynamic. I'm trying to tiptoe around the fact that they both know Alana because somehow neither of them seem willing to mention her by name. Oh well, more fun for me later.  
> 3) Writing this chapter also made realise how much I miss Alana and how hard it is to write without her in the story. Thank the stars, that'll be over soon enough. I think there's 2-3 chapters left until the end of Tatooine so strap in people.  
> 4)  As usual sorry for any missed typos or autocorrect. I was sick and now I have a mountain of schoolwork to catch up on so while I did proofread this may not be as thorough as it should have been.  
> 5) Enjoy! See you in the next one where stuff actually starts to happen!
> 
> P.S this chapter is over 13000 words long so that means things as usual for my readers on fanfiction dot net. See you all later!

=============== SW: LB =================  
Chapter 45 - Tiptoe through the tunnel

-We have to leave before the sandpeople return.  
-Agreed, but how?  
-We'll known when TK returns.  
Replied Jayden simply, gazing into the merrily flickering flames. Kai was seated across from him, supposedly meditating, but even Jayden could tell that it was in vain. The flames crackled once in a while, their dangerously enticing dance reflected in the young man's green eyes. Fire had always held an enchanting quality for Jayden, but now it seemed symbolic. It was as if the tongues of the flames ate away at the remaining time he had to save Alana, slowly yet steadily reducing it to nothing but ash. Jayden shut his eyes tightly and shook his head before opening them again. He didn't want to see this. Kai's voice brought him out of his musing:  
-You seem restless.  
-I am restless.  
-Why?  
-My partner is dying and I'm sitting around in a race against time. I'd say that's plenty reason to be restless.  
-Fair enough, though getting whipped up into a frenzy won't help so you could try and calm down. Give meditating a shot.  
Jayden shook his head at the advice:  
-Thanks, but no thanks.  
-Alright then,-Kai opened his eyes,-Let's try something else while we wait.  
The Mandolorian looked at the Jedi suspiciously:  
-And that is?  
-Me teaching you some basics of using the Force.  
Jayden's eyes widened in surprise:  
-Are you serious?  
-Completely. Are you up for it?  
Jayden hesitated. The only person who'd trained him and told him anything about the Force was Alana. She'd also been the one to drop the Force-sensitive bomb on him. She thought he hadn't noticed, but before she set about teaching him on Duro there had been a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes before it was annihilated by the flames of defiance. He'd only seen that precise type of uncertainty a handful of times on her, namely when she was about to break a more concrete rule of the Jedi Order. Jayden narrowed his eyes at the Jedi:  
-Isn't that against your orders rules or something?  
Kai gave him a look:  
-Kid, do you honestly think I do everything the Council tells me? If I did I'd probably be as stiff an emotionless as half of them and that's no way to live life. Jedi or no, everyone should enjoy life sometimes, besides I'm trying to help. So, are you game?  
Jayden paused for a moment before nodding:  
-Sure. What have I got to lose?  
-Good. So what exactly can you do with the Force right now? As in consciously.  
-Well, as far as I know I can sense and search for presences as well hide my presence within the Force. That's about it.   
Kai looked mildly surprised:  
-That's surprising. While sensing presences isn't that unusual, having the ability to hide your presence from the Force is fairly complex. Did you figure it out yourself?  
-No, I was taught.  
-By whom?  
The teenager hesitated for a moment before admitting:  
-My partner?  
-She was trained by someone in the ways of the Force?  
-Kinda. She says she's no expert though.  
-Hm.  
Kai could tell that the kid was hiding something, but he didn't push it. Everyone had something they'd rather not say. It was none of his business anyway. Kai focused on the task at hand:  
-How about we try to teach you how to levitate objects?  
-Could be handy.  
-You have no idea. Now listen up...

==SW:LB==

When TK landed beside the cave and rolled into it, he was by no means prepared to see the darkened cave alight with floating, burning embers of the still steadily burning fire. Jayden was sitting cross-legged, his hands clenched into fists and his expression one of extreme concentration, eyes closed. Kai, meanwhile, was working with a holographic map of Tatooine for one reason or another. So he had been teaching the idiot captain how to use the Force? Curious. The Pirate Jedi looked up suddenly and gave the droid emerging from the night landscape a lazy wave:  
-Hey. How'd patrolling go?   
TK tilted his head in a way that seemed almost confused before asking what in the galaxy they were doing. Kai shrugged:  
-Well, I'm examining the area and how to get to my destination from the Bantha plains while he's practicing. I've got to say the kid's a quick learner, he's on par with my student at how quick he picked this up.  
Jayden opened one eye:  
-Your student?  
-Padawan. It took her about forty five minutes of failing to do anything too, before she managed to do it somewhat, like you. Though you're better at following instructions. She likes to do things her own way, doesn't matter if it is connected with the Force or not.   
TK gave a cheerful chirp, adding in that his and Jayden's teammate was a lot like that too, never caring much for the proper way of getting things done. Kai smiled:  
-Well, maybe when this is all over, I could meet her?  
Jayden sighed and with a flick of his wrist sent the embers back into the fire before opening his eyes:  
-I'm not sure that's a very good idea. She and the Jedi are at odds currently, something about what she said.  
TK turned to Jayden and in a string of beeps asked if he was talking about "that" time. Jayden nodded silently. Kai looked between the two, raising his hands in surrender:  
-Hey, I'm not insisting, just curious.  
-We'll see. So, tracker, how'd patrolling go?  
-Beep-deet-whop-bzzt-reet-woo-twoo.  
Jayden frowned:  
-That sounds like they're amassing a raising party and a serious one by the looks of things.  
Kai looked a bit confused by the Mandolorian's tone:  
-And that warrants that frown because?  
Jayden's eyes snapped up to look at Kai, a serious expression on his face:  
-You've never been to Tatooine before have you?  
-No.  
-Then you need to know that this isn't typical Tusken behaviour. Sure, them gathering a raiding party is normal, but judging from where they were according to TK they're looking for us. That is not normal.   
-How come?  
Jayden pinched the bridge of his nose, with a sigh he explained:  
-While the sandpeople are protective over their territory they don't go looking for trespassers. They may chase you if you're on their territory and they see you, but nothing more than that. This behaviour is highly unusual for them.   
Kai crossed his arms over his chest:  
-And that means what for us?  
Jayden frown darkened so TK took it upon himself to explain that they were more or less cornered. They had only two options: fight or flight. Kai's facial expression turned thoughtful:  
-Say we take the fight option - what does that lead to?  
Jayden's voice was emotionless in his answer:  
-A full on massacre of the Tuskens and most probably our death.  
-Okay, bad idea. What about flight? As far as I see they have us cornered in this canyon.  
Jayden and the astromech exchanged a look before the human stood up and looked at one of the cavern walls:  
-Not exactly. There is another way out of beggar's canyon though it's risky.  
-It's better than flat out dying.  
Jayden gave a hum of disagreement and walked over to the wall. He ran one hand over it (much to Kai's confusion) before picking up a fallen stone and tracing a circle on the wall with it. He turned to TK and gestured to the barely visible circle:  
-Think you can detonate that with a grenade and not cave the entrance in?  
TK buzzed a negative, it was impossible for the entrance to hold up with the force of the blast. If he did this there would be no retreat even with the Jedi-Pirate and the Force. Jayden looked at Kai:  
-There is a way to avoid the Tuskens, but there is a high chance of it ending in our death.  
Kai walked over to stand next to him and looked down at their feet. The currents of the air... He looked at Jayden:  
-There's a tunnel there, isn't there?  
Jayden nodded:  
-Yes. I don't know who created it, but I do know where it leads. We're lucky TK chose this cavern.  
-You know this how?  
-I used it about ten years ago since then the rockfalls have erected a new wall, but I believe it's still usable. However, if we do blow the entrance open the entrance to the cave will collapse- there will be no retreat as TK said.  
Kai paused. This was a tricky decision: both courses of action could end in their death just in different ways, one more certain than the other. They could go out and face the Tuskens or they could try this tunnel. Kai looked up to see both of his companions looking at him expectantly:  
-Are you asking me to choose?  
-Beep.  
-Why?  
Jayden regarded Kai calmly:  
-It seems the logical choice. Look at it this way: TK and I will go in no matter what -we have a friend of ours to rescue, but using us as a diversion you can get away, leave beggar's canyon with minimum resistance.  
-You're suggesting I make a run for it and leave you behind?  
Jayden nodded:  
-Yes. That shouldn't be much of a problem, you hardly know us after all.  
Kai was silent for a moment before speaking:  
-Logically it is the most correct course of action, however, let me ask you a question: if you were in my place and your partner when you first met her was in yours, what would you do? Don't think about it, just answer.  
Jayden frowned, his first memories of Alana filling his mind. He had thought her brave, reckless, weird, stubborn, and foolishly naive. He had respected her loyalty and her determination even back then. If he and Alana were to take the roles Kai assigned to them now he'd go with her in a heartbeat, she was his partner and he would never leave her behind to save his own skin, but back then? He remembered accessing Alana's kyber memory crystal and he remembered running all through the city on Alderaan's moon before spotting her with the Rodians and TK (he hadn't even known the annoyance of a droid back then). Back then, in that very spot, Jayden had had the choice of fight or flight. He could have left just fine and he knew Alana wouldn't blame him since she had made it fairly clear that she had intended to leave on her own, but out of some sense of honour and, as foolish as this was, something akin to compassion he had stepped out into the light. He had chosen fight back then, even though he could have left with Alana and TK unwittingly creating a diversion, but somewhere inside Jayden knew that wasn't who he was. Even if she was a Jedi, even if she was nobody to him back then he had felt compelled to step in. Maybe this side of him would have made a decent Jedi had things turned out differently. Whatever the case Jayden knew that it didn't matter - he would have gone with Alana either way. Even if it hadn't been Alana, like if it had been TK for instance he would have gone with him. Jayden's thoughts were jumbled up, but he knew his answer. He sighed, looking at the green-eyed Jedi:  
-I would go with her, even back then. I did go with her back then. Leaving when you can help is dishonourable.  
Kai placed a hand onto his shoulder:  
-And you say you weren't cut out to be a Jedi. We may not have the code of honour you Mandolorian's do and we may have done some horrible things in the past, but we aren't all bad.  
Jayden averted his eyes, but his lips tugged up into a ghost of a smile:  
-Yes, you all seem intent on proving that to me. By the way, - Jayden gave Kai a suspicious look,- how'd you know I was Mandolorian? I never told you that.  
Kai smiled:  
-Ah, my friend, I'm not as absent-minded and oblivious as I lead people to believe. Relax, Shadow, I'm a former pirate myself - I don't think either of us would do each other any good by turning either of us in to the authorities.  
Jayden chuckled:  
-Alright, you had me, pirate Jedi. Good job figuring that one out.  
-Your shirt gave you away. You might want to hide that mark.  
Jayden shook his head:  
-No thanks, it's part of who I am.   
-A clan mark?  
-Yeah.  
-Strange that no one but Shadow sports it. You're the only one.  
Jayden turned away and began fastening on his cloak before quietly muttering:  
-Because there is no one else to wear it.  
The words took a moment to register in Kai's mind before it all clicked. As he looked at the back of the young man Kai felt respect and sadness well up within himself. That explained what he had meant when he had said that he'd done what he had to to survive. He was alone. Maybe he had some distant family, but his immediate family was gone, one with the Force. Kai didn't know what had happened, but something told him that the weight of Jayden's past was much heavier on his shoulders than it should be at seventeen years of age. This boy was an enigma. Born into nobility, force-sensitive but never taken to the temple, one of the most feared bounty hunters in the galaxy and yet still a kid. Kai wasn't sure there was anyone like him in the world. The look in his eyes, the look too old for him reminded him of the look Alana occasionally wore when she was deep in thought. The kid was similar to Alana in some aspects and yet not, it was confusing, but it somehow made sense to Kai. Jayden looked at Kai and TK:  
-So we doing this or what?  
Kai nodded:  
-Yes, we are.  
-TK?  
-Beep-boom!  
-Yes, yes, it's boom time. Kai, move your speeder to that wall and hide behind it, I'll do the same and that should shield us from the blast somewhat. TK, prep the charges.  
Both the droid and the Jedi nodded and rushed off to follow the Mandolorian's instructions, they all knew that time was working against them at this point. Meanwhile the Mandolorian ducked behind his own speeder and placed a tracer on the cavern wall beside it. Yes, he knew there would be no going back after this, but Jayden didn't want to be walking in circles. Perfect memory or no he could still get them lost. The small blue light on his wristpad blinked on and Jayden gave a short nod of his head in approval. A moment later Kai was right beside him, crouching behind his own speeder. The two men exchanged a glance before Jayden shouted to TK:  
-TK, it's KABOOM time!  
-Beep!  
The little droid sent the detonate command to the explosives he'd strapped to the wall per Jayden's instructions. A second later the sound explosions resounded throughout the cave and beyond. Warm air was blasted in the occupants faces and almost scorching heat enveloped them as the explosion ripped through the stone. The force of the blast was enough to slam all three against the other cavern wall behind them and to blow out the fire, their only source of light. There was also a deafening rumbling sound before the ceiling came crumbling down and soon enough the entrance to the cave was completely and utterly blocked. In the moment while the dust settled there was complete silence in the darkness, it was as if the world was moving in slow motion, quietly. Jayden's voice was the one that broke the silence:  
-Is everyone okay?  
-Beep.  
-A few bruises, but otherwise I'm fine. How's the tunnel entrance? Did it work?  
-Tracker, light, please?  
TK obliged and switched on his forward light, angling it towards the gaping hole that was now blown into the wall. As Jayden had said a tunnel lay behind it, just wide and tall enough for them all to walk single file. Kai and Jayden stood up to look at the tunnel entrance properly, the older man casting the younger one a look of respect:  
-It worked. You were right. Good job, kid.  
Jayden frowned as he walked over to the gap, muttering:  
-You may change your mind soon enough...  
Kai didn't hear him and if TK had he gave no sign of that. Jayden ran a hand over the jagged edges of the gap and beyond it, to the other side of the now nonexistent wall. He removed his fingers a moment later and frowned at the barely visible blue dust on them. Oh stars, he hoped he was wrong about this, because if his bad feeling was right they would end up in a whole heap of trouble. Jayden sighed and snapped on his goggles, switching the dial to night vision. Kai followed his cue and TK switched off his light. Crossing his arms, Jayden instructed their little group:  
-Okay, let's go. TK you go in back, can you key the speeders to yourself?   
-Beep. Blip-tzz.  
-Great. Kai, you and I'll go in front. Keep your eyes and Jedi Force stuff alert.  
-Roger that.  
Jayden nodded in approval before taking the first step into the darkened tunnel. He had never hoped to be more wrong than he was now....

==SW: LB==

Jayden, Kai and TK had been moving through the tunnel for at least half an hour when the silence was finally broken by Kai, who couldn't stand the combination of the darkness and the silence any longer - it reminded him of a certain incident on Geonosis that had occurred during his padawan days. Kai shuddered at the memory and decided to talk to the kid to get his mind off it:  
-So, how'd you know about this tunnel, kid?  
Jayden started a bit at being addressed after a long period of silence, but recovered quickly enough:  
-I used to use this tunnel with my friends back when I lived on this dustball. It has three entrances or exits, depending how you approach them. The first is Beggar's Canyon, the second leads to the Bantha plains where we're headed and the third used to lead to a certain camp, maybe it's an outpost now - I really couldn't care less since I'm not going near that place ever again. Anyway, we should be careful - it's been years since I've been here and a lot of things could have changed.  
-Time does tend to do that.  
-That's not exactly what I meant.   
Jayden's voice trailed off as he unexpectedly crouched down and ran a finger along the tunnel floor. He brought it up again to see it covered in what looked like blue-grey dust. Apparently that meant nothing good since Jayden's frown only darkened. Kai hesitated for a moment before his curiosity and his uneasiness got the best of him, making him come over. He leaned down to see what the kid was looking at, but couldn't really make head or tail of it though it obviously meant something to the younger man. Still frowning, the Mandolorian called out:  
-Hey, tracker, come over here for a second.  
TK gave a confused string of whirrs and chirps, but complied. Jayden held out his hand to the droid:  
-What do you make of this stuff?  
TK reached out one much smaller appendage and swiped across the surface of the human's fingers, taking a sample and running the dust through his analysis systems. The bounty hunter and the Jedi turned to look at the droid when he suddenly gave a confused and frustrated set of beeps and whistles. Kai nodded at Jayden:  
-I didn't make that out quickly enough, what did he say?  
-TK said that for some reason his system can't find a match quickly enough.  
As if on cue the aforementioned droid chimed in:  
-Beep-dreet-dee-dwop-bzzt!  
-So you're going to keep trying?  
-Beep! Tee-twoo-deet!  
Jayden smiled and patted the droid's domed head as he stood back up:  
-Sure, keep trying, tracker.  
-Beep-dwot!  
-Ugh, you're impossible. I won't try to be nice again.  
The droid retorted with something Kai didn't even bother deciphering as he watching the bounty hunter and the droid bicker. He wasn't even sure if they were being serious about it. The thing with those two was, as Kai had discovered, you could never say for certain. Rolling his eyes, the bounty hunter broke off his verbal match with the droid and turned to the Jedi:  
-We should keep moving. It's not wise to stay in one spot.  
Kai frowned at his words:  
-You think something could live down here?  
In the darkness of the tunnel Kai could barely make out the teen's facial expression, but if he could the look he carried would have chilled him to the bone. Jayden's voice was careful and quiet as he answered:  
\- I certainly hope not, for all our sakes.  
-Why?  
Kai heard the kid sigh:  
-Because if the behaviour of the sandpeople is any indication then nothing good awaits us. And just as it was with the sandpeople the situation may prove hard to handle.  
There were a few moments of silence before Kai finally spoke:  
-Then we best hope my intuition is wrong. Let's keep moving.  
-Agreed.   
And the small trio continued their path through the tunnel in relative silence. Jayden made sure to keep his mind focused strictly on the task at hand and that was leading them out onto the Bantha Plains. Kai had said he was headed there too so this was convenient for both of them, even if they weren't the best of company for each other. To be perfectly honest, Jayden had nothing against the Jedi, in a way he liked him even, but his identity as Shadow made this entire situation much more dangerous. As a bounty hunter and as a person in general Jayden had made more than his fair share of enemies and quite a few had even put out a bounty on him, but they had all hired pathetic goons or mediocre mercenaries - nothing he couldn't take care of without too much effort. However, this time things were different - Jayden had crossed the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic with his little assassination attempt and apparently the Chancellor had taken it personal, he had gone as far as to make the Jedi be on the look out for him and if Jayden had learned anything from spending time with Alana it was that Force-users weren't something to take lightly, be they Jedi or Sith Ghosts. Jayden shuddered at the memory of Karness Murr - that had not been one of his better trips to Corellia. The thing with Jedi was that there were few of them that wouldn't obey the orders of the Chancellor if the High Jedi Council didn't object and if what Alana's Hapan friend had said was true then they couldn't object - so in the end the Jedi had to obey the Order and turn Shadow in. A wry smile ghosted across Jayden's lips as he realised he should actually be grateful to the Chancellor for telling them to bring him in alive and not kill him on sight. Few people were foolishly brave enough to ignore the Chancellor's orders and lie to the High Jedi Council outright just because of a sense of loyalty to their friend which was all the more reason for Jayden to be cautious. He knew Kai had promised not to turn him in as he was a former pirate himself, but something nagged at Jayden, warning him to be careful, telling that there was a possibility Kai hadn't heard of the Chancellor's orders yet. What was a Jedi like him doing so far out in the galaxy anyway? On a backwater like Tatooine no less? It was odd even by Jayden's standards, which was saying something considering the life he'd been leading lately. Jayden hesitated for a few moments, conflicted at how to approach the topic before bluntly blurting his query out:  
-What are you doing here?  
Kai raised an eyebrow at the teen's unexpected question, confused:  
-I'm following you out of the tunnel?  
-I mean what are you doing on Tatooine? Aren't the Jedi spread thin as they are with the war?   
Kai raised a hand to scratch the back of his head as he tried to find the best way to respond to the kid's question. He had to admit it was a logical question, but what had prompted it? What went on in that kid's head? Kai sighed:  
-That's a long story.  
-Well, you're pretty much stuck with me until we get out of this tunnel which won't be anytime too soon.  
Kai cast the bounty hunter a look:  
-You're going to be stubborn about this, aren't you?  
-Oh, absolutely.  
-Ugh, fine. Long story short there's this Sith Lord roaming about the galaxy and I and a certain highly respected individual think that he may be responsible for starting this blasted war in the first place as well as committing a number of other crimes against all  beings in this galaxy. I'm on a mission to find him and the last trail led me here. That's why I'm on Tatooine.  
Jayden's expression grew thoughtful and serious as he listened to the Jedi Knight speak. Somehow this all seemed a little too familiar to  the younger man, like he'd heard this before. His mind flashed back to when he'd caught a glimpse of a man in a black cloak aboard the Atlantida before he quickly dismissed the notion. He couldn't be the Sith Lord Kai was tracking, because if he was and combined with what Alana had learned on Bestine IV... well, this would make this man Alana's Master and that was just too much of a coincidence to be possible. So, yeah, it seemed that there were now at least two Sith Lords running rampant across the galaxy. What fun. Jayden's thoughts consumed him so fully that he didn't even notice that he was walking into a wall at a crossroads, thankfully he was saved from that by Kai who had grabbed him by the shoulder. Jayden blinked rapidly, snapping into reality abruptly:  
-Thanks.  
-Don't mention it. It seems the tunnel is splitting in two. Which way do we go? I seem to recall you saying that the tunnel had three exit or entrance points. Which path leads to Bantha Plains?  
Jayden looked between the two diverging paths, a conflicted expression on his face. He knew that realistically one of these tunnels led to a place he would rather avoid at all costs while another would lead to the Bantha Plains, but to him it seemed like one path led back to his past while another lay towards the future. Whichever path he chose the outcome would be significant. Jayden sighed and unexpectedly sank down to the ground, leaning against the tunnel wall. Kai cast him a slightly bewildered, but concerned look:  
-Are you alright?  
There was a short pause before Jayden quietly whispered:  
-I'm not sure I remember anymore.   
Kai sat down across from him while TK came to stop a little behind them. He gave a surprised little buzz, stating that he thought it was impossible for the idiot captain to forget anything. Jayden jerked his shoulders uncertainly while giving a short nod:  
-Yes, I can't forget anything like this, but I think this time I just don't want to remember.   
-But we need you to remember? What's stopping you from doing it?  
-Beep?  
Jayden brought his legs closer to his chest and leaned his head against his knees, wrapping his arms around them. He was silent for a few moments before speaking:  
-I'm just so tired.  
-We can take a break if you want.  
Jayden shook his head, his face still hidden from anyone's view. Kai ran a hand through his hair, perplexed:  
-Then what should we do? We can try one path and double back if it's the wrong one.  
A new voice cut across them from the darkness, male and speaking in accented Basic:  
-That'd be a bad idea. The master's in a mighty bad mood, trespassers.  
Jayden's head jerked up at the sound of that voice, his face reflecting his immense shock. He sprang to his feet as if struck by lightning and turned to the source of the voice. Kai followed him up, instinctually unhooking his lightsaber from his belt while TK switched on his light and shone it in the direction of a newcomer. Jayden removed the goggles  from his eyes, deactivating night vision to see a young man standing in the left entryway. He was dark-skinned and dressed in clothes that seemed to made out of a coarse sand-coloured material, his hair was dark in colour, long and pulled back into a short ponytail at the back of his head, dark brown eyes and a collar was placed around neck. Jayden wore a look of disbelief mixed with shock, he took a cautious step forward:  
-Das?  
The Korunnai smiled and raised a hand in greeting:  
-It's been a long time, Jayden.

==SW: LB==

TK and Kai sat next to a fire in a larger cavern to which the young man named Das had led them, he had called it his hideout. Both the man and the droid took turn casting glances at Jayden and Das who were engaged in a tense, but quiet conversation. Kai had noticed the Force-suppression collar around the other man's neck, but chose not to comment on it. Who in the galaxy knew what history Jayden and Das had between them, besides he'd rather not bring up anything unnecessary. Still, it was unusual to see a Korunnai all the way in the outer rim, so far from their homeworld of Haruun Kal. The Korunnai or the Korun were a race of dark-skinned men and women who were also impervious to poison and all extremely Force-sensitive, other than that they were genetically human. Kai personally only knew one Korun - Master Mace Windu of the Jedi Order. At least a dozen questions swirled about in Kai's mind, but something told him he wouldn't get an answer to any of them.  
    Meanwhile Das and Jayden were standing side by side, leaning against a cavern wall. A calm silence lay between them, a nice change of pace from the tense conversation they'd been having earlier. Das was the first to speak:  
-Look, Jayden, let's just not talk about back then, ok? I doubt either of us would be happy with it. My life is mine and your life is yours. Deal?  
Jayden looked unhappy at his words, but sighed and nodded:  
-Deal.  
-Good. How have you been by the way? Seen the whole galaxy yet?  
Jayden chuckled at the mention of a dare Das had once set for him. He shook his head:  
-Sorry, but not yet. Not sure if that's humanly possible.  
-Mm, maybe. I guess I wasn't thinking clearly when I posed that dare to you.  
-You were eight and I was six, right?  
-Yeah. It's been ten nearly eleven years, huh?  
-It's not that hard to believe though. We've both changed.  
-You way more than me though. Don't take this the wrong way, but you seem darker somehow. No offence.  
Jayden sighed and shrugged:  
-None taken - it's the truth, after all. I've seen a lot over the past decade and I've changed a lot. I go by Shadow now in the galaxy by the way.  
Das stared at him, trying to link what he knew of Shadow to what he knew of Jayden Callen. It didn't really fit, but he could see by the look in Jayden's eyes that it was the pure truth. So the little boy he had been friends had grown in to one of the galaxy's most feared bounty hunters, one that even he, a slave on the outer rim, knew. Das sighed:  
-Is that so... It's kind of hard to believe. I wonder what happened to the kindhearted little boy I once knew?  
Jayden averted his eyes as he muttered:  
-He's probably dead somewhere.   
Das shook his head:  
-Hm, not sure about that. I think he's just hibernating. Waiting for the sun to come out again and warm his heart.  
Jayden's lips tugged up into a wry smile:  
-You haven't changed, Das. As optimistic as ever.  
-You'll also find that my bravery levels haven't changed.  
-So you're still a scaredy-sandcat. A stubborn fool too.  
-Yeah, well, I'm not you.  
-I though we'd established that already?  
-Just reiterating the fact.  
There was a lull in the conversation before Das quietly inquired:  
-Why are you here, Jayden? Last I heard you'd left Tatooine. Why come back?  
-It wasn't by choice, I assure you,-realising how rude that sounded Jayden added,-No offence, Das.  
-None taken and I don't doubt it. That's why I find it odd that you'd return here.  
-I had little choice in the matter. A close friend of mine is sick and we need to find the Miracle Healer. Droydi and Llen said that she'd been dragged off to Jabba's but I'm not sure if that's true.  
Das unexpectedly nodded in confirmation of the Jawa's words:  
-Oh, she's there alright. She's gotten into a heap of trouble from what I hear.  
Jayden's eyes widened in surprise and suddenly he was fully alert, giving Das his utmost attention:  
-Are you absolutely certain she's there?  
Das was a little surprised by Jayden's urgent tone, but he nodded his head anyway:  
-Uh, yeah. Saw her when I had to run an errand to Jabba's yesterday.   
-So she's there. Das, do you still remember which tunnel leads to the Bantha Plains?  
Das gave the Mandolorian a "duh" look:  
-Obviously. It's the one next to this one. The left path.  
-Thank you. It seems we need to keep moving.  
Das straightened up along with Jayden and held out a hand to Jayden with a small smile:  
-I had a feeling you'd say that. It was nice to see you again, Jayden, even if it was for a short while.   
-Sorry we can't stay, Das, but--  
-Your friend, I know. Make sure you get to her in time, okay?  
Jayden gave determined nod and shook Das's hand in farewell before walking over to Kai and TK and telling them that they had to continue moving. Das watched the small trio get moving again with a small, fond smile on his face. Jayden Callen had really grown up. Barely audibly Das muttered:  
-What'd you know? I was right after all. That little boy is still inside you, Jayden, and I'm sure he'll come back sooner or later.

==SW: LB==

-So you're certain the person you're looking for is at Jabba's?  
Kai shouted after Jayden as they zoomed through the tunnel on their speeders. The Mandolorian, who was flying ahead of him, gave a short nod:  
-Yeah, Das confirmed it. We need to get there as soon as possible.  
-Do you have a plan?  
-Nope, I'm making it up as I go along.  
-That could get you killed.  
-Eh, something tells me I'll get lucky.  
-So you're following your gut?  
-It hasn't steered me wrong yet.  
-Teenagers are impossible.  
Jayden merely chuckled in response to the Jedi's exasperated last statement. It was funny how adults forgot that they'd been young too once. However something told Jayden that his mentality wasn't the mentality of a typical 17 year old, but then again he'd never associated with typical 17 year olds so he didn't really know. He had a few friends in the Mandolorian remnant and of course there was Ordo who was the same age as him, but none of them were normal teenagers. This war had forced them to mature faster than they should have. Jayden wondered how his parents would have reacted to this fact had they still been alive, he doubted they would be happy. He knew that he wouldn't be happy if his child would be forced into this kind of lifestyle, he'd probably be worried sick. Jayden shook his head at his own thoughts - what the heck was wrong with him? Now was not the time to get lost in philosophical ruminations and whatnot . He had to get to a certain slug's palace, get the Miracle Healer and get back to the Storm as soon as possible.  
     Suddenly, the more or less narrow tunnel became wider and a few moments later Jayden found himself inside a circular, wide, hollowed out space. Jayden's intuition and the Force screamed danger at him so the the young man didn't hesitate to slam on the brakes and stop before he was in too deep. Jayden remembered there being a big hollowed out room-like space in the tunnel, but it was usually lit up by a strange light that came from bellow the sand. Jayden and Das had often wondered what it was when they'd sneak out at night and meet up to play in this particular tunnel. Now that light was gone and for some reason Jayden didn't like that fact. Something here was definitely off. Kai, who'd come in to the opening after the kid, cast him a quizzical look to which Jayden responded by placing a finger in front of his lips, asking Kai to be quiet. Catching onto the fact that something was wrong, Kai nodded. Slowly, Jayden climbed off his speeder bike and quietly walked over to the wall that was closest to them. He crouched down and ran his hand over the bottom of the wall before sniffing it, much to Kai's confusion. Then the kid fumbled with his belt before pulling out a small cylindrical object. He thumbed a switch on the object and suddenly a tiny flame burst into life from the tip. Nodding in approval, Jayden brought the flame to the wall and for a second nothing changed before a fire burst into place and spread around the whole room in a circle. Kai's pale green eyes widened with realisation- there had been oil spread around the room and when it came in contact with the flame it lit up and since the stone was surrounded by inflammable sand the flame was contained. Clever person whoever had come up with it. Jayden walked back over to his speeder and to Kai's surprise pushed it back into the darkness of the tunnel. Frowning, the Jedi followed his lead. As he climbed off his speeder, he whispered:  
-The flame circle, that was a good idea.  
Jayden nodded:  
-Das had the idea to build a back up light source, I came up with the technicalities.  
-Wow, that's impressive. How old were you?  
-Six.  
Kai's eyes widened in surprise:  
-You came up with such an idea as a six year old?  
Jayden shrugged:  
-I never had the right mentality for my age, besides there wasn't anything difficult. Oil and flame react and create fire, sand can put fire out so it can be used to contain it. Simple, really.  
-I know, but at 6 years old... Are you a genius of some sort?  
Jayden snorted:  
-Nope, I just take advantage of my surroundings. Now, where'd that tin can get off to? I swear he was right behind us.  
As if on cue a string of frustrated beeps and whirrs came from behind them. Upon seeing the droid in question, Jayden nodded and glanced back into the circular room. Now, with the light from the flames, you could see a large dark mass in centre of the room, but it was still hard to make out what it was exactly. And it also seemed that Jayden was the only one who had even noticed it. He turned to TK, a serious expression on his face:  
-Have you finished analysing that dust sample?  
The droid chirped an affirmative before explaining that the sample had been contaminated by something he could not identify and it seemed that had also mutated the cellular structure somewhat. In the end he had managed to identify this as the skin a Woodoo had shed although it was mutated. Kai suddenly heard Jayden inhale sharply:  
-Oh no...  
-What's wrong?  
The Mandolorian frowned:  
-I had hoped I was wrong, but it seems that hope was futile. Kai, can you sense anything weird about that room? Through the Force I mean.  
Kai frowned and concentrated, reaching into the Force. At first there was nothing before a cold and painful feeling hit him with such force that it caused him to physically stumble back and quickly come back to reality. The Dark side's presence in that room was incredibly potent and somehow ancient at the same time - something in that room had connections to the Dark Side. The Jedi knight turned to the bounty hunter and have a curt nod, confirming the latter's suspicions:  
-The Dark Side, it's reach is strong in there. I don't understand how I didn't notice this before.  
-Is it possible for it to be hidden?  
-Not unless the being is sentient and it can hide it's presence or mask it.  
-Then that means you just weren't searching for it.  
-No, that's not it. I was definitely keeping a close watch for any Force presences.  
-Then could someone have hid it?  
Kai pondered over the question for a moment before nodding slowly, thoughtful:  
-It's possible, but that someone would have to be incredibly powerful in the Force. They'd have to mask the darkness with a subtler presence or somehow hide it. I have no clue how to do it obviously.  
Unexpectedly, Jayden snapped his fingers and point at Kai:  
-Your Sith!  
-That's certainly possible and the Shock Drum was buried--  
-Beep-deep-woo-blip!  
-Are you certain it was right here, tracker?  
-Beep! Bzzt-boop.  
-Alright, alright, no need to get angry, tin can. Just what is the Shock Drum, Pirate Jedi?  
Kai sighed and rubbed his chin thoughtfully, closing his eyes and  searching for the best way to explain it. Damn it, he was no good with this history stuff - he'd always left it to Alana. Well, he probably had always relied a little much on his padawan. Suddenly, an old conversation they'd had popped up in his mind.  
   A 12 year old Alana raced towards him, as fast as her still really short legs would carry her. She was grinning from ear to ear and she was clutching a datapad to her chest, her long caramel-brown braid swinging almost violently behind her. She was calling out to him:  
-Master! Master, look!  
She came to a skidding halt before him and held out the datapad. Raising an eyebrow, Kai took it and scanned the contents of what was displayed on the screen. Five different files were pulled up. Kai looked from the datapad to his beaming padawan. He sighed, handing the datapad back to her:  
-Okay, Alana, what is this stuff? What's the "Desolator", the "Shock Drum", the "Death Mark Laser" and the "Power Guard"?  
Alana took the datapad back from her Master and looked up at him with wide, confused, midnight blue eyes:  
-But, Master, don't you know this stuff already? You're an adult, aren't you?   
Kai sighed and crouched down to be on eye level with the very short little girl:  
-Look, Alana, just because I'm a grown up that doesn't mean I know everything.  
-But you're a knight! And this is basic galactic history knowledge! I mean this is the story of the Hero of Tython!  
Kai blinked in confusion:  
-The Hero of what?  
-Tython. You know, that legendary Jedi Knight?  
-Alana, I have no idea who that is.  
Alana's confused expression changed to a sad one. Noticing that, Kai inwardly started to panic. Oblivious to her Master's inner turmoil, Alana mumbled:  
-But why? He was an important part of history... How can you forget him? It's not nice to be forgotten! It's sad and it's lonely, and it's really, real painful! He shouldn't be forgotten!  
-It was a he?  
-Uh-huh. He was a great knight, really cool and his crew was really awesome too. I love reading the chronicles of his adventures. Apart from the knight himself my favourite crew members are Lord Scourge and Kira Carsen. They were both super-duper cool. I'd love to have met them. Oh and T7 was a very interesting droid too. You know, when I grow up I want to have adventures just like he did and have my very own crew! We'd be great friends and we'd fly all around the galaxy! We'd help so many people! It would never ever be boring!  
Kai heaved a sigh: he had no clue what she was talking about, but at least she wasn't upset anymore. He stood up. Glancing at his enthusiastic padawan, Kai asked:  
-Did you learn this in class?  
Alana shook her head:  
-Nuh-uh, I looked this up myself. I mean Master Ferok did mention the Hero of Tython and the Barsenthor, but he didn't have time to elaborate on their stories. That's kinda sad, I wish the others could read about him too! I bet they'd have fun!  
-Um, Alana, I'm not sure everyone enjoys history as much as you do.  
Alana leaned her head to the side, curious and confused:  
-But why not? It's really interesting.  
-Well...I don't enjoy history that much and I'm not sure why.  
-Hm, that's confusing. It's a very peculiar conundrum.  
-"Conundrum"? Alana, are you reading a dictionary on top of the whole archives?  
His padawan, who'd been pacing, looked up:  
-Hm? No, why?  
-Ugh, nevermind.  
-Oh, okay.  
Kai shook his head at her attitude: he would never understand his student. She was certainly twelve, but her speech and her outward looks were definitely at odds with that fact. Alana was the height of a five maybe six year old, but sometimes the sheer depth of her vocabulary stunned Kai to the point of rendering him speechless. His student was anything, but ordinary. Suddenly, Kai turned to Alana again:  
-Hey, Alana, why'd you show me those superweapons?  
-Oh, that. I was going to ask you if any of them still existed.  
-Why?  
-Because if a bad guy ever appeared you'd have to know what he'd target, right? Well, these weapons are linked so he might go after them in a chain.  
Kai frowned, for once understanding her logic:  
-Yes, that's true, but the Sith have been extinct for ages and I doubt anyone wants to start a new galactic war.  
-I was just curious. Maybe you should read this, Master.  
-Huh?! Why?  
-Who knows, Master, maybe you'll find yourself scouring the galaxy for these weapons.  
Kai blinked in surprise- that was not what he'd been expecting Alana to say. Oddly enough a strange sensation passed through the Force as soon as she spoke her words. Kai frowned: well, that was mildly disturbing. His gut was also telling him that his padawan may well be right. Alana looked up at him, faking an innocent look:  
-Do you want to read it?  
-Um, yes. If you don't mind.  
-Sure! Here you go! I've got to run and catch up to Kira and Emira, they're waiting for me! See you later, Master! Oh, and I'll be quizzing you on this so read up! Bye!  
With those words his energetic padawan shoved the datapad into his hands before sprinting off. Kai sighed and looked down at the object in his hands. Under his breath, he mumbled:  
-Well, I guess it couldn't hurt. Let's see... I'll start with this "Shock Drum", whatever it is.  
Kai's eyes snapped open as all the information about the superweapons came flooding back. He'd really have to thank Alana later. Hm, she hadn't know how right she'd been. And this! This was the missing link he'd been looking for - the link between the strange objects that had been stolen on Alderaan and here! These were weapons that the Hero of Tython had taken out back during the Cold War! Well, even when she wasn't there the memory of her sure seemed to save his hide. Kai turned to the Mandolorian and explained:  
-The Shock Drum is a superweapon. It was created by the Republic over 3000 years ago and it was shut down and buried here on Tatooine. The Shock Drum is a device that generates intense ultrasonic vibrations that disable all droids and other technology in an ever-widening circle with the Shock Drum at it's epicentre. It's vibrations become more powerful the longer it is left on and in time these vibrations cause massive groundquakes, damage and death to organic life by literally vibrating the molecules apart. The range of the device is planetary. The device was meant to be used against the Sith Empire in the Cold War, but it turned out to be unstable - given time and continued usage the Shock Drum would destabilise the core of the planet and the planet would shatter apart, becoming nothing but pieces of debris. It would basically explode from within. The Shock Drum project was shut down by the Jedi Order and the Hero of Tython buried it here on Tatooine. We thought it was safe.  
Jayden had a dark frown on his face and his arms were crossed over his chest. He glanced into the room as he spoke:  
-Well, obviously you thought wrong. You think your Sith stole it?  
-I'm fairly certain of that. I have people who saw him take it off-planet.  
-That's problematic. However, how is the Shock Drum connected to the Dark Side? It's just a device.  
Kai sighed:  
-Well, for one thing it was used by a True Sith to nearly kill a Jedi Master, for another the object contained a kyber crystal within it and those are highly Force-attuned so given the devices nature it could have become connected to the Dark Side. Given time the dark side's reach would spread from it's roots and it would slowly engulf this whole area, corrupting even living beings and twisting them.  
-So mutation is possible?  
-Beep!  
Jayden didn't even bother to question how the droid knew that and looked back at the dark mass in the middle of the hollowed out space that had suddenly grown a neck and was looking around, making snapping sounds:  
-Then it must have corrupted that Woodoo.  
-Ok, what exactly is a Woodooo?  
TK explained that it was a reptilian like carnivorous bird that was usually no bigger than a meter and a half tall and while it was nearly flightless it could run really fast and it had a deadly beak. Apparently the idiot captain thought that they would be the mutated Woodoo's next lunch. Kai looked at the Mandolorian who was studying their adversary:  
-Are you two serious?  
-Unfortunately.  
-So what do we do?  
-We kill it.  
-What?!  
Jayden, no, that dark presence looked at Kai coldly. Shadow sighed:  
-Do you have a better idea, Jedi?  
-No, but... Should we kill it?   
-It'll kill us. Look, I'm going in and I'm going to take care of that bird. On Tatooine as well as in this galaxy - it's kill or be killed, remember that.   
Kai hesitated before nodding:  
-Alright. I don't like this, but fine. Let's go.  
The trio exchanged a look before pulling out their weapons. Shadow pulled out his twin custom blasters, TK revealed his impressive arsenal of weapons and Kai ignited his own blue lightsaber with a familiar snap-hiss. As if they had practiced this many times the three of them charged at the enemy straight away in perfect synch. Sensing the attackers, the mutated bird woke up and unsteadily got to its feet. Shadow huffed when he saw how big the mutated thing was - it was easily half the size of the Crimson Storm. Kai seemed to be thinking along the same lines:  
-That thing's massive!  
-Beep! Dee-beep.  
-I know, but we have to take it down. Tracker, keep it distracted. Jedi, you and I are going in for the kill. Watch our for it's--  
Shadow didn't get to finish his sentence because the next sentence the Woodoo gave a nightly flap of it's wings, causing Kai and Shadow to get blown back into the walls. TK had been lucky enough to escape. Getting back up, Shadow finished:  
-Yeah, that and its beak attack. This thing will eat us alive easily.  
-Got it. I take the head, you take the legs.  
-It's a plan,-Shadow raised his voice a bit,-Tracker?  
-Beep! Deep-doop!  
Kai shook the sand out of his hair and like Jayden he too removed his goggles:  
-Should I be worried that that droid is so enthusiastic?  
Shadow momentarily switched back to Jayden who shook his head, shrugging:  
-Eh, he's always like this. Let him have his fun. Come on, we've got a job to do.  
Turning serious, Kai nodded and rushed off to do his part. Shadow watched him jump onto the Woodoo's back and struggle to stay on. In a foolish move, the Jedi swiped at the Woodoo's left wing, only angering it more. Shadow shook himself inwardly: this was no time to stand around staring into space. He rushed headfirst into the battle.  
     Shadow ducked under the Woodoo's mighty wing attack, refusing to be caught off guard by the same trick again. He had to roll on the sand, but he managed to reach it's underbelly. Without hesitating, the bounty hunter placed six accurate shots at the top of the legs, at the knees and at what humans would call ankles. The mutated creature's legs gave in and Shadow barely managed to escape being crushed only to be snapped at with the predator's beak looming dangerously close. As he dodged, Shadow shouted:  
-I thought you had the head under control!  
-It's a work in progress. Good job on the legs! I've managed to take one wing out of commission so far.  
From up above a certain astromech reminded them that this was really not the time for congratulatory remarks. Shadow nodded and sent a shot at the dark side beast's head, but it missed as the Woodoo located the attackers and with lightning speed snapped it's head towards him. The next action was one that neither Shadow nor his two companions had seen coming - the mutated beats got to it's legs, beat it's wings once again knocking off Kai and sending TK flying as well, before snatching up Shadow and gulping him down. Kai and TK could only watch on in horror.   
   Kai quickly got to his feet and raced at the creature that had just swallowed their companion whole. They had to get him out! Kai exchanged a look with the astromech (well, as much as that was possible) and nodded. They understood what needed to be done without words. TK sent two well, placed shots at the crazed bird's eyes while Kai stabbed his lightsaber through the bird's legs, causing it to screech in pain and fall back down. Kai backflipped away from under the bird, avoiding getting crushed. He leaped at the bird's head while TK was distracted and was about to cut it's head off when suddenly the dark sided beast blew up from the inside and both TK and Kai were once again blown back by the sheer force of the blast. When both TK and Kai managed for right themselves again they saw the culprit standing in the middle of the blood and body pieces, covered in blood from head to toe, but still alive with a handful of detonator pins in one hand and an empty ammo strap in another. Kai could only stare. He didn't know too many people who had managed to survive being eaten alive by a crazy dark sided bird as wells as the blasts of at least twelve frag grenades and lived to tell the tale. That kid's luck was crazy! And he was officially... Kai hesitated unexpectedly even for himself. As he saw the kid grinning and high-fiving TK who was actually praising him (which was an unexpected event in itself!), Kai was reminded of his own student. She often grinned just like that after accomplishing ancrazy and reckless feat. He had often thought of her as slightly insane and chaotic, but she was in truth just creative like that. Kai shook his head - Alana and this kid were so alike in some ways and so different in others. She'd probably like him if she met him. Well, Force-willing perhaps their paths would intersect. Sighing to himself, Kai approached the kid:  
-You doing ok?  
-Well, considering I was just eaten alive, the fact that I just survived 14 frag grenade explosions and the fact that I'm drenched in mutated Woodoo blood, I'd say I'm splendid!  
Kai snorted at that before bursting out laughing. Yep, this kid was just like Alana. They were in a league of their own. Kai knew grown men that would be shaking after such an experience, but here he was grinning as if he had just won the galactic pazaak tournament. Well, all's well that ends well as the saying went, Kai could accept this outcome. Chuckling, Kai deactivated his lightsaber and clipped it back onto his belt:  
-Next time, try not to show me up so badly, ok?  
-No promises.  
-I should have known. We better get moving, huh?  
Jayden, who had reverted back to himself at this point, raised an eyebrow at the Jedi's words:  
-Didn't you want to investigate this place, because of the Shock Drum and whatnot?  
Kai shook his head:  
-No, I've already found my link. I remembered it while we were talking. I really owe it all to my student.  
-What do you mean?  
-Well, if not for her curiosity and her obsession with history I doubt I would know what I do now. She actually predicted this may happen, that I may have to search the galaxy for these weapons. She predicted it four, nearly five years ago.  
-Seriously?  
-Yes. She's good that way,-Kai smiled and quietly added, almost to himself,-I hope her dream comes true someday. It's a childish dream in a way, but a good one.   
Jayden sighed and merely shook his head. Everyone had their own memories and judging by the look on the Jedi Knight's face he treasured this one. Jayden glanced down at his outfit and shrugged. He took off his cloak, his facemask and ammo strap before walking over and feeding them to the fire. TK asked him what he was doing to which Jayden replied:  
-Well, there's no use for them now. They're soaked with blood.   
-You're completely soaked in blood.  
-Well, I'm just getting rid of what I can right now.  
-But since your Shadow, if others see your face... and at Jabba's palace no less...  
-It'll be problematic, but it's better than being drenched in blood and gore. I'm a mess as it is. I'll figure something out.  
Unexpectedly TK piped up and in a somewhat smug tone whistled that he would take care of it. Jayden raised an eyebrow, causing the droid to repeat himself. The pilot shrugged and raised his hands up in surrender. He knew better than to argue with TK when he was being obstinate like this. Maybe the tin can would actually come up with something decent. Jayden walked over to his speeder with Kai following:  
-We should hurry, Pirate Jedi.  
-Agreed. Let's hope we have no more surprise guests along the way.  
-That's for certain. I'm a little tired of surprises at this point.  
-Beep!  
-Hey! You were a surprise yourself, tracker!  
-Beep! Whop-whop!  
-Whatever, let's go.

==SW: LB==

After about two more hours of speeder riding and occasionally walking, Jayden was beginning to feel thoroughly exhausted. Exhausted, but definitely not bored. Kai Lionis, ever his slightly eccentric self, had begun regaling them with stories of his misadventures as a pirate. Jayden rolled his eyes inwardly at his own thoughts. "Regaling"? He was really losing his mind then. Well, to be perfectly honest it was to be expected. He was riding a speeder bike through a damp, dark, old tunnel which had been carved up into odd widths not too long ago (courtesy of the crazy, Shook Drum-stealing Sith Lord), he was drenched in mutated Woodoo blood and he was listening to an ex-pirate Jedi talk about his adventures while the tin can was playing some new kind of pop song that was popular on the holonet. And he was acting like this was an everyday thing. Yep, he was officially losing his mind. Kai, meanwhile, was telling them about the time he and his crew had chased out a crime gang of ugnaughts hoarding fuel on Malastare, using only the ventilation and smoke grenades. Kai was a very enthusiastic storyteller:  
-...And so Myra came up with idea to shape the smoke like a kraut dragon and while they acted it out I had fun playing around with the sound effects. It was a lot like a play, you know? We staged it all, but the cheating bastards didn't know that. So Krayyi the smoke dragon did the trick. Oh and my infiltrators created some panic by  shouting about some "great legendary smoke dragon that had risen from the dead to consume their souls!" or something like that.  
-And they bought it?  
-Yeah, hook, line and sinker. Strange things happen on Malastare so it's no wonder. It was easy to fool them.   
-Well, yeah, having been to Malastare I'd definitely say that's it one of the creepier planets in the galaxy. Ugh, tin can, can you turn that off please?  
-Bee-whop?  
-Because it's annoying! What are you a preteen girl with a crush on a holonet pop star?  
-Beep-swop-deet-blwoo!  
-How is that song educational?!  
TK retorted by saying that Jayden just didn't understand the complexities of the heart in response to which the Mandolorian fired back with his own sharp words. In short, a fight broke out - as usual. That's when Kai noticed something - the tunnel, it was coming to an end. However, the long awaited exit was covered by a mountain of rocks. Another rockfall, Kai barely repressed a groan. The universe was really going out of it's way to make this trip difficult, wasn't it? Sighing tiredly, Kai sharply cut across his two bickering companions:  
-Stop! Look, we have a problem.  
That seemed to do the trick. Both the human and the droid stopped arguing instantly and turned to look towards the end of the tunnel. The pilot couldn't hold back a sigh while the droid gave an annoyed buzz. This was definitely a problem. Jayden ran a hand through his messy dark hair:  
-This is bad.  
-Why can't life be easy?!  
-Because it wouldn't be fun otherwise!  
Kai merely shook his head in exasperation. He didn't notice the pained expression that had hung like a shadow over Jayden's face for a second before vanishing the next. Understanding the idiot captain's inner turmoil, TK gave a reassuring whistle. Jayden showed him a small thankful smile in answer. Kai meanwhile looked thoughtful:  
-So what do we do? Blow it open again?  
-Dee-bzzt. Blip-deet-dwoo.  
-The tin can's right: we can't blow it open - there'll be no point. We'll just cause another cave in. So how do we...  
Jayden trailed off, looked at the cave in thoughtfully. Unexpectedly TK chirped two words: Rodia fight. Kai threw the droid a confused look, but Jayden instantly understood. The bounty hunter turned to the Jedi:  
-Hey, Pirate Jedi, think you can carve an exit with your lightsaber?   
Kai cast a sceptical look at the rockfall, but got off his speeder nevertheless, unclipping his lightsaber. The Jedi approached the rockfall and ignited his blue blade. His face coloured in a blue hue by the light it gave off, he turned to the pair behind him:  
-I can certainly give this a shot, but we're taking a big risk here. If the wall turns out to be too thick this tunnel system could collapse entirely because of my interference. I mean this tunnel is old and with all the sand on top as well as the stones? I could very well end up burying us alive down here.  
Jayden sighed:  
-I know. And the thing hauling the shock drum out of here certainly didn't help the tunnel's stability. He also destroyed the trapdoor that existed here by the looks of things. So we--  
-Beep! Deet-reet-bee-wheet! Ree-beep!  
Jayden was cut off by TK's excited beeping. Kai shut off his lightsaber and raised an eyebrow:  
-What's he saying?  
Confused, Jayden translated:  
-He says he's found an exit out of here that won't require organics to squabble over it. Though he says he's not exactly sure where it leads.   
TK gave an affirmative beep, before using one of his mechanical "hands" to shove a strangely shaped part of the wall into place. Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet began to rumble and the wall on which TK had pressed something slid apart, revealing another tunnel lit with oddly shaped lanterns. Kai gaped while Jayden frowned and ran his fingers over a symbol that was on the odd tunnel wall. He nodded to himself before turning to his companions:  
-Well, congratulations, tracker. It seems you've found a hidden tunnel leading straight to Jabba's palace.   
-The Hutt's?!  
TK whistled an affirmative, explaining that he had recognised it as an old Huttese symbol for entrance. Jayden nodded in confirmation:  
-He's right. And this is the symbol of the Hutt Clan so I'd say I'm 90% certain this is a passageway to Jabba's palace. I mean who else would have this mark here?  
Kai rubbed his brow tiredly.  He could almost feel a headache coming on:  
-Okay, so at the risk of sounding like an idiot I'm going to ask - how in the Galaxy do you know all this?  
Jayden and TK exchanged an incredulous look before chorusing in Basic and binary respectively:  
-It's basic knowledge of Tatooine!  
Kai raised his hands up in surrender. He really should leave this stuff to them from here on out. Where was Alana when he needed her?

==SW: LB==

-Something tells me this is a bad idea.  
Kai whispered as they walked along the Hutt passageway. It was wide enough to allow Kai and Jayden to walk side by side while TK brought up the rear with the speeders on remote control behind him. The passageway was dry, apparently made of sandstone and lit up with odd looking lanterns. While the light was a welcome change from the perpetual oppressive darkness of the tunnel that even night vision could not alleviate, Jayden shuddered to think what powered them. Hutts weren't known for their kindness. Hearing Kai whisper, Jayden replied in a hushed voice:  
-Do you have a better idea? We all agreed that this was better than risking collapsing the tunnel. Plus this is faster.   
-True, but unless the rumours are wrong Jabba's about as nice to intruders as a hungry Wampa is. Or is he the nicest slug in the world?  
Jayden snorted:  
-Nope, the rumours are right on that account. That's why we're sneaking in through a secret entrance.  
-This is a horrible plan.  
-Oh, loosen up, Jedi. Go with the flow. Weren't you a pirate?   
-I was, but I know a bad idea when I see one.   
-We don't exactly have a better one. We need to get to Jabba's palace and this is the best way for now.  
-Ugh, fine, but don't blame me if Jabba rips our heads off.  
Jayden laughed:  
-Oh no, he won't rip our heads off.  
TK cheerfully supplied that he'd feed them to the Rancor or the Sarlaac instead. Kai facepalmed and groaned:  
-That doesn't sound much better!  
Jayden shrugged:  
-Well, look at it this way - at least it's one of the two. Personally I favour the Rancor. A quick death is preferable.  
-A painful one you mean?  
-Hey, it's better than being slowly digested for a thousand years in my opinion.  
Kai grimaced:  
-Yeesh, that's horrible. Reminds me of the time my padawan and I were nearly fed to some spider queen by some tribesmen on Felucia all because of a misunderstanding. Thank the stars, for my padawan's obsession with history and learning. We'd be goners otherwise.   
Kai shuddered at the memory. He had something akin to a phobia of huge spiders since then while Alana just had a intense dislike for bugs. She really had saved their lives back then by remembering the formation of the Felucian culture and explaining to them quietly clearly, in their own native terms that this was a all a big mistake. With a pang Kai realised once again just how much he missed having her around all the time. Yes, she was in her teenage years and she was sarcastic, reckless and impatient, but she had an innate ability to make people smile and to make them worry about her. She was brave to point of foolishness, she was very reckless, very trusting and perhaps somewhat naive. Though naive probably wasn't the right word. It had been a month and a half ago, but he still remembered the smile on her face clearly. He wondered where she was now, how she was doing. The last message he'd received from the council was that she had been on Rodia and while she had located the youngling she was unsuccessful in her task there. Kai had to wonder what exactly "unsuccessful" meant, because if something had happened to the child on her watch... We'll, Kai had a feeling it would crush his student. She got attached too easily, a trait that he'd slowly been trying to weaken. It wasn't just because of the Order's rules about detachment, it was because becoming attached so easily made it much easier for people to hurt you, to betray you. In a way it was odd how easily she became attached given the fact that she'd been abandoned, but maybe she was one of those people that clung to any shred of warmth they could find. Kai just hoped she was okay.  
   Meanwhile TK chortled, gloating gleefully that as a droid he didn't have to worry about such petty stuff as being eaten alive. Kai facepalmed whilenJayden grinned, an odd glint in his eyes:  
-That's true, but you know that if we get caught you'll have to serve Jabba, right? He'll fit you with a restraining bolt and maybe you'll be a server droid on his Sail Barge. Oh and he'll definitely take away all your weapons. You'll have a new Master and who knows how long fat slugs like him live... That sound fun, hm?  
TK gave a terrified whistle and abruptly rolled back, stopping just short of crashing into the speeders. He gave a defiant chirp, warbling that he'd rather be melted down than let that happen. Jayden cast him a look:  
-Then we better not get caught. Shh!  
Jayden suddenly shushed them, pressing a finger to his lips. He looked up to see some filtered light streaming through the grate that was part of the ceiling. Jayden's lips curled up into a confident smile: they'd reached their target after less than half an hour of walking. Now they definitely had to be careful. Despite his lighthearted answers to the Jedi, Jayden knew how serious of a problem they'd find themselves in if they were caught sneaking in and drenched in blood as he was... Well, saying that he was noticeable would be a big understatement. Jayden turned to TK and whispered:  
-Hey, tracker, give me a boost.  
TK gave an annoyed twitter, but did as he was asked. Jayden unsteadily climbed up onto the droid and carefully removed the grate-cover. As quietly as possible, he set it aside and flashed a thumbs up to Kai who nodded in response. Jayden took a deep breath before jumping and managing to hold on by his elbows. A moment later Jayden easily pulled himself up and made a "wait" motion to Kai and TK. He looked around and was relieved to find that the speeder maintenance room was empty so far. Breathing a sigh of relief, Jayden was about to tell Kai and TK to come up when suddenly a Bothan entered the room. Jayden cursed inwardly and ducked down behind a speeder, pretending to be working on it. The Bothan looked at him suspiciously:  
-Who are you and what are you doing in here?  
Jayden made a confused and innocent face:  
-What? Oh, hi, I'm Jorey. I'm new here. Sorry, just couldn't wait to get to work.  
The Bothan raised an eyebrow before shrugging:  
-Jorey, eh? Well, it's nice to see someone so young so enthusiastic about work. All we have here are slackers normally. What happened to you by the way?  
Jayden made a face:  
-Oh, um, cooling fluid leak. Some dolt poured paint into the mix. The engine could have exploded!  
-Ah, that happens 'round here. Well, you'll get used to it soon enough.   
-Sure hope so, Boss.  
The Bothan looked mildly impressed before grinning:  
-Boss, huh? Well, I could get used to being called that finally. Heh, keep up the great work, kiddo. Oh and I'm going to get myself some caf, be back in an hour or two. If you decide to take a break activate C1-K2 over there, okay?  
-Roger that.  
The Bothan shook his head and walked out of the garage, chuckling to himself. As soon as the doors slid closed behind him Jayden heaved a sigh of relief. He hoped he'd been convincing enough. Man, that had been a weak performance. Alda would so scold him, but then again he had to think on the spot so that could probably save him some of her ire. Jayden glanced down into the tunnel:  
-You two okay?  
TK warbled an affirmative before activating his boosters and jetting out of there. Kai nodded and jumped up, somehow miraculously managing to grab onto the ledge. As he pulled himself up, Kai remarked:  
-That was some really good acting, considering you had to make up something right away. Guess your knowledge of speeders came in handy, huh?  
Jayden shrugged as he carefully replaced the grate:  
-Hey, in this life any experience no matter how useless it seems always comes in useful.  
-You mean for bounty hunting?  
-I mean for survival. Damn it, I really need to get a change of clothes and to wash up. I can't talk to Jabba like this.  
Kai glanced at his chrono:  
-Well, considering the fact that it's only 6 am GST, I think we have some time before the Hutt wakes up. Come on, let's go find my man.  
Jayden and TK exchanged an incredulous look as they followed Kai out of the garage:  
-You have someone here?!  
-Yeah, a former crewmate. Ironically enough, his name is Jorey Maserande. Now come on.  
Jayden shrugged, deciding to let the pirate-jedi take the lead here. Kai navigated through the Hutt's palace fairly easily, utilising the blueprints he had memorised back in the cave which Xan had lent him. Xan really had thought of nearly everything. He was the best first mate a pirate captain could ask for. Kai poked his head into the throne room first to check out the scene. He was glad to find all the inhabitants asleep and he was also glad that it was just as easy to spot am orange-skinned zabrak named Jorey, who was posing as one of Jabba's mercenaries. If the info he got from Xan was correct he was calling himself the "Red Blade". Jorey had always chosen peculiar aliases for himself. Kai looked back at Jayden and TK, pressing a finger to his lips. Jayden nodded and TK gave a quiet affirmative whistle. Exchanging one last look with the kid, Kai tiptoed into the throne room with Jayden and TK following as quietly as possible. As far as Kai could tell the Mandolorian was definitely better at it than the droid was. As soon as they were close enough Kai proceeded to wake up Jorey. It was a good thing he remembered how since the kid was dead to the world otherwise. Grinning slightly to himself, Kai pinched the zabrak's nostrils shut, causing him to jerk awake with a start. Thankfully, Jayden had caught on fast enough to clamp a hand over their victim's mouth. Giving the bounty hunter a grateful look, Kai turned to grin and Jorey:  
-Hey, Jorey. Long time no see.  
The zabrak sprung to his feet, his brown eyes wide:  
-C-captain?! Is that really you?!  
-In the flesh. How have you been? Xan tells me you've been playing spy games again.  
Instead of speaking the zabrak unexpectedly pulled his captain into a tight hug. Kai laughed quietly, patting the former informant of his pirate crew in the back. Jorey stepped back a moment later, grinning from ear to ear:  
-Captain, it's so good to see you again. Seems like you're in a mess again. Lawman or not I guess trouble still follows you?  
-Yeah, its persistent that way, like a horrible ex-girlfriend from the past.  
-Ah, there's that simile. I was waiting for it. So how can I help you and your companions, captain?  
-Well, for one you could tell us where we could get some rest and when the Hutt,-Kai jerked a thumb over his shoulder,-wakes up?  
-Oh, Jabba? It's gonna be another,-Jorey checked his chrono,- six hours minimum before he wakes up. You two look exhausted.  
Jayden shrugged:  
-It's been a long day.  
Kai nodded in agreement:  
-The kid's right, we really could use a break.  
-Sure, no problem. Seeing as I'm one of his great mercs I have quarters here. You three can take a break there if you want?  
Kai yawned:  
-That's the best news I've heard all day. Lead the way, Jors.  
The zabrak beamed at the nickname and nodded. As they followed him down the corridor, Jayden could feel the adrenaline in his veins fading and slowly the exhaustion setting in. Shadow or not, his body was human biology and he was still only seventeen. His body needed sleep and he knew he couldn't keep this up for long. He still had him mission, but seeing as Jabba was asleep now there was no use. If one woke the Hutt, well... Jayden had seen what happened and it was not pretty. He'd find the Miracle Healer soon, but not now. Now he would get some rest as his partner had instructed him to. It had been one heck of stay on Tatooine so far, but something told Jayden that the surprises were far from over...


	48. Chapter 46 - Shadow, the Medic and The Slug of Tatooine

Hi, everyone! I'm back and way sooner than I expected to be. Seems like I just couldn't stop writing this one. This is actually one of the chapter's I'm proud of since it was a tricky one to write, but I managed to tie everything together nicely in my opinion. Oh, also apologies if I didn't reply to anyone's comment or review last time - my network was glitching out, but it's all fine now. Note time (you all know you love them XD):  
1) Okay, so as opposed to what I said last time this chapter is the one before the last. There's just not that much left to do, seeing as how my characters decided to go a different route.  
2) Lots of Huttese here, but have no fear the translations are right beside the words.  
3) For those of you who've missed Palps and his scheming this chapter should remedy that.  
4) typos and apologies. Need I say more?  
5) As usual - Enjoy! See you next time with a probably wobbly, but a slightly plot turning leaving chapter!

11000+ words people. Fanfiction dot net readers, you know the drill. Stay awesome!  
=========SW:LB=============

 

Chapter 46 - Shadow, The Medic and The Slug of Tatooine

Jayden slowly awoke to the sound of his comlink beeping, disturbing his much needed rest. Groaning, Jayden cracked open his eyelids and thumbed the answer button:  
-Yes?  
-Hey, kid, you might want to get up soon. Seems like Jabba's waking up.  
At the mention of the Hutt Jayden's eyes snapped wide open and he sat up abruptly. Wincing at the sense of vertigo, Jayden swung his legs off the sofa on which he had been sleeping and slid his feet back into his boots, replying:  
-Alright, I should be there in a bit.  
-Good. Oh and you do remember that your clothes are drenched in blood, right?  
-Kriff, I forgot. Okay, it may take me a little longer, but I'll be there.  
Jayden responded, running a hand through his dark hair. Kai acknowledged his answer before signing off and ending the transmission. Jayden rubbed his eyes before stretching. He felt a lot better now, sleeping for a couple of hours had certainly done the trick. In fact he couldn't remember the last time he had slept so well: no memories, no nightmares, nothing at all, just blackness. He looked around the room, memories of the events that had preceded this moment replaying in his mind. The quarters to which Kai's crewmate had shown them truly lived up to Hutt accommodation standards: in two words it could be describes as lavish and opulent. Or as close to those words as possible since this was after all Tatooine. The room was lit by some artificial lighting - odd yellow-coloured stones that glowed (most probably an import from somewhere), while the blazing Tatooine sunlight was prevented from entering by heavy wine-coloured curtains. The quarters were painted in a rich burgundy colour rimmed with gold, on the walls of which brownish-red banners with the Hutt crest hung, shifting lightly with the movement of the air that the fan overhead created. The quarters could be split into three rooms: a living room, a bedroom and a 'fresher. The living room (where Jayden was currently located) was furnished with two high backed sofas of a dull-ish pink-red colour (Jabba's favourite colour in Jayden's opinion) with a low wood table between them, a holoterminal, as well as a few odd statues and tablets that Jayden couldn't make head or tail of. The bedroom contained a large bed with thin sheets, a large closet, one of those large glowing crystals, a banner and a dark gold mini statue of Jabba the Hutt. Calling Jabba vain, while highly inadvisable, was completely accurate. The last room was the 'fresher which was just that - a refresher. Jayden's mental cataloging of the room was interrupted by a loud greeting from TK coupled with the customary insult:  
-Beep-Deep-reet-whop!  
Jayden raised a hand in greeting, running the other hand through his sleep-tousled, jet black hair:  
-Hello to you too, tin can. What's the time?  
TK cheerfully chirped that it was just past 11:30 am. Jayden nodded absently, his mind still reeling from the realisation that a full day had passed since he had left Alana behind on the Crimson Storm. Alana! Jayden jolted as though struck by lightning at the reminder of his partner's critical state. He tried to reach out through the bond to check on her out of habit, only to find it blocked from his end. Recalling what she had had him do, Jayden cursed softly under his breath and turned to TK:  
-Hey, tracker, are you still monitoring Alana's life signs?  
-Beep. Dee-dwoo?  
-How is she?  
TK gave a low, sad whistle, telling Jayden all that he needed to know. Jayden sighed, burying his face in his hands, bracing his elbows against his knees:  
-I've got to hurry. How long do we have left?  
TK warbled that by his estimates they had half a day left, give or take a few hours. Raising his head, Jayden balled one of his hands up into a fist. He wouldn't lose her. He wouldn't let death claim yet another person he was slowly growing close to! He wouldn't! Not again! He didn't give a damn about Fate's or the Force's will - he wouldn't let Alana die and that was final. He refused to fail. Jayden opened his mouth to ask TK how the search of the palace for the Miracle Healer was going when he saw that the droid was dragging a crate on repulsor lifts after him. Regarding the astromech with extreme suspicion, Jayden cautiously asked:  
-What's in that crate?  
TK cheerfully whistled that it was a special express delivery from one of his contacts for the idiot captain, courtesy of him. He also added the reminder that he had promised to take care of it. "Take care of what?" - was the question Jayden desperately wanted to ask, but instead he stood up and walked over to the crate. He pressed the button on the lid to undo the magnetic seal and lifted the lid off the crate. Jayden's brows shot up to his forehead in surprise. His lips parted to silently form the words "No way". Jayden turned to stare at a very smug-looking TK. He wasn't really sure how droids could look smug, but the walking trash can certainly did. Jayden only managed one word:  
-How?  
TK whistled that he had his ways and this was one of the reasons organics were foolish to underestimate him. Jayden mutely nodded and looked back down into the crate. The bounty hunter couldn't quite believe his eyes. In the crate, under a black cloth lay his armour, Shadow's armour as well as the thin clothes he wore underneath- a black t-shirt and trousers. TK urged the human to hurry as time was indeed ticking. Jayden nodded and, grabbing his under armour clothes, retreated into the refresher.   
Jayden was about to quickly get out of his clothes and take a short shower when he caught sight of his face in the mirror. He couldn't help but wince at the way he looked: he was in a sorry state to say the least. His face was smeared with dried blood and dirt, there was a bruise blooming on the left side of his face, he had cuts on his forehead and neck while his hair was in matter clumps, peppered with blood and sand. And judging by the way the rest of his body felt it wasn't in a much better state. Jayden's lips tugged up into a wry smile as he imagined Alana's reaction to seeing him like this. She'd probably stare up at him, ask him why in the universe he looked like he'd fought a tornado and a wampa at the same time before telling him to go clean up, all the while worrying about it. He missed her. Shaking his head at himself, Jayden proceeded with his earlier plans to take a shower.  
About 10 minutes later Jayden came out of the refresher, looking much more like a human being and less like a nightmarish, zombie-like sand monster. As he quickly strapped on his armour on autopilot, he asked:  
-Did you find the Miracle Healer by any chance?  
-Beep. Dee-reet-blip.  
-She's in the throne room?! Okay, that's bad.   
-Beep.  
TK trilled an agreement and slammed the lid on the now empty crate to emphasise. Jayden slid his mask on and instantly it seemed as though the room had gone cold. Shadow was back on the stage.

==SW: LB==

Risha Zyran was normally an optimistic person, trying to see the silver lining in any situation but even she couldn't really see anything good in this particular instance. Risha was currently being shoved to stand in front of Jabba the Hutt - the unofficial ruler of Tatooine and a truly despicable slug. She was surrounded by a swarm of beings leering at her and she was most likely about to be sentenced to death or worse, however Risha didn't feel the least bit intimidated. She didn't care whether Jabba was a crime lord or not, she wasn't about to let herself get bullied into submission, you don't live on Tatooine for two years without growing some sort of backbone. Risha's violet eyes burned with anger as she glared at the Hutt who was currently biting the head off a gorg (his favourite snack) and slobbering all over himself in the process. Risha wrinkled her nose in disgust, creasing her bright red skin. The young togruta glanced down at her feet to see herself standing on an iron part of the floor with numerous square holes in it, in all honestly it looked like an innocent little grate, but Risha knew better. She, like all the inhabitants of Tatooine, had heard numerous stories of the Hutt gangster dropping people into a Rancor pit which was rumoured to be located right under the throne room and if Risha's suspicions were correct she was standing right on top of a trapdoor that led there. Frowning, the young togruta struggled against the binders keeping her hands locked together. Maybe she could slip away while Jabba was having his morning snack? She instantly dismissed the thought: there was no way she could do that with all those beings watching her. Damn, she was an idiot for letting her guard down and getting caught! She just hoped Shuxta, her Tusken student, was okay. Risha sighed: she still couldn't believe she had gotten caught by two morons after a year of evading capture and now, it seemed, she had to face the music or in this specific case Jabba's wrinkled, slimy face. Gulping the rest of his gorg snack down whole, Jabba finally chose to speak:  
-Ho! Ho! Ho! Jee tweepi gee uba, kaae Kehopua Pihog! [T:Ho! Ho! Ho! I finally have you, little Miracle Healer!]  
The togruta narrowed her eyes at the Hutt, defiant:  
-Uba cha gee mi, Yih! Dobra mah chamy cahtana. [T:You don't have me, Hutt! I'm my own person.]  
A sort of hushed whispering broke out through the throne room as soon as the words had left her mouth. Jabba, however, wasn't fazed at all. If anything he was amused by her show of defiance, it just made it more enjoyable for him:  
-Da caiot doube uonza, Pihog. [T:That could soon change, Healer.]  
-Jee gee cueiauee chateua! [T: I'd rather die!]  
-Da caiot banpop doth bahonha. Uba doth koutoze bai pankhobatkoy mi, kaae chik. Tah planeetoan heee chakee doth mah mazauonba! [T: That could also be arranged. You were foolish to defy me, little girl. This planet and those beyond are my kingdom!]  
Risha rolled her eyes at the Hutt's boast:   
-Saptkhe, heoi pee da doth hee hecaseu! Dobra tee bo see mee cis, Yih! haku ne tytung vehpobaee ? Woy Fortuna wata nan pha bai uba maee? Koochoo. [T: Right, because that's so terrifying ! I'm not one of your puppets, Hutt! What's this all about anyway? Did Fortuna here come crying to you again? Idiot.]  
Risha knew that she being stupid, that she was digging herself into a hole and that perhaps annoying the Hutt was not the best idea right now, but her patience had reached it's limit. Not that she had much patience for Jabba the Hutt to begin with. Her words, however, seemed to only amuse Jabba more:  
-Ho! Ho! Ho! Koutoze dotkola. [T: Ho! Ho! Ho! Foolish being.]  
As if on cue the whole room erupted in laughter. Making the togruta shudder. It was a cacophony of sounds that made Risha's head throb. Sometimes she hated that her montrails were so accurate. An especially obnoxious laugh was coming form Jabba's pet Kowakian monkey-lizard, Salacious Crumb. A fitting name for such a repulsive creature. Speaking of the vile monster, he had jumped onto Risha's head and had started swinging from her montrails and lekku, causing his victim quite a bit of pain. She couldn't suppress the brief expression of discomfort which only made the Hutt laugh harder. Annoyed and frustrated, Risha snapped:  
-Hi chuba da naga doi mi, Yih?! [T: What do you want from me, Hutt?!]  
Jabba turned his sickly orange eyes towards her and rumbled:  
-Jee cha paknee ata dan bai camai moocha doi mi, bmaleoi whao la paknee bo dee Desilijic hhayaha.Jee banag bu Teshe Shopa cahua uba moocha bata an Jee banag fa ateema, chik! [T: I do not take kindly to people stealing from me, especially if they steall one of the Desilijic treasures. I want the Black Krayt Dragon pearl you stole back and I want it now, girl!]  
Bib Fortuna, an especially pale twi'lek man, stepped forward with outstretched hand, mumbling something quietly. Risha suddenly had an idea, most probably an idiotic one, but, hey, at this point she'd take what she could get:  
-Tee, Meecooda tee ree tee yoieu kaa doptkee cay heee. Bahiy tee hoohah an Jee hatkocanha kon bu cahua bata bai mee ukhicmaka cis. [T: Well, I can't very well get anything out with these binders. Unlock them and I'll hand the pearl back to your pasty sock puppet there.]  
Jabba shook his head (well, as much as he could), evidently seeing right through her and making the poor twi'lek laying beside him tremble. He drawled:  
-Dobra tee koutoze biweoo bai doth koudanwohola bacaka da, kaae Pihog! Toupee mah bahietka-en peee uba doth t'chuta fa an goo hatkocanh hhaia fa che mi. [T: I am not foolish enough to be tricked like that, little Healer! Tell my servant where you are hiding it and he will retrieve it for me.]  
Risha cursed softly in Huttese under her breath. This was what she got for underestimating Jabba and she meant this whole damn situation. Apparently he had a real mean streak in him, who'd have thought? Well, she was most probably going to die. How lovely. She just hoped Jabba wouldn't feed her to the Sarlaac. Surely, she hadn't ticked him off that much, had she? Well, now that she thought about all the times she'd crossed him she probably had. However, Risha didn't steal for her won profit, she stole for her cause, but she knew that wouldn't change the slug's mind one bit. He'd probably feed her to one of his monstrous pets or ,worse, turn her into one of those creepy walking droid-spider things that contained the brains of the B'omar monks! A shiver ran up the togruta's spine at the thought. Now that she came to consider it slavery sounded a little better than the last option. Risha sighed, knowing very well that she couldn't remain silent much longer. She braced herself for the inevitable retaliation and spoke firmly, but quietly:  
-Meecooda tee lee chalya fa bata bai uba, Jabba. [T:I can't give it back to you, Jabba.]  
An almost confused silence settled over the room before Jabba spoke in a harsh and dangerous voice:  
-Woy uba nai bai chateua, kaae Pihog? [T: Do you wish to die, little Healer?]  
Risha shrugged, eerily calm despite her precarious position:  
-Bacaka Jee sey, Jee tee caie moova mee fa bai uba. Fa cha gee fa . Fa baa bolla an dooouba cay mee kacmahea caiot tee moova mee fa. [T: Like I said, I cannot return it to you. It don't have it anymore. It's gone and even you, with your empire, can't return it.]  
The room was so silent that you could hear a pin drop. Risha breathed out and closed her eyes, mentally counting down to the storm that would surely come. As she had predicted, Jabba gave a roar of rage:  
-Haku?! Cha upee nei! Tee ava un bu cahua?! [T: What?! Do not lie to me! Where is the pearl?!]  
Steadily, the togruta female replied:  
-Jee cha gee fa. Jee chacasa fa an boyeke fa bai hhoph wa paupe pacwahh koi. Fa baa bolla, woyhaku kuna kee. [T:I don't have it. I crushed it and used it to treat a certain disease. It's gone, do what you will.]  
Risha felt adrenaline rush through her veins and inwardly she knew these were her last words. Jabba roared in blind white hot rage and slammed what looked like a button of some kind. The next moment the floor beneath Risha's feet vanished and she began to fall. Instinctually she braced herself and squeezed her eyes shut when instead of feeling pain all over her lower body she heard a "fwip" sound and the next second she felt as if someone was trying to yank her arms out of their sockets. Giving a quiet groan of pain, Risha opened her eyes. They shot wide open when she realised she was hanging in the air, her hands stretched out above her head, in place of where the floor had once been, the rest of her body dangled between the pit where she knew the Rancor was waiting for his snack and the throne room which was now above her. Risha craned her neck to look up and saw that in just bellow her binders a thin, but strong durasteel cord ran. Whoever had made that shot must have had sniper training to be that accurate. Adrenaline rushing through her veins and heart thumping furiously in her chest, Risha tipped her head back to follow the cord to it's source. Her mouth parted in surprise when she saw that it was a cord that had been shot out of a wristpad that a man in grey and green Mandolorian armour wore. Somehow the throne room seemed to get a few degrees colder. Risha gulped, when she saw the crest on the man's chest - it was Shadow. No wonder all the occupants of the room who'd been cheering mere seconds ago had fallen silent. Even among Jabba's court rumours of Shadow's exploits were legendary, but what the heck was he doing on Tatooine? Even more to the point what was he doing saving her? Either way it meant nothing good for her.  
Shadow was the first to break the heavy silence enveloping the room, his smooth, cold Basic providing a stark contrast to the sharp, harsh sounds of Huttese:  
-Pardon the interruption, but could you not do that? As hard as it is to believe, I need her alive.  
His words cut through the silence like a blade, the tone of his voice was cold and polite, but beneath that ice lurked a darkness. A darkness that had taken the lives of thousands. Even Jabba himself didn't shout or order right away. Shadow was somebody no man or woman could ever understand and no matter the race everyone feared what they did not know, what they could not understand. Shadow was feared and he knew how to use that fear. Finally, Jabba spoke, his voice threatening:  
-Da doth kosthpa mala tee, Acdha. Woy uba bimapa bai saconba mah masii wata?![T:That was extremely unwise, Shadow. Do you presume to question my rule here?!]  
Shadow's voice became colder, but his demeanour didn't change a bit:  
-Nothing of the sort, that's too tiresome and pointless. I don't want to deprive you of your much anticipated execution, however, I need this one alive.   
-Ua katka chateua! Ua gee bai wamma che uen pheca! Yatuka koumhaptecee, Acdha. [T: She must die! She has to pay for her crimes! Move away, Shadow.]  
Shadow's voice held a tinge of a threat this time:  
-Your power is impressive, Jabba, however, I advise you not to cross me. The outcome will not be favourable for either of us. This is my last warning.  
Jabba made a twitch of his hand and instantly all the occupants of the room trained their blasters onto Shadow's back. Shadow sighed and shook his head:  
-I warned you.  
In a lightning moment Shadow extracted a small spherical object and tossed it over his shoulder with his free hand. There was a small "clink" sound and the next second the whole east side of throne room was turned to nothing but rubble and half of the throne rooms occupants were turned into charred corpses. Jabba's mouth slackened before Bib Fortuna helpfully closed it again. Before anyone could say anything else or even move a muscle Shadow acted again. In the blink of an eye Shadow drew one of his blasters and fired four times. A moment later the heavy metal tablet on the west wall collapsed and crushed the people on the west wall below it, a split second later Jabba gave a cry of agony as his arms stopped functioning. A collective gasp sounded, but Shadow simply, calmly replaced his blaster. That should work for a demonstration, he had to exercise extreme restraint though. He needed witnesses, otherwise this would be pointless. Then as calmly as though he was asking about the weather, Shadow spoke:  
-Is this a sufficient demonstration or should I make my point a little more clear?   
It was clear to everyone still alive what the subtext was - "Order me around again and I will make sure nobody leaves this room alive.". A chill ran up the remaining occupants spines and even the Kowakian monkey-lizard shrank back silently. The room temperature seemed to have dropped below freezing. It seemed that the myths about Shadow were true, they weren't myths at all - they were reality and the reality of his victims could become the reality of any one of the occupants the next second. No one spoke a word, most didn't even notice that they were holding their breaths. Fear reigned supreme. Flames danced across the corpses, eating away at what remaining flammable materials they had left, crackling mockingly from time to time. Shadow, a masked, faceless figure faced Jabba calmly, one arm outstretched slightly because of the durasteel cord that extended from the wristpad. Jabba's hands hung slack by his sides. Shadow exhaled slowly:  
-Now then, have reached a consensus? Because, - Shadow raised his free arm and suddenly fired off another strange shot which exploded a second later, creating a hole in the ceiling, letting the blazing Tatooine sunlight stream in,- I have no qualms about continuing. I haven't felt this invigorated for quite a while and I doubt anyone in the galaxy would care about your deaths. So, Jabba Desilijic Tiure, what do you say? What's your choice?  
Shadow knew he was pushing it, but they had forced his hand. He didn't have the time to deal with this. In all honesty, he wouldn't kill Jabba no matter how much he wanted to - that would throw the whole planet into chaos and while some would call Shadow chaos incarnate that was not true. Shadow was calculating and logical, he rarely let any emotions guide him, he had no need for them. In essence Shadow was in fact not human, he might have been once, but his humanity had long died along with his victims. Shadow had no need for chaos. There was a long silence before Jabba spoke again:  
-Uba gee pauaheu mi, Acdha, um Jee lwaa tee maianza ateema. Uba gee cohou mi mee wahkala anfa doth kacmhate. Paknee ata tah an doth bolla doi mah neu mo Jee lwaa tee doth peeepacmoko-ace peee Dobra ateema! [T:You have angered me, Shadow, but I shall not retaliate this time. You have shown me your strengths and it is impressive. Take this cretin and be gone from my sight or I shall not be as merciful as I am now!]  
Shadow merely gave a nod before moving closer to the young togruta who staring at him with evident fear in her eyes. Predictable. He held out a hand and she shakily grasped it. He recalled the cord back and she was left hanging in to only his hand. In one burst of strength he pulled her up and she shakily stood up to stand beside him. Shadow moved to leave the throne room, but stopped a second before leaving and added:  
-Pleasure doing business with you, gentlemen. Sorry about the mess and have a wonderful day!  
And with a casual wave of his hand he disappeared into the next room, heading towards the exit, dragging the togruta along with him while an odd astromech followed close behind. Shadow had struck and while he had not won, he had left quite a lasting first impression.

==SW: LB==

Shadow was about to leave Jabba's palace, having sent TK and the Healer ahead (after giving TK permission to stun the girl if she tried to run) when a familiar voice called him back. He turned around to see Kai standing behind him, looking serious. Shadow folded his arms and asked:  
-What is it?  
Kai looked at him warily:  
-Just who are you? Your Force presence is completely different from the one before. It's so dark, the dark completely eclipses the light. Why did you kill all those people in the throne room? Was it just to prove a point?  
Shadow sighed:  
-I knew you wouldn't understand. I am Shadow and I am also the same person you travelled with. It may be hard to accept and understand, but it is true. As for those people... Well, there are consequences to every action. They were going to kill me so I killed them. I don't know how you Jedi think the world works, but this is how it really is. The rule of the world? It's kill or be killed.  
Kai looked conflicted:  
-You didn't have to kill them! You ignited the conflict!  
Shadow shook his head and turned away, preparing to walk away:  
\- All I did was ask them to spare one girl. I warned them that if they pushed me there would be consequences, they did not listen and those were the consequences. You, Jedi, don't seem to understand- none of us live in a fairytale world. The lines between good and evil are not clear, they become blurred and slowly you yourself begin to lose sight of what is what.  
-And is that what happened to you? Are you speaking from experience?  
-No. That is simply the way of life. I despise these people here, but I let some of them live. Do you know why I did that? Do you know why I didn't kill the Hutt even though he's the puppeteer?  
Shadow whipped around to face him, the light hitting his back, giving him an eerie kind of glow. His hands were clenched at his sides and he was closed of from the Force, his aura exuding pure darkness. In that moment Kai understood why Shadow had been earned the name of the "Death's Hand", he seemed like a messenger of death itself. Slowly, Kai shook his head, taking an instinctive step back. Shadow gave a humourless laugh:  
-Of course, you don't understand. How could you? No one ever does. Then listen here: I am not chaos incarnate as you may believe, I operate on logic not emotions. If I had killed Jabba then this planet would have spiralled into chaos. I left those people alive because there was no need for them to die, they would keep working as cogs in the machine. The man you met with dark skin? The Korun? He's a slave and he doesn't care, he was always a slave and he will always be. A on obedient cog in this corrupt world's machine. You will never understand, Jedi, not until you face the darkness and look into it's depths. I do hope we meet again under more favourable circumstances. Goodbye, Kai Lionis.  
With what he wanted said Shadow walked away from the Jedi, leaving him to ponder the words that had been uttered before him. Shadow balled his left hand into a fist, vowing to himself that he would never step foot in this place again. Jabba would probably have people gunning for him in less than a day, but that was just fine with him.   
He was about to turn the corner when suddenly Shadow was surrounded by the disembodied brains of the B'omar monks, cornered. A figure stepped out of the darkness, making Shadow wonder briefly how he had not sensed him. The next moment all the thoughts vanished from his mind as he felt the barrel of a blaster be pressed up against the fabric which covered the joint between his shoulders and his neck, his armour's weak spot. Shadow sucked in a sharp breath as he realised he was trapped. A male voice from behind him hissed:  
-Well, well, so good to finally meet you, Shadow. That was quite a show you put on back there. It came a little too close for comfort if you know what I mean, but all' swell that ends well, right?  
Forcing his voice to remain steady, Shadow whispered:  
-Who are you and what do you want from me?  
The blaster's tip dug rougher into his skin, evidently the owner of it was experiencing a surge of an emotion of some kind. There was a short pause before the man spoke again:  
-Who I am doesn't matter. As for you... Well, now that's another matter entirely. I'll admit that little demonstration you put on in the throne room was interesting, but don't go getting a big head, boy. You are nothing when compared to the Spectrewolf, you are less than an insect - you are more like a speck of dust in the cogs of a well-oiled machine. And we can't very well allow dust to build up, can we? No, dust has to be removed.  
Shadow tensed as he heard the man's finger glide across the hair trigger. Adrenaline rushed through Shadow's veins and his heart beat accelerated. His instincts of self-preservation screamed at him to run, but cold logic told him that that was useless. With a bit of surprise, Shadow realised that he was actually feeling a sliver of fear. Thankfully, his voice betrayed none of that fear:  
\- So you're an agent of the Spectrewolf?  
-Correct, boy.  
-And you're here to eliminate me from the equation?  
The man snorted and suddenly Shadow felt another blaster barrel press up on the other side in the same spot:  
-You see, here's where things get interesting. You are nothing but a nuisance to my boss, but he finds your struggles amusing for now so as his entertainment he wants you alive, kid.   
-I'm his source of entertainment, am I?  
-Yeah, you are. You should be honoured really, it's rare that the Spectrewolf wants to personally watch someone give it the best and fail. It means that while you are a nuisance to him, you are an interesting nuisance. Much like an ant is to a child, before the child stomps on it. Enjoy your life while it lasts, boy, because it won't last too long. You've already encountered one of my comrades, haven't you? Well, we aren't the only ones. There are more of us out there, much more and you can't defend yourself against all of us, just like you can't defend against me right now. Well, not without killing yourself an you won't do that, will you? Not until you avenge your--  
-Shut up, bastard!  
The man snorted:  
-It seems you're really still a child. For all your acting you're really just a scared little boy who was torn apart and who can't put himself back together. Everyone has a pressure point, boy, and you seem to haven't plenty of those. The morons of this galaxy may fear and respect you as the fabled Death's Hand, but let me make this clear to you now: what you pulled back in the throne room was child's play, it was entertaining to watch but nothing more. Shadow, you may have earner your title, but don't let it go to your head. You are but an insect, a small pitiful child with a big head. Chase after the boss, but when you die at his feet defeated and broken once more, remember what you were told. You are no hero, Shadow, and you are still far too weak to play a legitimate villain, boy, so I advise you to remember your place. This is Spectrewolf's message. Have I made his point clear, little boy?  
There was a pause before through gritted teeth Shadow breathed:  
-Understood.  
-Good. Well, I'll be going now. Wouldn't want to make you late for your little playdate. See you around, Shadow!  
And as suddenly as he had appeared the Spectrewolf's messenger vanished without a trace. A second later the brains of the B'omar monks also scattered. Shadow, meanwhile, leaned against the wall and pressed a hand to the left side of his armoured chest. Fear and adrenaline coursed through him. He looked at his armoured hands to find them trembling. A humourless smile tugged at Shadow's lips as he realised he was really truly afraid. He hated being vulnerable and the Spectrewolf had just proven just how weak he was. The messenger was right - he was really nothing more than a broken little boy who was afraid to rely on anyone and therefore he could be broken again and again far too easily. He had to change, but he was afraid. He was terrified. Images of danced through Shadow's mind: a blown up building, a pool of blood, a vibroblade stabbed through a woman's body, lightning, chains, decay, corpses, death, bombs, machines, droids, whips, cyborgs, a dreadnought, the Crimson storm, a mocking smile, his own blood, ropes, brown-red eyes, the beauty of real space, the figure of an old woman, an explosion, a nighttime ecumonopolis and a pair of dark blue eyes. Shadow gasped for breath as fragmented images from the past assaulted his mind, unbalancing him. Shadow knew what would come next so he quickly pulled his mind away from that, locking the chaos behind a durasteel door. He had a job to do and he would not fail. He would not give the Spectrewolf the pleasure of getting the upper hand just now. He wanted a show? A show he would get and he'd eventually end up as the main guest star.  
His resolve hardened, Shadow strode towards the entrance. This time his approach was unhindered. He strode out into the blazing sunlight and the sand to find TK and the Healer waiting for him beside a speeder TK had stolen for them and Jayden had refitted with parts from the old speeder, the one they'd left back in the underground passageway. Good, this modified speeder should get them to Mos Eisely in approximately 4 hours. Sighing, Shadow slowly slid back into Jayden Callen. Thank the stars, this hellish journey was coming to an end.   
Jayden turned to TK, temporarily ignoring the frightened but defiant togruta - he'd deal with her next. He nodded at the droid:  
-How are we doing with the time? Do you have any certain numbers yet? Any changes?  
He noticed the togruta, Risha Zyran he believed she was called, look between them in confusion, but he payed her no mind. Things had to be done in order, not out of it. TK gave a worried string of beeps and whirrs, replying that her life signs had dropped - they had a little over 5 hours left now. Jayden cursed softly in Mando'a before asking:  
-Can you do anything to give us a little more time?! We had half a day less than an hour ago!  
TK gave a sad whistle, explaining the he had done all he could. The only thing he could do now was hasten her death, not prolong it. Jayden felt his heart drop and cold fear creep up again, but he kicked it back down into the depths:  
-How long will it take you to get there?  
-Beep-reet-deet .  
-2 hours? But you can't take anyone, can you?  
-Beep.  
-Alright. Go on ahead and we'll catch up. Do what you can to stabilise her.   
-Beep-dwoo.  
-I know, TK, I know. Listen, we may not agree on a lot of things, but we both don't want her to die, right? So just for now, please, help me. Please, don't let her die.  
TK was silent for a moment before lowering his head and whistling an affirmative. Jayden nodded and after a chirp of farewell the droid activated his boosters and shot upwards, into the wide blue yonder. Risha and Jayden watched him silently, before the latter turned to the former. The togruta took an instinctual step back, hiding her fear behind defiance:  
-What do you want with me, monster? Just because you saved me from Jabba doesn't mean I'm going to be your slave!  
Jayden snorted and took a step forward, extracting a lockpick from his belt:  
-Good thing I don't need a slave then. And as for what I need from you that would be your medical expertise.  
Risha blinked in surprise, evidently not expecting that kind of response form the infamous Shadow:  
-Why? From what I know you want to take lives, you don't want to save them.  
-That is true, though you could lose the word "want". I do my job and that's all.  
-Your job? You're an assassin, aren't you?  
Jayden had successfully distracted her so she didn't even notice that he had gotten to work on her restraints. He sighed at her words:  
-I'm a bounty hunter. I do whatever the job requires of me.  
-But the stories--  
-Half of them are true, the other half - not so much.  
-So you're not a cannibal that eats the eyeballs of his victims and that likes to decorate his ship with their entrails? On and you don't have an army of pet Wampas that you paint in a black colour?  
Jayden looked up at her, incredulous. He hadn't heard that one before. He knew people made up stupid rumours about him all the time, but this was simply ridiculous. He knew where the eyeballs stuff had come from and while a mission had made him retrieve a retina scan he hadn't taken the eyes themselves anywhere, he'd just shot them out of the corpse after taking the scan so there would be no competitors. However, where in the galaxy had the rest of that idiocy come from? Yes, his odd ship was called the Crimson Storm, but what did entrails have anything to do with it?! The extent of people's imagination both surprised and worried him. Jayden shook his head:  
-That's a no on all accounts.  
-And you didn't move Corellia from orbit by shooting your ship's missiles at it repeatedly?  
This time Jayden groaned:  
-Great, now I'm getting blamed for stuff I helped prevent from happening. No, that wasn't me.  
-And you don't own a moon somewhere in the galaxy where you have your own harem and a prison for your worst enemies who you devise slow and horrible deaths for?   
-No! A harem, seriously?! How do people come up with these things?!  
Jayden exclaimed as he finally managed to unlock the binders. Risha rubbed her wrists and shrugged:  
-Wishful thinking? Imagination?   
Jayden sighed:  
-I'd call it idiocy or fear.  
-Probably both. You know, you seem different right now.  
-There's a lot you don't know about me. Anymore questions to get out the way?  
-Yes. Number one: Why do you need my help? Can't you afford any medic what with your pay and why look for a doctor on Tatooine? And you don't look sick to me.  
Jayden sighed:  
-I'm not the one who's sick, my partner is. And before you ask this is a recent development. As for why you it's because she's sick with a disease that the standard medical practice can't identify and I've heard you can cure sicknesses that medical droid's can't.  
-That's probably true. Those dolts lack creativity and knowledge. Question number two: What happens after I help you? Do you kill me?  
Jayden folded his arms across his chest, for once glad his mask could hide the expression on his face:  
-Do you want me to kill you?  
-No?  
-You don't sound too certain.  
-Well, it's not everyday one of the most frightening bounty hunters in the galaxy asks you a question like this!  
-Look, once you help me - you can go do whatever you want.   
Risha's eyebrows shot up, but she narrowed her eyes, suspicious. Living on Tatooine had taught her to be careful about any deals that were made:  
-What's the catch?  
-There isn't one. All I want is for you to save my partner's life.  
-That's all?  
-That's all. Can you do that?  
-Uh, sure, I'll do my best. However, I'm no miracle worker- I can't promise anything.  
Risha finally wore a serious expression, switching into medic mode. Jayden nodded:  
-I understand. Last question?  
-How long do I have?  
-As TK said - we have 5 hours.  
-Alright, but before we get to wherever your partner is we need to stop by a tusken camp not far from Mos Eisely. I need my kit.  
-Got it. Hop onto the speeder and we'll get moving.  
-Roger that, sir.

==SW: LB==

Sheev Palpatine was normally a very patient man, but even his patience had it's limits. He had been patient and his patience had been rewarded: he had replaced Valorum as Chancellor, he had killed his Master- Darth Plagueis the wise and now he was slowly bringing the Jedi under his control, he was already Anakin's trusted friend. Things were proceedings according to plan. However, he had encounters a few nuisances that seemed intent on complicating matters, namely they were Darth Tenebris, Alana Sheelan and , surprisingly enough, Shadow. Though he never let the goal of removing them slip from his mind, he hadn't been able to focus on them directly lately. Annoyingly, the Senate had been demanding his full attention lately and on days like this one it was all Sidious could do to not Force-lightning the life out of all the squabbling representatives. There would definitely be no place for them within his empire or at least he wouldn't deal with them personally. And as if the Senate acting like children during break time wasn't enough, one of Sidious's agents had gone and failed him by losing track of Tenebris. He had come to an unfortunate end by an unexpected lightning strike. How sad. In any case, Sidious was in a really bad mood and even his Red Guard seemed to know that as they silently and swiftly dragged the charred corpse out of the office. Well, at least some people knew how to not irritate him. With a sigh, Sidious leaned back in his chair and swivelled around to look out of the panoramic window, interlocking his fingers before him. This was slowly but steadily coming closer to becoming a problem.  
As he watched the countless hovercars and ships zoom by, Sidious wondered just where in this galaxy the sources of his annoyance were hiding. They were all nuisance for different reasons, but together all 3 of them managed to give him a headache.   
Alana Sheelan was a nuisance because of her knack for getting in the middle of things (his plans included) and because she was a little too perceptive for her own good even though she was foolishly naive. Sidious had had to shift his plans from flat out killing her to taking her in alive once a convenient opportunity presented itself, one that wouldn't point to him and one that would give him the chance to use her gift for himself - it would be wasteful to kill a precious resource like her without exhausting it to it's full potential. Now, Tenebris was less of a nuisance and more of a real problem especially since that man knew his plans and he was more or less planning to turn the Galaxy upside down. Only the Force knew what exactly he was planning. However, he was taking care of that issue by using Kai Lionis's blind devotion to him as an advantage. With luck, both men would kill each other. And that left Shadow. Shadow had been insignificant, no more than a bug on the viewport, that is until recently. Two weeks ago Sidious had realised just what kind of threat Shadow posed. Shadow, aside from trying to kill him nearly two months ago, had stolen some highly sensitive information alone with a few Senate files. Sidious didn't care much about the senate files, but he was very concerned about the information Shadow had accidentally copied onto a separate datadrive. The security cameras had shown him accidentally slicing the wrong file and beginning to copy it before realising the mistake and copying the senate files onto a second datadrive. However, Shadow had kept the first drive. That drive, that small object, held half of the prototype Death Star's plans! It would have had the full plans had Shadow not realised his slicing error and removed the drive prematurely. And if Shadow was really anywhere near Sheelan... Well, that rang all sorts of alarms in Sidious's mind. Those two together? Well, they could make a formidable team. He didn't mean in power, but they did somehow. Together, they would be ten times harder to beat without exposing himself than if they had been alone. He had ordered the Jedi to bring him in alive so either they hadn't been able to reach Sheelan or she had ignored his orders. Either way, this was a troublesome development. However, from what his acolyte had observed they didn't appear to know yet so he still was in the clear. He couldn't allow them to find out. Resolve appeared in Sidious's yellow eyes. He wouldn't let any of them get in the way. They may be smart nuisances, but eventually they would slip, expose a weakness and then he would strike. They would not escape his reach for too long...

==SW: LB==

-Turn left here and prepare for a jump.  
-How steep?  
-About 65 degrees.   
-Alright, I'll handle it. Hold on tight.  
-Roger that.  
It had been 2 hours since they had started their journey back and thanks to Risha's expert navigation through shortcuts they were now approaching the encampment. Jayden wasn't sure whether to be relieved or apprehensive at that. He was probably a bit of both. As they made the turn, Jayden shouted over the wind whistling in their ears :  
-How long do you need to find your equipment?  
Risha shrugged, holding on to the speeder as tight as she could:  
-About 10 minutes. If the others haven't moved my stuff, al, my spares should be there. Oh, right turn here!  
Jayden obediently made a right turn and sped down a sand dune. He squinted at the object in the distance, for the thousandth time glad that he had his armour as Shadow. As soon as he recognised the looming building, his eyes shot wide open:  
-That's... that's a tusken camp! Are you crazy? I thought we were going close by it, not towards it.  
Risha shook her head, despite knowing he couldn't see her as she was sitting behind him:  
-Don't worry about it. This tribe and I have a truce. I helped them out awhile back and they helped me out. We communicate using the storyteller. One of them is my apprentice actually. Anyway, you stay out here and I'll go inside, ok? They don't like outsiders. They tolerate me, but they might kill you. Just don't provoke them, alright?  
-I'm not stupid, I won't do anything rash. And we're here.  
Jayden slammed on the brakes and flipped the switched to "parked" mode. Risha nodded and hopped off the speeder. They were about 5 meters away from the encampment's area and she had to admit Shadow did seem to vaguely know the customs. Stretching a bit, Risha spoke:  
-Well, I'll be back in a minute. Actually,- she turned to face him, a look of genuine curiosity on her face,- what's your partner like? Is she like you?  
Jayden crossed his arms defensively:  
-Why are you asking?  
-Just wondering if I'm helping save the life of another homicidal maniac with surprisingly good manners.  
Jayden snorted, but shook his head:  
-No. She's one of the kindest and most trusting people I've ever met. She has a pure soul, but like anyone she's not without her flaws. She's a good person. So,no, you aren't saving a serial killer. She's not like that.  
Once again Jayden was glad the the mask concealed his expression otherwise the fond smile his lips had curled up into would have given too much away. There was an odd look in Risha's eyes, but whatever she was thinking she kept to herself. She gave a hum of approval:  
-Hm, that's good. Well, I better run. You be careful here.  
-Yes, Doctor!  
-Don't mock me, Death's Hand! I know more than a hundred ways to kill a man.  
Risha called back as she ran towards the camp. Jayden felt a chill run up his spine as he realised she was probably telling the absolute truth. Note to self: this was another woman he should not piss off. Sheesh, he wasn't sure which was one was more dangerous: Alana or Risha? Both seemed to be equally terrifying when mad. Jayden heaved a sigh - what had he done to deserve women like that in his life?! That thought made Jayden pause for a bit. What had he done to deserve Alana? To deserve being stuck with a person who held the time drove him up a wall with her actions and half the time was the person who'd stand by him no matter what. He wasn't even sure why he'd was Force-bonded to her. Was the Force playing a prank or something? Although, did the Force even have a sense of humour? Whatever the case was something nabbed at Jayden, something that told him there was a reason for this bond. A reason that lurked at the corners of his sight, just out of reach. It was frustrating to say the least. Jayden sighed: he would never understand this crazy Force stuff.  
Suddenly a sharp warning rang out through the Force, causing Jayden to instantly sit up straight, tense and alert. His facial expression completely serious and hidden by the mask, Jayden pushed the lever and drove the speeder in reverse, hiding it behind a rock formation. He then cut the engines and jumped of the vechile, climbing up to the top of the rocks. Frowning, Jayden searched the Force, but his limited connection to it was frustratingly vague. Well, there was nothing for it - he'd have to do it the manual way. Jayden easily activated his jetpack and flew up, opting for a bird's eye view. When he spotted a dark blob approaching from the west, Jayden flipped down his targeting visor and zoomed in. He cursed softly in Mando'a under his breath - this was anything but good. The questions were why and how.  
With the help of his targeting visor Jayden saw a horde of Tusken Raiders, armed to the teeth coming at them. He would write this off as a normal tribal feud if not for the fact that these tuskens looked a lot like the ones that had attacked him and Kai in the Canyon. He searched the Force and sure enough he felt that chill and burning rage coming from them. Well, they definitely wanted blood. Most probably his. This was very, very bad! He had to warn Risha, but how?! He couldn't very well waltz into the camp without getting killed and as far as he'd observed Risha didn't have a comlink, let alone his frequency. Talking to the tribe was also a no since just as Jayden couldn't understand them they couldn't understand him. Damn it, he had to act quickly, but what should he do?! Jayden scanned his weapons arsenal before looking at the landscape. Ten seconds later he had a plan. Jayden easily flew over to a towering rock formation that was located closer to the assailant before getting out one of his blasters and beginning to attach modifications to it. A minute later he had a sniper rifle. Jayden was used to modifying and more or less creating his custom blasters so this was no big feat. Flipping his targeting visor back up, Jayden took off his helmet and lay down on the rocks, peering into the scope. The tuskens were in his sight. Resigning himself to more killing, Jayden slipped into Shadow and pulled the trigger. A second later the target was dead and a new one had been selected.  
Shadow was by no means an expert marksman, but he was a decent shot. This was nothing compared to the training Heims had put him through. That man had been brutal when it came to whipping the rookie of the team into shape. Shadow, who had only been eleven back then, took to shooting like a Firaxa did to water. Shooting felt right to him, much more in control than melee though he wasn't too bad at that either. Shadow was naturally good at combat and his persistence throughout his training certainly helped matters. He refused to be the one controlled and abused again, since he had broken free and he refused to return to that lifestyle. He would make sure that no one in this Galaxy would ever use him again. This time he was the one looking down from above.  
Taking deep, steady breaths, Shadow took down Tusken after Tusken with precise, accurate shots. However, it didn't take them too long to notice their attacker and in an even shorter span of time they started firing at him. Rolling out of the way of the blaster bolts, Shadow grabbed and slid on his mask. He cursed as a shot grazed his shoulder, while he was standing up:  
-Shabuir! Looks like it's time for Plan B.  
He shot up into the air and quickly disassembled the rifle back into a blaster before holstering it. As a farewell gift he detached a frag grenade before tossing it into the Tusken horde and zooming off towards the camp.   
Common sense be damned, he had to warn the Healer and possibly the tribe as well. He knew this was a fairly suicidal act, but he flew over the camp before he spotted a bright red togruta in one of the rooms. Bracing himself for severe retaliation, Shadow dropped into the room from the sky, stunning everyone into silence. A second later he was forced to duck under five gaffi sticks that were swung at him. Dodging, he protested:  
-Before you - ugh- try to kill - ouch - me, listen!  
Risha stepped forward and blocked two of the gaffi strikes with her electrostaff. Sounding understandably shocked and furious, she hissed:  
-What are you doing here?! I told you to stay outside!  
Sliding back into Jayden, the bounty hunter responded:  
-I can't. There's a raid group coming here and while I've managed to slow them down I cant stop them.  
Risha breathed out a harsh curse in Huttese before turning to the sandperson Jayden supposed was the translator. She quickly relayed the situation to him who in turn related the new information to the chieftain. The next moment all the gaffi sticks were removed from Jayden's throat and he breathed a sigh of relief. Tuskens were a little hard to deal with. The Tusken chieftain barked an order and all the other sandpeople moved to mobilise. He then turned to Risha and bowed his head, a motion that Risha returned. The translator approached them:  
-We must ask that you leave, outsiders. The chieftain has spoken and I, the storyteller, shall retreat and record this in our scrolls.  
Jayden turned to Risha:  
-Seems like they're asking us to get out politely.  
-Yeah, we'll be in the way. Though why in the blazes are they attacking now?! They haven't had a quarrel in years now!  
As they raced through the encampment, weaving in between sandpeople gearing up for war, Jayden muttered:  
-That may be my fault.  
Risha's violet eyes almost bulged out of their sockets:  
-WHAT?! How in the universe did you manage to get a whole damn tribe mad enough to chase after you?! Did you kill the chieftain or something.  
-No.  
-Then why are they chasing you?! This is--  
-Crazy?-, Jayden helpfully supplied,- I know. Things normally seem that way when the Force is involved in matters.  
Risha suddenly stopped in her tracks, an odd expression on her face:  
-The Force?  
She echoed him in a dazed, almost shellshocked voice. Jayden groaned and shook the girl by the shoulder. His voice was urgent as he spoke:  
-Snap out of it! We don't have time to stand around dazed! This place is going to become a battlefield soon! We have got to go! Did you garb your gear?  
Risha blinked twice, snapping back to reality. She nodded quickly:  
-Yes. I've got everything. Sorry.  
-Just don't go into a stupor again. Weapons out, we're heading towards a bloodbath.  
-I hear you.  
Jayden took out his blasters and Risha clicked a button which made the small stick in her palm extended to form a real electorstaff, crackling with bright yellow electricity. Risha shifted into a ready stance. Nodding in approval Jayden charged froward with Risha closed behind. They broke out of the entrance and ,per Jayden's prediction, they were met with a battle. Instantly a group of five Dark Tuskens rushed at them. Jayden took two out with a couple of shots while Risha electrocuted another one. She frowned as she recognised them:  
-Hey, aren't they the Canyon Tuskens?  
-Yeah.   
-Then why are they attacking?  
Jayden shot another one and promptly replied:  
-The Dark Side of the Force.  
-I'm guessing now is not a good time for questions?  
-No, now is a great time!  
Shadow retorted sarcastically, all the while kicking a Tusken in the face and shooting him repeatedly. Risha groaned and muttered to herself, stabbing another assailant with her electrostaff:  
-It's finally happened, I'm loosing my mind. I'm joking around with a killer. I absolutely hate this week.  
This was certainly not Risha's week, she had a little too much pent up frustration at herself more than anyone and since she didn't have a punching bag these guys would do. So she did just that and somehow she ended up punching a hole through the barricade of Tuskens. She glanced a Shadow who pointed to the rock formation and made a shooing motion. She nodded and headed towards the rocks. Shooting the Tusken attacking him right in the face, Jayden activated his jetpack and headed right to the rocks. He landed right beside the speeder, grateful the for once he'd had the foresight to hide them before this whole mess started. A second or two later an out of breath togruta appeared:  
-I'm here. Let's go.  
-You alright?  
-A little toasty, but nothing that won't heal. We better go, we're in the way here.  
Jayden nodded and started up the speeder with Risha sitting down behind him. After checking that she was hanging on and that she had all her stuff, Jayden shot off, pushing the speeder to full power. They'd wasted too much time here already and since this was still more or less a Tusken feud, they'd be in the way. Jayden sighed and leaned down, hiding from the wind. They had to hurry, there was still an hour until Mos Eisely and time was ticking down. Damn it.

==SW: LB==

An hour later, when the spaceport city of Mos Eisely loomed into sight , Jayden's comlink began beeping. Risha glanced at him from behind, concerned. If her gut feeling was correct then this didn't mean anything good, but with Shadow she wouldn't be able to tell. How could she? He was a mass murderer after all, who in the blazes knew what he felt or what went on in that twisted mind of his? Frankly, the togruta was still surprised that he was so determined to save a life since he was the one who normally took them. He was the infamous "Death's Hand", was he not? Why was he so...so...so odd?! It was like, despite being a killer on a massive scale (because it wasn't as if Risha didn't have her fair share of blood on her hands after 18 years of life) , he was polite and had a sense of basic decency. He was, well, for the lack of a better word, almost normal with the way he treated her. Not that she was complaining!   
Jayden continued piloting the speeder with one hand while sparing the other hand to momentarily answer the comlink. He kept his voice tightly controlled, impassive as he answered:  
-I'm here. What's the situation?  
TK's frantic beeping came over the com, urging them to hurry - they were losing her. In a tone Jayden had never heard from his before the astromech warned them that they had 40 minutes at best. Jayden was surprised to find his voice begin to fail him as he tried to reply:  
-W...W...We're nearly there. Hold on. Prep the room, ok?  
-Beep. Dee-reet!  
The transmission cut off just as Jayden and Risha zoomed into the city's expanse. As he navigated the streets, Jayden heard Risha mutter:  
-40 minutes, huh?  
-...Can you do it?  
-It'll be tough, but as soon as I discern the cause I should be able to manage. Do you have a med droid?  
Jayden shook his head:  
-No. TK had standard medical droid knowledge though. He can help out with everything save for surgery.  
Risha sighed:  
-Well, some help is better than none, right? Oh and before I forget: No offence, Shadow, but please stay out my way while I'm working, ok? I can't afford anyone distracting me.  
-Understood. Oh and we're almost there.  
They had arrived near a docking bay. Two security droids along with a protocol droid stood at the entrance of docking bay 35. Jayden calmly piloted the speeder up to them. Upon registering two newcomers the faded blue protocol droid spoke:  
-Please state your registration number, ship's name and captain's name. These are all necessary security measures for this docking bay.  
Risha's eyes widened: how in the universe did they expect someone to remember a registration number off by heart?! She looked at Shadow, expecting to see him glance at his wristpad or something, but he simply turned to them and spoke in an almost bored tone:  
-My registration number is 234-562-8912-065. The ship is registered under the name of Crimson Streak. The Captain's name is Captain El'kar Shan.   
The droid checked the datapad in his hands before pressing a button on the controls and letting them pass. As they glided to a stop in the hangar bay with the door closing behind them, Risha curiously probed:  
-Is that really your name?  
-Obviously not. It's an alias, just like my ship's name.  
-Figures. You're the mystery man of the galaxy.   
-Mm, maybe I'm not as mysterious as you think.   
-So is that your ship?  
Jayden nodded. Risha gazed at the ship with a mix of confusion and fascination. The ship was a freighter of some kind, pretty large in length and width. It seemed to be comprised of two floors, as well as viewing rooms and a cockpit. It was armed with 4 guns on top and three at the bottom and if the togruta had to guess she'd say it had a lot of surprises in store. The ship was dark grey and Crimson in colour, in addition to a faded panel that Risha guessed would light up blue once the ship was fully functional. It looked like a very odd ship for Shadow to own, but something told Risha that it fit his true personality. Stupid intuition. Jayden tapped her on the arm hurriedly:  
-We've got to go. Follow me.  
-Right. Your droid should be ready by now, right?  
-Ah, right. See he's not my droid. He's on his own so whatever you do, don't say he belongs to anyone, alright?  
-Sure. Woah...  
Risha's jaw dropped as she entered the Storm. Jayden sighed and shook his head as he pressed the button for the ramp to close and as soon as it did the AC switched on. Jayden turned to Risha:  
-Before we go any further, I have one more condition.  
Risha eyes him warily, crossing her arms over her chest:  
-I'm listening.  
-Whatever you see on this ship, you don't tell anyone about it.  
-Alright. I promise.  
-Good. Welcome aboard the Crimson Storm, Risha Zyran.  
Risha's eyes widened in shock. She wasn't sure if it was from realising that this was the the Crimson Storm she'd heard stories and rumours about or from seeing the way Shadow really looked without his mask. Her first thought was that he looked very young, way too young to be Shadow. He probably wasn't too far off in age from her. He was a young human man with jet black messy hair that reached the base of his head in length, bright green eyes, a fair complexion and what she guessed was a lean, but muscular body type behind that armour. What really put Risha in a stupor was the fact that he looked nothing like the rumours said, nothing at all. She'd definitely imagined a far more grotesque being. Risha managed to snap out of it and comment:  
-You don't look the way the stories make you out to be.  
One of Shadow's lips tugged up into a tiny smile:  
-Sorry for not being the way you guys imagine me to be. Anyway, get your kit ready and follow me.  
-Right. Um, since you've already shown me your face and since I promised - what's your name? Your real name?  
The young man glanced over his shoulder as he walked and sighed:  
-My name is Jayden, Jayden Callen.   
-Risha Zyran, medic.  
-I do know your name though.  
-I thought we should make it official. Is this it?  
Risha looked at a closed door that Jayden had stopped next to and he nodded. Risha's calm expression instantly became serious as she switched into medic mode. She pushed the button to open the door and it obediently slid open to reveal a thankfully very clean and sterile Medbay. In it lay a teenage girl about the same age as both the togruta and Jayden, perhaps younger, with purple lines running up her face and neck and an astromech droid of an unknown model that Risha had seen Aerojet that was close beside her. Placing her bag of equipment down on one of the counters, Risha cast a quick glance around the room and nodded at the droid:  
-You're TK, right? I'm Risha Zyran. Can you handle being my assistant for this one?  
-Beep.  
-Good. Mind if I borrow your equipment, uh...?  
-Jayden is fine and , yeah, go ahead. It's not like I know how to use it.  
-Thanks.   
Risha quickly pulled on a white robe over top of her clothes and a pair of gloves after washing her hands and face with hot water. After making sure that she was clean, Risha approached her patient. The room was silent with only the life support machine's beeping disturbing the silence. Risha frowned as she looked at the girl. She was very pale and the purple lines covering her entire body certainly didn't help matters. Risha took a quick blood sample and added a drop of some chemical from her own equipment. The liquid on the glass sheet turned a swampy green colour before blue spots popped up. Risha gave an annoyed huff before checking the girl's temperature to see that it was abnormally low. She turned to Jayden who was leaning on the wall just outside the Medbay, keeping his promise to not get in her way:  
-How long has she been sick?  
-Three day, nearly four.  
-Any prior symptoms? What did she say she felt like?  
-None. She felt extremely tired and sluggish, cold too. She collapsed and she was running a very high fever. She told me that her limbs felt like lead and her head was swimming, apparently her throat and back burned too.  
-Her back...  
Risha muttered to herself before turning the girl carefully over onto her back. She carefully lifted the girl's top before wincing at the sight and cursing loudly in huttese. Jayden's eyes snapped to her:  
-What is it?!  
\- Damn it all to the Black Holes! It's a miracle this girl is still alive, you know! Most people die within hours of coming into contact with Rodian Svaper poison!  
Jayden's eyes shot wide open:  
-Svaper poison?!  
-Yes! Did you idiots go to Rodia any time lately?  
-Yes, that was the planet we visited before this one. We ran into a Svaper there. She got bitten.  
-Well, there you go. Svaper poison is undetectable by machines and lethal. She's one heck of a fighter to still be alive. The wound on her back is the source. We'll have to operate quickly. Droid, follow my instructions to the letter. Jayden, wait outside and don't come in until I come out. Go rest and eat. Doctor's orders, you two.  
-Beep-bop.  
-Alright. Good luck, Risha.  
-Thanks, I'll need it for this.  
She gave him a small tense smile before the door shut with a quiet hiss. Jayden could faintly hear Risha issuing orders as he leaned against the wall and sighed. He knew he should go eat after not eating for nearly two days straight, that he should take a shower and go sleep, but right Jayden just felt too overwhelmed for all of that.   
Still, a few minutes later Jayden found himself standing back up, grabbing his mask and heading to his quarters. As soon as he was there he locked the door, and sat down on his bed - something he'd normally not do while his suit was so dirty. Sighing, Jayden buried his face in his hands. If what Risha had said was true then that meant this time would quite possibly be longest and most torturous couple of hours Jayden had had to endure for a long time, a very long time.


	49. Chapter 47 - Shifting Parallels

Hi! I'm back! I apologise for taking so long. This had me stumped a bit and let's just say that ME: A coming out didn't help matters much. So yeah, I was kinda distracted, but I finished this. For a leaving chapter I'd say it's pretty good and although there are patches that I'm not happy with it works.  I'm happy with the portrayal of characters and I hope you think it's ok. Notes:  
1) So Alana is back in the game and I'm so happy! I think I'm so happy to be writing her now that I actually mess up her character a bit at the start. Hope it's not too bad.  
2) Risha: bluntest and most straightforward person on the planet who has an unhealthy love for weapons. Hope you like her for reasons you'll find out in this chapter.  
3)I'm not done torturing Jayden just yet, but hopefully stuff will get better for him. Remember,everyone,when everything is lovely it's just the calm before the Storm.  
4) I have no concrete idea what'll happen in the next arc, but it's should be fairly short. 2-3 chapters?  
5) As always Apologies for any mistakes I didn't spot and my IPad autocorrected.  
6)Enjoy! See you next time!

P.S Oh yeah, this kinda is beating my high score of 16000+ by just a bit. Apologies. Heh...

==========SW: LB=============

Chapter 47 - Shifting Parallels

Throughout his life Jayden had had to come to terms with many things. Things like the fact that this world was an unforgiving, cruel place, the fact that he would be plagued with nightmares of the past forever, the fact that he was a mass murderer, the fact that truly opening up to anyone would only lead to pain and betrayal, the fact that death was only all too real. He had accepted that... Or at least he thought he had. Jayden had seen death far too often and had been the cause of it more times than he cared to count, but those deaths? Those deaths were always quick - a blaster bolt to the head, a vibroblade through a vital point, a frag grenade or a fast acting poison. Shadow never played with his prey: he either captured, interrogated or killed, depending on the job. Even his parents and paternal grandfathers deaths had been quick. He thought he had accepted death and yet here he was refusing to accept his partner's slow death. At that moment Jayden realised that he feared slow deaths. If he had to die, he'd rather die quickly even if his death was a painful one. He didn't want to slowly fade away like Alana was right now.  
   At the moment time seemed to flow excruciatingly slowly for Jayden and his mind was floating in space. He hardly noticed that his body took a shower on autopilot, got dressed in fresh clean clothes, cleaned and locked away his armour before he found himself sitting on his bed again. Jayden glanced at the chrono on the wall and sighed when he noticed only 20 minutes had passed. He knew that Risha and TK now had only 20 minutes to destroy the source of the illness and if they managed it Alana would live, but the rest of the surgery could take a couple of hours. Surgery... When had they gotten to a point that one of them needed that? He remembered Alana using herself to push him out of the Svaper's way when he had lost focus . In truth this was all his fault - she was dying because he hadn't been attentive enough. He was the reason she was dying. Silently, Jayden buried his face in his hands. He didn't know what to do. His still functioning mind advised him to just go get some rest, maybe eat. His stomach growled in approval of the last idea and so with a sigh Jayden walked over to the galley. He poured himself a cup of cooled herbal tea and took one of the Shurra fruits from their stasis field. No  matter what was going to happen he had to stay alive and for that he needed to eat and sleep. Finishing off his tea and his more or less satisfying snack in minutes, Jayden decided to retreat to his quarters and try to get some work done - he still had to figure out where on Asmeru the Spectrewolf was.  
     In his quarters Jayden sat down at his desk and retrieved his datapad. He first scanned the new on the holonet, slightly relieved to find no news of any grand scale attacks or thefts from what was undoubtedly the Spectrewolf's group but Jayden was confused by a strange riot the noble houses on Alderaan had started. What was it this time? Did House Thul steal House Cortess's akk dog food again or something? Jayden snorted as he remembered one of his first missions - now that had been a stupid one indeed. Jayden closed the holonet tab and opened his mail tab to find a message from one of his informants reporting that there'd been some strange activity going on on the orbital station above Asmeru when he'd last stopped there for refuelling. Jayden frowned and rubbed his eyes tiredly. This could very well be the Spectrewolf's influence, but something told the bounty hunter that assassinating that big criminal Kowakian monkey-lizard boss wouldn't be so easy.   
  Assassination, huh? Jayden opened one of the drawers in his desk using his biosignature and retrieved a small grey and red datadrive. Jayden turned it around in his fingers, recalling the botched mission on Coruscant nearly two whole months ago. He frowned when he remembered that he couldn't recall who the client had been. That was strange: didn't he have a perfect memory? Jayden racked his mind, but all he could come up with was the strong smell of odd perfume and a shadowy figure. Jayden rubbed his brow tiredly, maybe he was just too exhausted to remember. Jayden glanced over his shoulder at his bed and sighed before looking back to his datapad. Yawning, he quickly typed out a response for his contact to keep him updated before switching off his datapad and replacing both it and the datadrive in the drawer. He stood up and wandered over to his bed before sleepily wriggling under the covers and falling into a deep sleep. He hadn't even noticed how exhausted he was after the last two days.  
  However, Jayden's sleep wasn't dreamless. It seemed even exhausted his mind and his conscience couldn't let him rest easy. At first it replayed the scene of Alana pushing him out of the way and getting snatched up by the Svaper on Rodia over and over again, reminding him that he and no one else was responsible for her condition. Next a stream of images from his past flashed before his mind's eye and he couldn't stop them. He couldn't resist, he had was too tired and then, as suddenly as it began, it all stopped. Jayden looked up to see himself standing in a wide black space with someone standing opposite him. The other person looked identical to him in every way except for his eyes which were red in colour and the way he looked almost bored and extremely fed up. Jayden tensed up - he knew this person. Anger flaring, he growled:  
-You! Are you here for more?!  
Shadow, who was in fact the twin, lifted his hands up, attempting to pacify Jayden:  
-Cool your jets, I'm not here to fight. Besides obviously even you can tell how exhausted your mind is if I'm here.  
Jayden didn't like to agree with Shadow, but he had to admit he had a point. Shadow and Jayden were one and the same normally, but when Jayden was too exhausted or if he'd overused Shadow occasionally he'd show up in his dreams. It never ended well to say the least. Jayden glared at his dark side:  
-What do you want?  
-Ugh, how infuriatingly stubborn can I be? Look, you've been asking tons of questions lately and even your subconscious is fed up so I'm here to help you sort through this stuff.  
-I don't need help from my dark side!  
-If you say so. I'm you after all. We're one and the same.   
-Unfortunately.  
-Oh, stop treating me like I'm a split personality. You might give people the wrong idea.  
-And that concerns you how?  
-I'm saying this because it concerns you. I'm not a sentient being. Right now I'm just a manifestation of your psyche. Would you rather I showed my true colours?  
Jayden was quick to answer:  
-No.  
-Thought so. Now, why don't you take a trip down memory lane with me?  
Shadow snapped his fingers and instantly what seemed like an endless corridor of doors appeared. Jayden frowned, intent on resisting Shadow for as long as possible:  
-That is not memory lane.  
Shadow rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers again, making a signpost that read "Jayden Callen's Memory Lane" appear. Shadow looked at Jayden with a slightly exasperated and bored expression on his face:  
-Happy, now?  
-Fine. Where are we going now?  
-Alderaan. One of your earlier memories. Before that day.  
Jayden sighed:  
-Do we have to?   
-You'll need this soon enough. Ah, here it is.  
Shadow pressed a panel on the side of one of the doors and it slid aside to reveal a hazy image of a garden on Alderaan. Jayden cast another wary look at his dark side before sighing and stepping in. Instantly, he found himself on Alderaan, beside his mother who was sitting on the grass in the early summer sunlight and watching a two year old him stumble about, poking flowers and attempting to smell them. His mother wore a light blue sundress and a white hat to shield her from the sun's rays, her long brown hair was let down and it tumbled down her back in waves while her green eyes shone with unconditional love. Jayden felt a lump in his throat and the corners of his eyes began to sting. He missed her so much, he missed the only person who loved him more than the world itself, who loved him no matter what he did, no matter how strange he was. Jayden wanted to rush up to her and hug her again, to smell the faint calming scent of chamomile and to hear her say that everything was alright now, that he was safe and that she would love him no matter. How long had it been since someone had gazed at him with such unconditional love? More than 14 years, he knew. He loved his grandmother and she loved him back, but she didn't hold that same type of love for him as his mother had. He couldn't count on her to accept all of him with all of his flaws and all of his darkness. He didn't want to burden her. There probably was nobody in this world or the next who could no matter how much he wanted such a person to exist. He was always the mystery man to everyone, always confusing and unclear. No wonder one of his name definitions meant arcane. The name Jayden was a fusion of his paternal grandfather's name - Reydenheim and his maternal grandfather's name - Jaceus, his mother had chosen it to honour her own father and her father-in-law as well as because it meant both arcane and heard by higher forces. Jayden almost wanted to laugh at the second meaning: he seriously doubted that they heard him. And if they did...Well, Jayden prayed that they would save Alana. She deserved to live more than he ever had. Suddenly Shadow's voice sounded from behind him:  
-You're wrong you know.  
-What?  
-Don't you remember this?  
-Apparently I do, but not right now.  
Jayden turned to watch his younger self toddle over to his mother with a dead flower in his hands. He looked at his mother worriedly:  
-Mama, it hurt. Can Mama fix it?  
Lea smiled sadly and shook her head:  
-Sorry, son, but this flower died.  
The younger Jayden cocked his head to the side in confusion:  
-Dead?  
-Dead. It's gone to sleep forever now and it's soul has gone to a very beautiful place.  
Jayden's green eyes, so like his mother's grew wide with wonder:  
-More beautiful than here?  
-Yes, sweetie, more beautiful than here. It's the most beautiful place in the galaxy.  
Toddler Jayden looked confused before seeming to accept his mother's words and plopping down onto the grass beside her. He sighed as he poked the blades of grass:  
-Mama, you go to sleep forever?  
Lea looked sad as she nodded:  
-Yes, one day I will go to sleep forever too and so will everyone else you know.  
-No!  
-Jayden, honey, you can't stop that. That's the way life is. You only have the time given to you to spend with the people you love and that's why it's precious. Every life is precious, remember that.  
-Me?  
-Yours is especially precious to me , your daddy and the people who love you. I love you so much, my little boy.  
Jayden climbed up onto his mother's lap before burying his face in her shoulder:  
-Mama, who love me if Mama and Dada sleep? I love Mama and Dada.  
Lea lifted one hand to stroke her son's dark hair:  
-Remember the stories Mummy tells you? And the one Granny told you?  
-Jeje?  
-No, not the Jedi. About the Prince and the princess?  
-Mhm. Not real.  
Lea chuckled:  
-Well, yes, the princess from that story isn't real and it's a good thing too. One day, you'll meet your own princess.  
-Jayden no prince.  
-No, but you don't have to be a prince. You see, when Mummy and Daddy go to sleep forever this princess will stay with you instead. You will love her and she you. One day, son, you will meet her.  
-She pretty?  
Lea laughed:  
-I don't know. That's up to you to decide. You see, her life will be precious to you and you will do anything to protect it. Jayden, when you meet that princess make sure you never ever let her go - she will make you happy and she will understand you like no one else can. Jayden, son, promise me you will respect all life and you'll help protect lives? You'll never think that your life is a punishment? Can you promise Mummy that? I know you'll grow up to be a great man.  
The older Jayden sighed as he watched his mother speak. He hadn't understood her words back then, but now, revisiting his memories, he did. And he had broken his promise to her. He didn't protect lives - he took them and he, he couldn't feel sad about it anymore. He was numb to death now. It was an old friend to him. His mother had been wrong about him too. He wasn't a great man. Ironically enough, he, with all his power and infamy as Shadow, was the weakest man there was. Because for all his power, for all the fear he evoked from within people, he was really only a little boy stuck between being a failed hero and a useless villain. He was nobody. Jayden didn't even want to think about the person his mother had promised him he'd meet. It was better if he never met that person, because he knew that that person would leave him. If they didn't they were either insane or they were one of the strongest people ever. He wasn't an easy person to deal with, he was nearly impossible to get to know. He was fine with that.  And yet as he looked at his mother's bright and happy face, Jayden couldn't help but feel sad. Shadow tapped him on the arm:  
-Well, that's it for this one. We have another one to visit before you wake up.  
Jayden cast one final sad glance at his mother before nodding:  
-Alright, let's go.   
He silently followed Shadow out of a door that had materialised out of nowhere and soon he was back in that endless corridor with rows upon rows of doors. Shadow led him down further along the corridor until he stopped at a door that seemed to be vibrating. Shadow turned to look at Jayden and odd glint in his red eyes:  
-I don't know if I should show you this.   
-Then why take me all this way?  
-Because your doubt and obliviousness is driving me insane! You, who appeared into that world before you created me, have memories that answer all your questions and yet you ignore them! At this rate you'll end up running straight into a trap and then asking how in the blazes that happened.  
Jayden crossed his arms over his chest defensively:  
-And I'm guessing this is my subconscious talking?  
-Whatever you want to call me. Like I said - I'm just a manifestation of your exhausted psyche. Now, do you want to stop being so damn oblivious?  
-Oblivious to what exactly?  
Shadow gave him an "are you kidding me look?!" before sighing and adopting a fake sweet tone:  
-Would you like me to list that in alphabetical order?  
-Uh, no. I'll pass. Thank you very much.  
His facial expression serious again, Shadow placed a hand on the door:  
-For real though, I'm not sure you should see this.  
-Why?  
-Because this might have a negative effect on you. Behind this door lies one of your lowest points. This was before I had even made my debut. This was the first time you truly wished to die.  
Jayden's right hand involuntarily shot up to cradle his left shoulder, subconsciously trying to stem the blood flow of a wound that had long since healed. Shadow nodded in confirmation:  
-Yes. You remember, don't you?  
Jayden looked visibly uncomfortable as he lowered his head in confirmation. Green eyes averted, he forced the words out of his mouth, barely above a whisper in volume:  
-Somewhat. Though the details are oddly hazy. I feel like something important happened back then - I guess that was the first time I truly lost the will to live.   
Shadow shook his head, his left hand now resting on the control panel to the vibrating door:  
-No, that is not what your subconscious is prodding you to remember. You say you lost the will to live, but do you remember what made you regain it?  
Jayden sighed and shook his head - this was the haziest part of his memory. For a moment he felt conflicted: did he truly want to relive that memory? However, the next second his resolve was firm. He turned to the manifestation of his psyche:  
-I'll be fine. Open the door.  
-If you say so.  
Shadow easily pressed the button that caused the door to slide aside, revealing the hazy image of a crates upon crates of cargo on a ship. Quirking a confident grin, Jayden saluted his subconscious and stepped into the memory, bracing himself for the inevitable.   
  Instantly Jayden found himself standing in a cargo-slash-fighting area at the back of the Azlus-class Hutt Dreadnought known as Port Nowhere. As the sound of crashes, shouting and music assaulted his ears Jayden winced. He'd forgotten how loud it was here. However, the next second the whole noise around his seemed to mute and he heard the sound of a child sobbing before that sound too faded to nothing. Sighing, Jayden walked around a tall pyramid of crates and between it and another tall stack of crates he saw himself. Or rather he saw a little boy sitting huddled on the floor, trembling uncontrollably. His hair was overgrown and you could count all the bones in his body, the skin covering them seemed to be just a costume. Blood was flowing freely down from his shoulder and numerous bruises and cuts decorated his pale skin. He was dressed in what looked to be the remains of a thin black t-shirt and pants both of which were horribly tattered. He looked like he was starving. Jayden sighed at the sight: so he had really been such a pitiful sight back then. No wonder Seila and Heims had been stunned when he'd managed to disarm them and swipe the Onderonian crown of Queen Talia from right under their noses. Though now that he thought about it - how had he found out about the bounty back then? Jayden's current thoughts were interrupted by his younger self's thoughts. He heard a child's voice whisper in his mind once, just once - "I give up. I wish I could die. I want to die.". Somehow these words felt heavy in Jayden's mind and he couldn't accept them as his own. He closed his eyes when he heard his younger self whisper:  
-I want to die...  
Suddenly another voice, a young female voice sounded, confused:  
-Why do you want to die?  
Jayden opened his eyes, feeling as though he'd been struck by lightning. This was what was hazy, he didn't remember this. In front of the 10 year old Jayden he saw a little girl. She had long light-coloured hair and pale skin. She was crouching in front of his younger self so her back was to him. She was dressed in a simple light blue dress and she was oddly barefoot. The strangest things was that she seemed to be almost radiating light, though it was possible that this was just how his slightly delusional mind remembered her. She gasped suddenly:  
-Oh, you're hurt! Uh, do you mind if I stop the bleeding?  
The younger Jayden finally raised his head with a lot of effort and shook his head, his eyes widening at the sight of the girl. She sighed in relief:  
-Phew. I was worried you'd say no or you couldn't see me. That's good. Just hold still, this will feel weird.  
She reached out a hand and placed it either side of the wound. A second later a pale blue light emerged from her hands and to the surprise of both Jaydens the wound started to knit itself together. The next minute all that was left were the dried blood tracks. Jayden could hear the smile in her voice:  
-There. Now it shouldn't get infected. So, why do you want to die?  
She asked this in a tone between sad and conversational. Jayden raised his eyebrows: this was a strange child. His younger self's hollow eyes struggled to meet hers, the bags under them becoming more and more pronounced:  
-I give up. It hurts too much and I'm so tired. Everyone hates me and if they don't like me they always hurt me. I'm so hungry and so tired and my whole body hurts so much. They all keep hurting me even when I fall asleep. I just want to die so all the pains stops. No one cares anyway.  
There were a few minutes of silence before the girl spoke again, this time her voice was sad and almost wistful:  
-I see... I'm jealous you know. Of you.  
Barely audibly the little boy whispered:  
-Of me? Why?  
She sniffled:  
-Because...Because even though the life you have is horrible, you're still alive. You still have a choice. Even though people hate you they still remember you. I want that, but I can never have that again.   
-You're not alive?  
The girl shrugged her bare shoulders:  
-Something like that. I might as well be dead.  
-Is it nice?  
The girl shook her head:  
-No, not for me. It's not horrible, but it's very painful, sad and lonely. Especially when people don't remember you or even see you. Some don't even hear my voice.  
-But I can hear you and see you?,-the younger Jayden reached out and touched her shoulder,- I can even touch you.  
She sighed:  
-That's because you're still alive. Listen, don't give up. You shouldn't want to die. There's still people waiting for you, people who care.   
-I don't think so...It doesn't matter. I should just die.  
-Why?! Why do you give up something so precious?! There's still people waiting for you! You have two good legs and good head on your shoulders! Stand up! Stand up and move! Change your life and stay alive! You're strong! You're still alive! Stand up and move forward!  
She sounded on the verge of tears and she was hurriedly wiping them away. She stood up and turned away from him, facing Jayden. When she opened her eyes Jayden's heart missed a beat with shock. They were dark, as dark as the sky during the last minutes of sunset. He couldn't exactly tell what colour with this memory, but he instinctually felt that it was blue. The 10 year old Jayden frowned before struggling to his feet and shakily standing up, determination in his now bright green eyes. He tapped the girl on the shoulder:  
-Okay, I stood up. What should I do now?  
She whirled around, surprised. Acting on impulse she took his hand:  
-Do you...  
-I'll give it one last shot. Since you seem upset because of that...Well, maybe someone still will care... Sorry...  
His words were jumbled and incoherent, but somehow she got his meaning. Grasping his hand tighter, she whispered:  
-Thank you...  
Now it was the boy's turn to be confused:  
-What's wrong? Why are you crying? Ah! Do your feet hurt? You're not wearing shoes. Um, I can give you m--  
She cut him off by shaking her head, rubbing her eyes furiously to stop the tears:  
-Sorry, I'm such a crybaby. One good thing and there I go. Uh, I really should grow up already. It's just that I'm so bad at convincing people to do what's needed and then they get hurt if they don't do it! And it's all my fault, because I couldn't convince them! And you...you listened and stood up, so I'm just so happy. Ugh and here come the waterworks again. I really should stop.  
The younger Jayden frowned:  
-But crying is a sign of life. If you can cry that means you're alive. It's alright to cry, especially when you're happy. Crying doesn't make you weak, since birth it's always been a sign that you're alive.   
Jayden heart jolted as he heard the familiar words come out of his younger selves mouth. He had said those exact same words less than a little over a week ago to Alana on Rodia. It was strange to know that he'd said them to another person before if not in the exact same reason but for the phrasing. The little girl shook her head:  
-But I'm not. I might as well be--  
The younger boy cut her off by squeezing her hand tightly:  
-If you think you're alive, then you're alive. It doesn't matter what anyone else truly says. I think you're alive. I don't really understand what you mean by not being alive, but you seem real enough to me. Stay alive with me.  
Jayden's 10 year old self looked the girl in the face, bright honest hope in his green eyes. Jayden knew that back then she was like an angel that had appeared out of nowhere, someone who gave him the words he needed to hear: that someone was still there waiting for him, that there was someone who wouldn't hurt him. And she had been the only person back in the crowded Port Nowhere that had noticed him - a little more than a pile on bones. The little Jayden took her other hand and asked:  
-Will you help me? I want to try and live. Maybe you're right and maybe someone is still waiting for me. I'll give this life one last shot.  
The girl hesitated before asking incredulously:  
-You want my help? But I screw everything up! I mean I pop out of nowhere - most people would be scared half to death and I'm strange even with the Force and all--  
-I like you, kinda. You seem like a friendly and kind person. Please help me.  
-I,uh, alright. I'll do my best to help you. But promise me one thing?  
-I promise to stay alive as long as you too don't give up thinking that you're alive.  
-You drive a hard bargain, but I promise.  
-Then I give you my word. I promise to live.  
Suddenly the bond in Jayden's mind, which had been nothing but the white flame on the tip of a candle since he had closed the bond, exploded and became a blinding inferno. It burned brighter and stronger until Jayden was blinded by its light. Jayden gasped and jerked awake.  
   Jayden's consciousness slowly came back to him in bits and pieces, as his mind filled in the memory blanks. He'd fallen asleep, but why was he feeling so disoriented then? And then there were those memories to sort out. Jayden groaned softly and raised a hand to his aching head, closing his eyes. He opened them again and sat up slightly when he heard the door swish open. He raised his eyebrows at the sight of Risha entering the room, wearing odd pale-blue green clothes and a white doctor's coat. She sighed in relief when she saw he was up:  
-Ah, good. I was worried that the virus had mutated and become infectious. Seems like you were just exhausted. You shouldn't push yourself that far.  
Jayden sat up groggily, swinging his legs of the bed and pushing the covers back simultaneously:  
-I know. Sorry, but how long was I out?  
Risha calmly leaned her back against the wall and crossed her arms, with the air of one of those holonet reporters she calmly stated:  
-2 rotations.  
Jayden's eyes shot wide open, all traces of sleepiness erased:  
-Two whole days?! Isn't that a bit much?  
-If what your droid told me is true than it's a miracle that two days was all it took! Most people would be in a near death state! How are the two of you so idiotic?!  
Jayden looked up at the togruta, confused:  
-"The two of you"?  
-You and your partner,-Risha sighed,- I believe TK called her Alana?  
Jayden nodded in confirmation. Suddenly one of the sources of his disquiet clicked into place. His head shot up and, with a surprisingly steady voice, he asked:  
-How's Alana? Did you manage to isolate the illness's roots in time?  
Risha nodded, a tired look appearing on her face:  
-Yeah. It was a close call though. I don't think I could have managed it all without your droid.  
-So he can be useful when push comes to shove.  
-You two seem to have a special bond.  
-Not really. We tend to make Alana feel like she's running a daycare with our bickering.  
Risha watched Jayden attentively as he climbed out of bed and straightened the covers back out. She smiled at seeing the infamous Shadow in such a bizarrely normal setting:  
-Alana seems like a very intriguing person from what I can gather. TK has been telling me a few stories.  
Jayden sighed:  
-That idiot.   
-It's nothing that I can use against you, don't worry.  
-I'm not worried. He's just a little gossip queen sometimes and it's annoying.  
Risha laughed:  
-Well, that gossip queen is one of the people who saved your friend's life.  
-I know and I'm grateful. How is she by the way?  
-She's still unconscious, but that's to be expected. Brainwave activity indicates that she's dreaming though and since she's oddly calm it must be a good dream. I've put her on an IV drip for now, but the sooner she wakes up the better. Though I doubt she'll agree with me when she wakes up.  
Jayden raised an eyebrow:  
-Oh? Why is that?  
-Eh, she'll probably be feeling like a Bantha went tap dancing all over her whole body for a day or two. Thankfully, the recuperation won't take long. She seems to heal at a remarkable rate. I've never seen anything like that before.  
Jayden nodded:  
-I know. She can heal a cut on her cheek that drew blood in five minutes if she concentrates. At least that's what she told me. That and the fact that she has always recuperated at a much faster rate than a normal human.  
Risha shrugged:  
-I guess some people are just born lucky that way. Oh, I hope you don't mind, but I stayed in the common room of your ship and borrowed these scrubs for the last two days. I needed to keep an eye on the two of you and your droid was nearly out of power so I kinda stuck around. My normal clothes are in the wash so I'll change back into them soon.  
-Uh, its fine. Probably the least I could do.  
-You did save me from Jabba.  
-And then dragged you halfway across the desert to save the life of a stranger.  
-That is true, but the again you are Shadow so I can't exactly argue.  
Jayden sighed and turned to look Risha right in the eyes:  
-I know this will most likely make no sense to you, but right now you're looking at Jayden Callen - not Shadow.  
-Aren't you one and the same?  
-We are, but it's a little more complicated than that. Just understand that while Jayden and Shadow are fundamentally one and the same they're also different.  
-So you have a split personality disorder?  
Jayden heaved a sigh at her words:  
-No. Ugh, this is very hard to explain. Just take my word for it.  
-Whatever you say, chief. So what now?  
-Now, we go eat. Get changed back into your clothes. Alana would murder me if I cooked again and I owe you lunch for looking after me as well. Deal?  
Risha raised her arms in surrender as she walked out of the room:  
-Hey, I'd have to be an idiot to turn down a free meal!   
Jayden wasn't sure whether to laugh or roll his eyes. Well, she was very blunt. Not something that one commonly saw on Tatooine. Jayden groaned when he remembered on what dustball he was on. Damn, he hated this world.

==SW: LB==

-Mm! If I'm dreaming right now don't ever wake me up!  
Jayden snorted as he shoved a forkful of Wuher's special rice dish into his mouth, sitting across from Risha in one of the more secluded spots of the Cantina. He had changed into a casual white short-sleeved shirt, a brown sleeveless jacket with a tall collar, blue trousers and his usual black combat boots while Risha sat across from his looking like she was in heaven while wearing her usual ripped and sun-bleached clothes. Jayden rolled his eyes and, swallowing, pointed his fork at the togruta:  
-Are you really that impressed?  
-Well, yeah! The cooking here has always been good, but it's kinda pricey so I only stop here for drinks occasionally. Besides since I'm not paying so this tastes even better.  
-Don't tell me I'm the first client to take you to lunch to say thanks?  
Risha nodded, scooping up a spoonful of Gi dumpling soup made with wraith meat:  
-Yep. See, most my clients aren't that rich. You know, I've always wondered: just how rich are you? Everyone has their own speculations as you know.  
Jayden snorted as he recalled the rumours and smirked, leaning back in his chair a bit:  
-Wouldn't you like to know?  
-Yeah, that's why I'm asking.  
Jayden chuckled, unable to argue with such blunt logic. He picked up his glass and took a sip of the orange drink:  
-That would be telling.  
-No fair! Come on, can't you tell? Sharing is caring.  
Jayden grinned:  
-Who said I cared?  
Risha shot him a fake glare as she placed the spoon back in the now empty bowl:  
-You're a cruel man, Callen.  
Jayden raised an eyebrow, speaking in a sing-song voice:  
-You're playing with fire, Doctor.  
-Mm. If I'm insane enough to have lunch with Shadow himself, I think I'll be fine.  
-Possibly. And from that look I'm guessing you have questions.  
-A few.  
Jayden sighed and, replacing his cutlery onto his now clean plate, nodded for her to go ahead. Risha steepled her red fingers into a pyramid in front of her:  
-I may be overstepping a bit, but what's the deal between you and Alana?  
Jayden choked on his drink suddenly while Risha just smiled sweetly, a merry light dancing in her violet eyes. Coughing, Jayden shot her an incredulous look:  
-Where'd that one come from?  
-Oh, weren't you expecting it?  
-That was the last question I was expecting. I told you - she's my partner.  
-So its business only?  
Jayden hesitated. He didn't like the glint in Risha's eyes. Suspicions raised, he probed:  
-What'd the trash can tell you?  
-Oh, nothing major. Just from what I saw from you and from your droid's stories it's definitely not a normal business partnership.  
-Well, she and I aren't normal people. We're friends.  
-Hmm? Really?  
Risha took a sip from her own glass, looking at Jayden sceptically. Yep, she definitely didn't believe him, but she wouldn't push the boundary more that she should. There was something between those two, but she wasn't really sure what. It was elusive somehow. Still, she didn't for a second believe the bounty hunter's line about them being friends. Friends didn't act the way he did and she had seen the look he had had on his face when he had asked about her. Friends or no, there was definitely more than that between the two. Risha sighed, relenting for now:  
-Okay then. Is your ship really the Crimson Storm?  
-Sure is.  
-Woah. How'd you come across a piece of art like that?  
Jayden chuckled:  
-You sound like a friend of mine. It's a long story, but cut short I'd say it was more of an accident than anything else.   
-So you don't believe in fate?  
Jayden shrugged, tipping his glass back:  
-Fate and I have a love-hate relationship. I don't believe in fate, but I do believe there is a power of some sort out there. I've seen far too many odd things happen for there not to be.  
-Like the will of the Force?  
-Maybe, but I don't think it really controls anyone or anything.  
-So you believe in the existence of the Force?  
Jayden grinned and closed his eyes, lifting one hand and moving his fingers slightly. Risha's mouth dropped open as her glass levitated and wobbled in the air. She stared, her eyes flickering between the glass and the bounty hunter. She tentatively reached out and grasped the glass, as though afraid she'd break it. Jayden exhaled and opened his eyes, smirking self-confidently. Risha breathed out shakily, awe evident in her eyes:  
-Well, that's just....wow...uh...wow...  
-Wraith got your tongue, Doctor?  
Risha narrowed her eyes at him:  
-You certainly don't lack for confidence.  
-Nope, can't say I do.  
-But you're not a Jedi?  
Jayden shook his head, tilting his glass slightly:  
-No, I'm not.  
-And you're not a Sith?  
Jayden gave her an odd look and there was a pause before he spoke:  
-I don't know much about the Sith, so I'd say, no, I'm not one. You seem like you'd know quite a bit though. What's your deal with the Force?  
Risha heaved a sigh, crossing her arms over her chest defensively:  
-What makes you think I have any problem with it?  
-Your reaction back at the Tusken camp. You froze up once I mentioned it.  
The togruta sucked in a sharp breath and uttered a curse in Huttese before shrugging:  
-Well, I guess since you're sharing I can too. It's only fair. I'm not Force-sensitive, unlike you and unlike my older sister, however due to my sister being what she is I grew up hearing all about the Force and the Jedi, the Sith. It fascinated me, still does. I've never truly felt the Force around me, but I believe that it has a will and it has a role that I will one day play. I may not be able to interact with it like my oh-so-great sister, but I'm still part of it. We all are.  
Jayden was silent for a while before probing:  
-That doesn't explain your reaction.  
-It had been a while since anyone mentioned it to me so that brought back memories.  
-And your sister? I'm guessing you have a problem with her?  
Risha made a face as she put down her glass:  
-Not with her personally. Probably with my whole family.  
-I thought togruta were normally a very close-knit family race.  
-Oh, most of us are, but every species has it's odd balls. I guess I'm one.   
-And I'm guessing your sister is a Jedi?  
Risha nodded:  
-One of the best. I don't remember ever talking to her, but she's amazing. I occasionally see her in the reports. She's even on the Jedi Council from what I've heard. Though you wouldn't guess we're related, by our last names.   
-You're very open.  
-I don't see the point in lying right now. Shaak Ti is my older sister and I will never be as good as her. There I said it. There's no point in moaning and groaning. I prefer to be direct.  
-I've noticed. You're very blunt.  
-Hey, when you live on a planet full of scumbags and cheats you learn to be honest.  
A new voice suddenly chimed in:  
-I couldn't agree more.  
Risha and Jayden turned to look at the left to see a man with chestnut brown hair and pale green eyes approaching them with a glass in hand. Jayden instantly recognised him: Kai Lionis. Fate really had it out for him, didn't it? Kai smiled brightly at him and raised his free hand in greeting:  
-Hello again. I trust you're in a better mood.  
-Well, I'm not shooting anyone, am I?  
-No. Something good happen?  
-I suppose.  
-That's good, good. May I join you?  
Jayden lifted an eyebrow at Risha who gave a curt nod and turned to the Jedi:  
-Please, sit down. Do you two know each other?  
Jayden shrugged:  
-We've met, but I wouldn't say we know each other too well. He was in the throne room.  
-Oh. So you saw that?  
Kai nodded as he sat down beside the togruta:  
-Every bit. You were very foolishly brave.  
-Well, I wasn't about to lie down and die.  
-Hmm. Are you a doctor?  
-According to most people here I'm one of the best.  
-Ah, the fabled Miracle Healer. So, how'd he find you?  
-No clue. Jayden?  
The Mandolorian shrugged:  
-If you have good contacts and a good network you can find almost anyone.  
Kai nodded:  
-That's good advice. Probably should add it to the book of proverbs. So, Jayden, your ship is in Mos Eisely?   
-Yes, it is.   
-How's your partner doing?  
-Well, with Risha's help she's on the road to recovery.   
-I don't suppose I could meet this fabled partner of yours?  
Jayden hesitated. He didn't really trust Kai that much, but he liked the man and the man had been instrumental in getting to Jabba's palace so maybe he could. Jayden turned to Risha:  
-Well, she's unconscious right now, but if our doctor gives you the green light...  
Risha shrugged:  
-I don't see why not.  
-I don't want to intrude.  
Jayden waved it off:  
-Eh, I kind of owe you and I don't like owing people. Oh by the way, how good are you at pazaak?  
Kai looked uncomfortable:  
-Not too bad. Why?  
-Because I was thinking of challenging you, just now. If you win you meet my partner if not then you don't . Do you accept?  
-You haven't even issued the challenge!  
-Eh, details-shmetails. So you in?  
-I suppose. Not like have a choice...  
Risha laughed at the man's mumbled words:  
-Not with Shadow you don't.

==SW: LB==

\- I assume you're familiar with the rules of the game?  
Jayden checked with Kai as he lay out the auto deck as well as the hand deck on the table in the Storm's common room. Kai shrugged and rubbed the back of his head:  
-I think so. Is this the game where you have to get 20 using the hand deck and the accursed auto deck? No less no more? Oh and the number of cards left doesn't matter?  
Jayden nodded, in confirmation as he sat down across from the Jedi, on the opposite side of the semi-circle sofa:  
-Yeah. That's it.  
-Good. I almost confused it with Sabaac. If we were playing that I'd be done for.  
Risha, who was standing behind the sofa and leaning on it's back with her elbows, chuckled:  
-You could still be done for. From what I've heard from his droid he's one heck of a pazaak player.  
Kai cast Jayden an inquisitive and suspicious look to which the Mandolorian responded by raising his hands up in surrender:  
-I neither confirm nor deny those rumours.   
-That's all I'm going to get, isn't it?  
-Pretty much. Now, select for hand cards?  
Kai sighed but set about doing as he was told while Jayden selected his own. Moments later they were done and the first match of the set begun. Jayden seemed to be letting his luck run wild while Kai was playing it safe. Risha's smile grew wider as Kai made a crucial mistake. Grinning to herself, Risha innocently inquired:  
-Oh, I forgot to ask are the two of you playing Republic Senate rules or Nar Shaddaa?  
Jayden looked up from the game for a moment to shoot her a glare:  
-Obviously Republic Senate.  
Kai looked up from the game and looked between the two teenagers:  
-Do I want to know what the Nar Shaddaa rules are like? I know their rules for Sabaac, but this...  
Risha suddenly got an mischievous glint in her eyes:  
-Do you want to know?  
Jayden quickly shook his head at Kai:  
-No, don't let her corrupt your innocence!   
-My innocence? You're one to talk, Shadow.  
Jayden raised an eyebrow and shrugged:  
-I never said I was innocent. Trust me, you do not want to know what the Nar Shaddaa rules are like.   
Kai looked at him evenly for a minute before turning to Risha:  
-I want to know what the Nar Shaddaa rules are.  
Jayden facepalmed:  
-Don't say I didn't warn you. Well, I know never to go to you with mental issues at least, Zyran.  
-Oh, don't be such a spoilsport, Callen.  
Risha retorted as she leaned down and began to whisper into the Jedi's ear. Jayden watched with no small amount of humour as Kai's face first blanched and then began to grow redder and redder. By the end he looked as red as a Tatooine sunset. Leaning back in his seat, Jayden crossed his arms over his chest, grinning:  
-I warned you.  
Kai looked stuck in some sort of stupor while Risha started laughing. After a minute or two of this, she finally managed to calm down enough to slap the Jedi on the back and knock him out of the stupor. Still chuckling to herself, she began walking to the Medbay:  
-Well, you two have fun. I'm going to go check on how my patient is doing. See ya.  
Kai cast Jayden a look:  
-Well, she's a character.  
-I barely know her, but that's true. I'm grateful to her though, so grateful.  
Kai looked at the teenager who was looking at his hand cards, but his eyes were staring into one spot. Sighing, Kai placed his cards down and nodded at the kid:  
-Okay, let's get this over with. What's on your mind?  
-A lot of things. My mind is normally always buzzing with thoughts. It never shuts up.  
-Even when you're Shadow?  
Jayden nodded looking down at his hands, his expression serious:  
-Yeah, even then, it's buzzing. There are a few people who make the dark thoughts retreat though, who can make me stop seeing the blood on my hands. My partner is one of them and I'm so very grateful to Risha for saving her life.  
Kai looked at the young man searchingly before speaking:  
-Let me be blunt: Shadow, do you enjoy taking lives?  
-No. I do what is required of me. Nothing more, nothing less. Though I've long stopped feeling remorse too.  
-I see. So Shadow's humanity has died. And yet Jayden Callen's humanity remains intact. I understand now. Just what happened to make you the way you are?  
-A lot of things, Kai, a lot of things.  
Kai opened his mouth to speak, but before he could there was the sound of the Medbay door swooshing open and Risha's exasperated voice before a crash. Jayden stood to his feet, uncertainty and excitement rushing through his veins. Kai cast him a confused look, but the Mandolorian payed him no heed. The bond was shining brighter than ever within him. Risha's tired voice sounded:  
-Oh for star's sake, I told you so.  
Jayden turned around to see a young woman with bright midnight blue eyes struggling to stand back up with her shaking legs. In a few easy strides he made his way over to her and pulled her up, looping an arm around her waist to support her. She evidently had been too stubborn to listen to Risha and had tried to walk. Normally Jayden would tell her not to be so stupid, but right now the sight of her alive and awake was enough to make him hold his tongue. She smiled at him, Alana smiled her usual smile:  
-Hey. Thank you.  
-I've got your back.  
-Seems like literally this time around.  
-Seems so.  
The words were meaningless in comparison to the unspoken words the eyes conveyed. She was holding onto his arm with one hand while he was still supporting her by holding her at the waist. Somehow the world seemed to shrink for a moment as the bond blazed to life, reconnecting them. Both blocks were removed and Jayden could finally feel her worry, her relief, her happiness and her lingering fear. He smiled at her:  
-It's alright. I came back, see? You and I are both safe. I promised, remember?  
She nodded, exhaling softly:  
-I woke up and I was alone. I was afraid that it was Aroko all over again. Didn't notice TK until that togruta doctor came in.  
-That's Risha Zyran. She and TK saved your life. And over there is another participant of this whole crazy mission.  
Jayden looked over his shoulder to see Kai stand up. Alana turned around a bit and her eyes widened with shock. Kai looked between her and Jayden before blurting out, shock written on his features:  
-Alana?!  
The girl tightened her grip on Jayden's arm:  
-Master?!

==SW: LB==

Alana was sitting still on the Medbay bed, somewhat willingly subjecting herself to Risha's examination. When the red-skinned female finished, she stepped back, sighing:  
-Okay, you should be back to normal in a day or two with your insane recuperation speed as long as you don't pull any stunts like that again. Understand?  
Alana mock-saluted her:  
-Yes, m'am.  
-Also,-Risha levelled her patient with a stern look,- I'm confining you to bed rest for the day. And you better stay in bed, missy.  
Alana  frowned, but nodded:  
-Can I go back to my bunk at least? This whole white and grey room will drive me nuts.  
Risha snorted in amusement, but resolutely shook her head:  
-Sorry, but I'm worried about your health going south in the night so just endure these monitors one more day. Besides your droid handed me this, he said you might like to have it.   
Risha put down her medical datapad and handed Alana hers. The chip she had gotten from Eren via Jayden with a self-updating archive was inserted. Alana smiled faintly and gave Risha a grateful nod as she took it. Suddenly a question formed on her mind:  
-Hey, how'd Jayden even get ahold of you? You're something of a legend here from what TK's told me.  
Risha smiled slightly as she sat down in the chair beside the bed:  
-Well, he saved me from Jabba. Though I can tell you I certainly wasn't expecting Shadow to come storming into the throne room and  shooting up the place. You know, I'd heard rumours of Shadows exploits and his behaviour, but until I met him I don't think I really believed them. He killed half the room in two moves and took the rest hostage. Frankly put he was terrifying and the whole room seemed to freeze. I don't know how to describe it, but Shadow inspired so much horror and yet he was so--  
-Dangerously beautiful. I know. Shadow's darkness burns like a dark flame and lures all the light to it. You find yourself drawn to it and curious no matter how terrified and repulsed you are by what he does.  
Risha raised an eyebrow and her implant with it:  
-That's oddly poetic.  
Alana shrugged:  
-Just what I think.  
-Is that why you stay with Shadow? You don't seem like a typical person for a mass murderers partner.  
Alana shook her head, a faint smile on her lips:  
-Shadow may be what you claim he is, but Jayden, contrary to what he might think, is not a bad person. In all honesty as a Jedi I should have turned him in ages ago, but there's good in him - a lot more than he gives himself credit for.  
Risha's violet eyes widened:  
-You're a Jedi?  
-Sort of. I'm a trainee Jedi - a padawan.  
-Oh, so Kai was your teacher, your master?  
-Yep. I wonder how Jayden and Master are doing? I mean they said they're going off to the cantina for a drink and some serious one on one time. Master's probably going to talk Jayden's ear off or they're going to start fighting.  
Risha chuckled:  
-I should probably get some bacta patches ready in that case.  
Alana smiled:  
-That'd be a good idea.  
-You know for someone who just barely escaped death you're awfully energetic and cheerful. And I mean this in the best possible way. In my field that's like a breath of fresh air.  
Alana shrugged, her fingers tracing pattern idly on her blanket. This was just the way she was or had been for the past 6 years. She wondered if Risha's scans had revealed anything about the cause of her amnesia, but Alana didn't really want to bring that up. Unexpectedly, she found herself asking:  
-Um, Risha, why'd you get that implant?  
Risha lifted a hand to her forehead:  
-Oh, this? Kinda a long story. Short version: I'm nearly blind in my left eye after a certain amount of explosions and this implant regulates it. It's no big deal. I'm not a doctor or medic in the traditional sense, I improvise a lot and normally it pays off, but that requires me to put myself at risk. It's all worth it in the end though.  
Alana sighed as she lay back down:  
-I know what you mean. Sometimes you have to sacrifice things for other people and even though it hurts you, you're happy to see the others joy. That alone is consolation.  
Risha glanced at the other girl, stifling a yawn that'd come out of nowhere:  
-You seem like you speak from experience.  
-Maybe I am, I don't know. As a Jedi I've had to promise to sacrifice so many things and that hurts, but when I see the people I protect happy... Well, somehow that makes all the pain worthwhile. You see, it's a similar situation with Jayden right now.  
-What do you mean?  
-So he didn't tell you how I got hurt.  
-He had a strange expression on his face when he said you'd run into a Svaper on Rodia.  
Alana sighed. Closing her eyes, she mumbled:  
-I pushed him out of the way and got bit as a result. Knowing that dumbo, he feels guilty. He shouldn't, it was my decision to make and so the consequences are my fault. He's such an idiot sometimes.  
A new and very familiar voice came from the doorway:  
-Who's an idiot now? Are you seriously calling me names already?  
Both Risha and Alana turned to see Jayden leaning against the doorway with a raised eyebrow and that same cocky grin on his face. Alana smiled and poked her tongue out at him, teasing:  
-So what if I am, idiot? I'm allowed to have some fun. So, did the two of you punch each other to your heart's content? You were gone for a good while.  
Jayden shrugged, but winced immediately after:  
-I think we might have started a cantina brawl. Ow. You Master packs a serious punch.  
-I warned you.  
-Do shut up, princess. Can't you see I'm in pain here?  
-Oh, I can, but I don't care in this case.   
Alana was grinning from ear to ear as she saw her partner throw her a glare. She knew he wasn't really mad at her and she also had a pretty solid idea of what they'd been talking about. It wasn't that hard to guess, knowing her Master. Risha, meanwhile, has stood up and, shaking her head, she picked up two bacta patches and slapped one on to Jayden's shoulder and the other onto his cheek. She yawned again:  
-Sorry, I seem to be falling asleep.  
As if on cue the lights on the ship dimmed. Alana looked up, slightly surprised:  
-The night cycle has engaged already? It's this late?  
-You did sleep through most of the day.  
Jayden reasoned calmly before turning to the doctor in the room:  
-You should sleep in one of the crews bunks for the night. That way you can monitor her highness here and get some rest. The door locks.   
Risha looked uncertain:  
-You sure?  
-Yeah, you look out of it. Go get some rest. I'll make sure she stays in bed.  
Risha hesitated before nodding:  
-Alright. Alana, make sure to drink that mixture a bit later, alright?  
Alana grimaced, but nodded begrudgingly. Risha gave them a small wave before leaving. Jayden sighed and closed the door behind him, taking Risha's spot beside the bed. Alana looked at him carefully, all teasing  gone:  
\- Are you ok?  
Jayden nodded, smiling:  
-Yeah, your Master told me that he'd drop by tomorrow. And that he'd kill me personally if I ever hurt you.  
Alana snorted:  
-Yep, I was expecting that. He acts like my father sometimes. It's not like I'm in a relationship with you, what's with him?   
-I think he just cares in his own way. He doesn't trust me around you. I like him.  
The young Jedi sighed and pulled the blanket over her head, mumbling:  
-I'm not sure that's a good thing.  
Jayden grinned:  
-Why? Because you'll have two guys looking after you all the time?  
Alana shook her head and extracted it from beneath the blanket, the look in her eyes serious:  
-Remember Bestine IV? Unlike me my Master is extremely loyal to the Chancellor, blindly so. I doubt he'd let any personal attachment interfere with the order. Once he learns of the order... I dread to think what will happen.   
Jayden frowned, realising the gravity of the situation:  
-And if that happens...  
-I'll be forced to choose.  
Jayden shot her a bewildered look:  
-What do you mean?  
-I'll have to choose who to stand beside. I don't want to do that.  
Jayden didn't really know what to say to that. Her eyes held so much pain and he could see she truly believed that this possibility would come to pass. A part of him wanted to tell her that it didn't matter and that she shouldn't worry about that, but he knew Alana wasn't simple minded like that. Jayden frowned:  
-I don't really know what to tell you. The only thing I can promise is that I won't hold anything against you no matter what you choose. However, I'd rather we not talk about that right now. Is that alright?  
Alana nodded, exhaling softly. There was a moment of silence before she spoke again:  
-Where's TK? I haven't seen him since this afternoon.  
Jayden shrugged:  
-The tin can said that he had to get in touch with his contacts, whoever they are.  
-You know, I think he might have you beat for the title of Mystery Man.  
Jayden snorted:  
-He can have it. Never really wanted it anyway.  
Alana laughed quietly at his response. Jayden took this opportunity to study her. Her face had returned back to a healthy colour and the purple lines were nowhere to be seen, a healthy and lively light shone in her eyes. Jayden smiled: it seemed like whatever Risha had used had done the trick. Alana cast him a confused look:  
-Why are you smiling like that while looking at me? Do I look weird?  
Jayden shook his head:  
-No, I'm just happy to see you more or less back to normal. Last time I saw you you looked like you were dying and I guess you were.  
Alana sighed, her face morphing into an apologetic look:  
-I'm sorry. I didn't want to put such pressure on you. You know you can always tell me when I'm being a burden.  
Jayden rolled his bright green eyes and flicked her forehead lightly:  
-You're going to be a burden if you keep apologising so stop it.  
-Alright, I'll try, Captain.  
-You better, Master Jedi. I wouldn't want to impose a penalty on you.  
-Oh no, whatever shall I do?!  
Alana tried to keep a serious look on her face as did Jayden, but that didn't last long. A minute later they both started laughing. Trying to catch his breath, Jayden choked out:  
-Force, I missed you these last couple of days. I'm happy you're back.  
-I'm glad to be back. Did you have a hard time of it?  
-I managed.  
Alana extracted one hand from under the blanket and touched Jayden's hand, once again sending that tingle that came from the Force Bond across his skin. There was a strange look in her eyes as she quietly and gently spoke:  
-Show me.  
The tone was not a command, but not a plea either. It just was. Jayden sighed and nodded, leaning forward and resting his forehead against hers. He hesitated for a moment, searching for her eyes with his and quietly whispered, not even noticing that his hand had moved to grasp hers:  
-Are you sure?   
-I'm not made of glass, Jayden. I can handle myself.  
-I know.  
Taking a deep breath, closing his eyes and doing his best to ignore how close she was, Jayden opened his mind to hers and sent the memories of the past few days over the link. Instantly his mind felt as if it was on fire, vulnerable. He felt her hand tighten around his as pain assaulted her mind. Seconds later it was all over. Jayden opened his eyes and moved away from her, letting out a breath that he didn't know he'd been holding. The two of them had learned that they could share memories and experiences back on Bestine IV, but the memories were clearer and more solid if their heads were touching. Right now, Alana's mind was analysing the memories he had shared with her. It was an uncomfortable feeling at first, but the more they used the bond like this the easier it became. Jayden looked at Alana to see her taking deep and steady breaths, the cogs in her mind spinning before she opened her eyes. He hated the fact that he couldn't define what emotion was reflected in her eyes. He watched her face carefully, fully prepared to see the oh so common expression of revulsion, anger or the rarer disappointment on her face, but there was none - just acceptance. It took a moment for everything to click in Jayden's mind: she had accepted Shadow and him as one and she would not judge him for it, because after all he had seen her at her lowest and darkest point so far. She trusted him to make the right decision, to do what was necessary. It was strange, but the fact that she accepted, that she knew was a weight off his chest. All Alana quietly whispered was:  
-I'm sorry.  
-What in the blazes for?  
-I put that burden on you. You wore yourself out completely for my sake.   
-It's fine. I won't lie - I was desperate and I did sleep for the last two days as a result of pushing myself too far. Alana, you'd do the same for me and you have done the same for me over and over again.  
Alana looked a bit uncomfortable:  
-The only time was back on Bestine IV, back before that there were always others on the line and--  
-I just wanted to say thanks.  
-Um, uh, you're welcome.  
Jayden could barely suppress a grin from forming on his face at how flustered the young Jedi happened to be. He'd forgotten how easily he could catch her off-guard with small gestures like these. She rolled her eyes at his behaviour and pulled the blanket up to her chin. Jayden knew she was getting tired. For all of that insane Jedi's bravado she was still recovering and she needed rest. Jayden carefully poked her and reminded:  
-If you're going to go to sleep, Risha told you to take your meds beforehand.  
-I'm not sleepy,- Alana yawned, sitting up-, at all.  
-Uh-huh and I'm the king of sparkleland. Now stop being so damn stubborn and drink your medicine.  
Alana shot him a glare, but moved to do as she was told, muttering:.  
-Spoilsport.  
-Oh, stop being such a baby.   
-Yes, Dad.  
Jayden retaliated by flicking her forehead lightly again. Alana shot him a mock angry glare before reaching over and pouring the green-blue mixture into an adjacent glass. Alana picked up the glass and cast a sceptical look at the medicine. Jayden chuckled lightly:  
-I can promise it's not poison. Well, it's not lethal at least.  
-Gee, thanks for being so reassuring.  
-You're welcome.  
After casting Jayden another look Alana took a deep breath and gulped down the medicine in one go. It tasted bitter and  extremely sour, but as soon as it went down her throat Alana felt a lot better. It was like the remaining poison that was still pricking her from the inside was slowly and gently being lulled to sleep as if by a lullaby. Sighing and returning the glass to its original location, Alana lay back down in bed and pulled the blankets up to her neck. Jayden watched her silently, inwardly hoping that the worst was over and Risha's medicine would work. He didn't ever want to see her fade away like that or anyone else either. Outwardly exhaling, Jayden turned to the door and stood up:  
-Look's like Risha added a sedative to that medicine. You should sleep. We'll talk more tomorrow.  
He moved towards the door when he felt a tug on his jacket. He turned around to see a sleepy Alana holding on to it. She yawned and quietly mumbled:  
-Sorry, but can you stay just a bit longer? I know I'm acting spoiled, but just until I fall asleep. I don't want to have that nightmare again and maybe having someone with me while I fall asleep will help. Please?  
Her eyes were half-lidded and she was definitely drifting off to sleep, but Jayden sighed and returned to his seat, taking her hand in his. He remembered asking for the same thing when he had been a kid, but back then nobody would stay with him. Though he knew that Alana was in no way a kid, seeing her so vulnerable and in such a fragile state made him feel protective of her and so he'd stay. After all it was no big deal. Stroking her fingers absentmindedly in a shooting motion as he vaguely remembered his mother doing, Jayden nodded:  
-Alright, but after today I'll need you back to normal.  
Alana sleepily smiled:  
-Aye aye, Cap'n. You know, you look sad.  
Jayden furrowed his brows in confusion:  
-I do?  
-Yes. You looked kind of thoughtful and sad a minute ago. What's up?  
-The ceiling, princess.  
-Don't joke around.  
Jayden sighed:  
-You're going to be stubborn until the end, aren't you?  
-I think you know the answer to that question.  
Jayden rolled his eyes at her obstinance and looked down at her hand. It was smaller and more slender than his. That reminded him once again that despite the scars it bore, that despite the power that it wielded - it was still a girl's hand. Alana Sheelan was still just a teenage girl with all the weaknesses and strengths that came with it. Though she was definitely much stronger than most and that was one of the reasons it hurt to watch her quietly fade away. Jayden's lips turned up in a humourless smile:  
-Just wondering if you're a ghost or not.  
Alana gave an exaggerated sigh and sarcastically exclaimed:  
-Oh dear, you have figured out my secret and exposed me for what I have become! Whatever should I do?!  
-And there you go ruining a perfectly good moment.  
Alana yawned as she cast a surprised look at him:  
-We were having a moment?  
-Seemed like it before a dummy ruined it.  
-Sorry, I'm just not very good with any of this stuff.   
-I've noticed.  
-Jerk.  
-And yet you put up with me.  
-I don't know why.  
Alana muttered sleepily, only half-serious. Jayden smiled:  
-Neither do I, but I'm grateful.  
-You're welcome. And Jayden?  
-Hm?  
-Thank you for doing what you did.  
-You're welcome.  
Jayden echoed back at her. He knew she was nearly asleep and somehow that prompted him to say what he couldn't before. Averting his eyes, Jayden whispered:  
-Just don't fade away again like that again. You scared me half to death.  
There was no reply for a few moments before Alana suddenly intertwined her fingers with his. Jayden looked at her, a bit shocked at her actions to see her smiling gently. In a voice that held something indiscernible she replied:  
-Thank you for caring so much.  
-Promise me.  
-I can't. I don't control life, but I'll do my best. As long as you need me to stay, I will. I promise you that much.  
Jayden was suddenly painfully reminded of that girl from his memories. Something inside him told him that it was most probably that same person, but he knew now was not the time to talk about it. Alana eyes slowly closed as sleep tugged at her. Jayden looked at her quietly and sighed. She was hopeless, but he did need her. Her promise meant much more to him than she probably knew.   
  Sighing, Jayden suddenly even for himself took the back of her hand and pressed it to his lips, placing a gentle chaste kiss on it. Alana opened her eyes in surprise, but he simply smiled at the tinge of pink on her cheeks and returned her hand to her. The sleep medicine decided that this was a perfect time to kick in and despite Alana's elevated heart rate she slowly felt her eyelids drooping. Hazily she saw Jayden stand up and move towards the door. The last thing she remembered was him wishing her good dreams before she sunk into the blissful dark abyss of sleep.

==SW: LB==

-Is the seriously no way you'll come with me?  
-Nope.  
-Really really?  
-Yep.  
-Are you a thousand percent certain?  
-For the last time, Master, I'm sticking with Jayden as his partner and co-pilot and there's no way in the nine corellian hells I'm changing my mind. And, look, TK is here too!  
The little droid who was running some odd calculations at Alana's side gave an affirmative chirp, stating that he was more than capable of protecting the two organics. Kai sighed and ran a hand through his hair on habit, one he couldn't seem to break:  
-But, Alana, Jayden's a boy. He's male.  
Alana crossed her arms and glared at her Master over the activated dejarik board from her position on the semi-circle sofa:  
-You're male too and I don't recall you having any problems with me being close by. Heck, we've basically been living together as Master-padawan for 6 years along with J2.  
-There's a difference!  
Alana sighed as she pressed a button to move her K'lor' slug two spaces, cornering her Master's Savrip. He was way too overprotective. It wasn't like Jayden had a thing for her or she for him and there was always TK. For Star's sake she was a Jedi! If Alana was anything she was true to her word and since she had vowed to abstain from things like love and so on she'd keep her word. She was stubborn enough to keep her promises and so she never made them lightly. As her Master's Mantellan Savrip tried to make a break for it Alana's k'lor' slug bit its head off, the younger Jedi cast her elder a look:  
-I can look after myself.  
-I know you can, but Alana..  
-No, means no, Master, and that's final.  
-You're so damn stubborn, too stubborn.  
Alana's frowned turned into a small smile as she pressed another button:  
-Like that's news to you. You've been stuck with me for six years, old man.  
-And we're back to name calling, little girl.  
-Like you weren't expecting that.   
-I was hoping you'd grown a little respect over the last two months.  
Alana snorted as her Kintan spider moved to corner her master's Molator and Grimtaash:  
-Fat chance of that. You're slipping, old man.  
-Yeah, yeah, I should have known better.  
Alana hummed her agreement as she moved her Ng'ok into position. Her Master was leaving himself wide open. As he moved his own K'lor' slug to back her M'onnok into a corner, grinned:  
-You really should pay better attention. You lose.  
Kai looked down at the board to see that Alana had him locked into a kintan strider death gambit, one of the oldest tricks in the book. He shot her a death glare to which she just shrugged:  
-Don't be a sore loser, Master.  
-You cheated.  
-How?  
-You used my distraction to your advantage!  
Alana gave him a look:  
-All's fair in love and war! So since I win I get to make you do one thing.  
Kai groaned, remembering the terms of the game. Alana's mischievous face was not helping matters at all. Suddenly a new voice joined in, coming from the ship's entrance:  
-Oh, so what are we making the Pirate Jedi do?  
All three occupants of the room turned in the direction of the voice to see a certain Mandolorian enter the common room. Alana raised a hand in greeting:  
-Hey! Back from whatever errand you had to run?  
-Yeah. Just finished negotiating a deal with my Jawa friends.  
-Why am I not surprised?  
-Maybe because you've been stuck with me two months?  
-Possibly. Or maybe you're just too predictable.  
-Oh, now that's a low blow, princess.  
-Deal with it, hunter.  
Alana teased, poking her tongue out at him childishly. Kai sighed, looking at the pair and quietly grumbled under his breath:  
-This is exactly what makes me worried...  
TK quietly buzzed, telling the Jedi to let it go. It wasn't worth turning his grey over. Kai shot the droid a glare, only causing him to chortle. Great, now TK was joining in on Alana's joke. Jayden cast Alana a concerned look:  
-Should you be out of bed?  
-Yep, Risha gave me the all clear and my usual clothes.  
Jayden looked around, realising that he had yet to see the rather noticeable togruta. She didn't appear to be anywhere on the ship. He turned to Alana and Kai who appeared to be having a glaring contest because of something the male Jedi had said:  
-Hey, where is Risha?  
Alana tore away from the glaring contest to shrug:  
-She said she had something to do and asked that we wait for her before we leave. Why?  
-Just wondering,-Jayden replied as he sat down on the floor beside TK,- I'm a bit worried, too.  
-That's unusual. Usually, I'm the one worrying my head off.  
Alana remarked as she restarted the dejarik board, making Jayden snort and Kai shake his head while TK gave his version of a droid chuckle. Jayden shook his head, explaining:  
-No, I mean she'll have half the planet gunning for her now. Jabba wanted her dead then and now that she's linked with Shadow it'll be twice as bad. She's good in a fight, but I'm not sure that even I could take half of Tatooine on.  
Alana frowned, a thoughtful expression on her face. Kai sighed:  
-I know that look.  
Jayden nodded at the Jedi:  
-That's the one where she has an idea, right?  
-Yeah and usually it's the last one you'd expect.  
-Beep.  
Alana cast her three companions a look:  
-Like the three of you have any room to talk. No, I was just thinking that there's a way to help Risha and both she and we will benefit from it.  
Kai drew a triangle between the crew of the Crimson Storm:  
-And by we you mean a crazy homicidal droid, a mass murdering Mandolorian bounty hunter with manners and you?  
-Yep.  
-I should have known. So what's your newest harebrained plan?  
-Excuse you! It's not harebrained - it's a stroke of brilliance!  
Kai facepalmed:  
-Now I see why you two make such a good pair. You're both overly dramatic. No, this is literally a team made in heaven!  
Jayden snorted:  
-I doubt a lot of people would agree.  
-I don't know why. It's not like you cause chaos no matter where you land.  
Kai retorted sarcastically, remembering Alana's recount of the events of the past two months. Alana rolled her eyes: her Master was officially pouting. He really couldn't get over the fact that she'd really grown up and she wanted to stick with a boy that just happened to be her own age. Alana was sure her Master was glad that she was a Jedi, she didn't want to think how he would react if she was a normal girl and was getting married. Alana shook her head, biting her cheek to keep herself from laughing. The mental image was just rather comical to her mind. Alana shrugged, replying to her Master's comment:  
-Not our fault. Trouble seems to love us in a borderline psychotic way.   
Jayden and TK laughed, Kai couldn't resist cracking a smile at his Padawan's response. Alana had always been something of a "cheering up" person. She was often someone you could turn to if you needed to be cheered up. He certainly didn't approve of Alana hanging around the kid, but he supposed they were both good kids with a passable amount of common sense so he really shouldn't be so worried. Alana had certainly changed, but it was for the better. Maybe that kid and the droid were actually a good influence on her. Jayden nudged his partner's foot with the toe of his boot:  
-So what's your grand plan for helping Risha?  
-Simple: we take her with us.  
Kai and Jayden stared at her while TK piped up, stating that that was actually a good idea seeing how often Alana and the idiot captain got into trouble plus Risha knew her weapons. Kai, however, cast Alana a stern look:  
-Alana, don't joke like that.  
The Consular levelled the Guardian with a calm look:  
-I'm not joking. This would keep Risha save from Jabba and it would help us. I like her and it's not like the Storm is full. But then again the decision is ultimately Jayden's since it is his ship.  
Jayden looked thoughtful as he sat crossed legged on the floor. He spoke slowly, mulling Alana's suggestion over:  
-Well, I personally have no objections - a medic would be handy, but the question is whether Risha wants to come and if she can put up with the three of us.  
-That's...a valid point. We can be hard to deal with.  
-That's an understatement.  
-Beep.  
A heavy silence settled over the crew, making Kai feel a little out of place. He knew what Alana meant and given who and how they were the concern was a valid one. It was an odd bunch for certain: An amnesiac mysterious Jedi, the Death's Hand with manners, an astromech with an unhealthy love for violence and to top it all off a ship that had legends told about it. Kai wasn't sure he had ever seen a weirder collection of oddballs and that was saying something given the fact that he had travelled the galaxy as a Pirate, but something told him that perhaps that medic, the Miracle healer was just like them - a misfit, someone who could fit in this weird crew. However, Kai knew it wasn't his place to voice this speculation so he remained silent.  
   Suddenly the silence was interrupted by the sound of rushed footfalls against the metal boarding ramp. Moments later the subject of the previous conversation came hurtling in to the common room, out of breath. Struggling to draw oxygen into her lungs fast enough, Risha barely managed to get out:  
-We....have....to...go...NOW!  
Her speech was broken and chopped up, but everyone got her message. TK and Jayden instantly mobilised while Alana and Kai reached into the Force to try and figure out what was going. They instantly felt it - the red hot malicious presences slowly converging on the Docking Bay. Over their link Alana notified Jayden:  
-Jayden, multiple hostiles incoming!  
-Roger that! You find out what happened with Risha while TK and I focus on getting us into the planet's orbit at least.  
-On it. May the Force be with you two.  
-Good luck.  
The conversation cut off there and Alana shakily got to her feet, cursing the fact that her muscles and her nervous system were still on the blink from time to time. She crouched down next to Risha who was sitting on the floor struggling to catch her breath, evidently she'd been running for a long time. Alana sympathised - the feeling of your lungs burning was definitely not a nice one. Quietly in a calm and steady voice that surprised even her, Alana asked:  
-Are you ok? Any injuries?  
Risha shook her head:  
-A few scrapes and blaster burns, but other than that I'm okay. How good are those two at flying?  
-Well, they managed to land the ship on a ridiculously thin platform on a water plan as we came hurtling through the atmosphere with no warning at all and half of our sensors on the blink. That good enough?  
Alana smiled, standing up and holding out a hand to help Risha up. The togruta nodded:  
-That should do.  
Alana laughed lightly before her amusement melted away. She pushed Risha to sit down between her Master and her before asking:  
-What happened?  
Risha sighed. She looked thoroughly worn out. Alana didn't want to push her, but Jayden was right - they needed to know what to expect. Though her partner hadn't said exactly that she knew Jayden well enough to guess what he would do, besides if her journey over the last two months had taught her anything it was to expect the unexpected and she intended to do just that. Slowly, the togruta started speaking with Alana and Kai watching her silently:  
-I was going to speak to the sandpeople clan I'm allied with. I wanted to see if my student was alright and what news they had. I met up with them just fine and they were alright, but the chieftain told me something really strange,-Risha looked between Kai and Alana,- Do either of you know much about your Jedi and Sith relics?  
Kai pointed to his student:  
-She's the history nut here.  
Alana cast Kai a glare, but nodded in confirmation of his words:  
-I am decently versed in artefacts as they appear multiple times throughout history.   
-Oh, good. One of the warriors of the tribe I'm allied with had killed the enemy chieftain and had found these. The chieftain gave them to me, saying he wanted nothing to do with them.  
Risha reached into one of her belt pouches and pulled out  eight small pyramidal shapes. Alana frowned and exchanged a look with Kai. Risha continued:  
-This is just a wild guess on my part, but this probably has something to do with the Force artefacts and whatnot. I mean I'm not Force-sensitive, but judging from what I know these look like a pieces of a holocron. A Jedi one if I had to guess, but they send chills up my spine.  
Alana bit her lip, suspicions blooming in her mind. She had an idea, but wouldn't it be too good to be true? Kai frowned:  
-But to tear a holocron apart you'd need considerable strength and that's not mentioning how tricky it is to corrupt the pieces of a Jedi one. It's almost impossible these days.  
Alana slowly shook her head, her expression grim:  
-Not if you know how to do it. Risha, can I see those?  
-Sure. I was going to hand them over to you anyway, seeing as you're a Jedi and all. Even better if you know what these are.  
-I have a feeling I do. Give me a moment.  
Alana closed her eyes and grabbed the quickly fading Dark Side Force presence that was on these pieces. An Image bloomed in her mind's eye. She saw a man, relatively young ,handing these over to a sandpeople chieftain. He was dressed in light grey robes which clashed a both with his darker grey hair. With a jolt Alana recognised the presence: the Sith that was hunting her. Alana opened her eyes and studied the pieces intently, her eyes widening when she caught sight of a familiar mark. A soft gasp leaving her lips, Alana shot to her feet and passed the pieces to Kai. She shot him a warning look:  
-Those pieces have been severely corrupted with the dark side by our mutual friend and I wouldn't take any chances. They and ultimately he corrupted the sandpeople. I have an idea how to purify them. Hold them.  
And with those parting words she bolted towards the crew quarters, leaving a confused Kai and Risha behind. Risha wanted to warn her not to run like crazy in her condition, but decided not to waste her breath. She had already figured out just how stubborn and reckless Alana Sheelan could be. It was no use. Still, if Alana's suspicions were correct this  "friend" she had mentioned was trouble, but why did he corrupt the sandpeople like that and why did Alana look like she'd figured something out? Risha guessed she'd just have to wait and see, but time was ticking and she hadn't even told them the most crucial part of what had happened yet. Alana came hurtling in a few seconds later a three dimensional gold-blue hexagon in her hands. She sat back down and held out a hand for the pieces. Thoroughly confused, Kai passed them over to her. Alana suddenly felt the pieces and the hexagon begin to resonate with each other. She nodded to herself before placing the hexagon on the table in front of the couch (which could work as a pazaak, dejarik, Sabaac and a normal table) and surrounding it with the 8 pyramidical pieces. They all began to faintly glow with a golden light. Taking a deep breath, Alana closed her eyes and reached out with the Force. Kai and Risha watched in silence as the gold light intensified and the pieces levitated before there was a bright flash of light and a click. The next second, when everyone could see again a slightly odd, but a distinctly familiar object sat on the table. Opening her eyes, Alana took the Jedi holocron into her hands. A small smile played on her lips. She knew whose holocron this was from the memory flash she'd experienced on Bestine IV, but now was not the time to open it. Kai looked at his student in wonder:  
-So those were holocron pieces and you had the other piece? How? Where? Why?  
-Cool it, Master. Now's not the time for answers. Risha, can you finish your story?  
The togruta nodded and after taking a deep breath continued:  
-I said goodbye, told Shuxto (my student) to take care, started making my way back to Mos Eisely on one of the Banthas they gave me and that's when they attacked. It was at the halfway point. I have no idea who they are: maybe they're exchange or Jabba's men or a third party. It doesn't matter. Point is they tried to kill me and chased me all the way to the hangar. Sure, I have a decent amount of enemies since I seem to piss people off, but this was the first full scale assault in years. I barely managed to get here and I'm hoping we can outrun them by going to orbit. That's it.  
Alana opened her mouth to say something, but the next second the ship shook violently and a shrill cry of alarm came from TK. Alana pressed the intercom on the side of the couch:  
-Jayden, what in the blazes was that?  
Jayden's tense and frustrated voice came over the intercom:  
-We just managed to leave the atmosphere, but,-Jayden cursed under his breath as the ship lurched once more, - we have company in orbit.   
Kai and Risha exchanged a look, but Alana payed them no heed, her mind snapping onto emergency mode. She stood up and started heading towards the turrets:  
-How many?  
-A dozen at least, maybe two.  
-On it. I'll take the left gun.  
Risha unexpectedly chimed in:  
-Then I'll take the right. I'm not too bad. Between the two of us we should be able to handle those fighters.  
Jayden sighed over the intercom:  
-Alright, I'll be counting on you. Kai?  
-Yeah?   
-I need help in the cockpit.   
-On my way. Alana, Risha, may the Force be with you.  
The girl's nodded their expressions serious. Just before the corridors to the turrets split Alana held out a hand to Risha. The togruta took it, making the Jedi smile a bit:  
-Welcome to the team.  
Risha's eyes widened:  
-Are you serious?!  
-Yeah. I'm sure our honourable captain will give you the full speech later. That is if you want to join us?  
-Well, you guys seem like a decent bunch and Jabba will kill me if I go back. I'll be happy to join if you'll have me. Had a feeling I couldn't stay on Tatooine anyway. Didn't expect such a sudden welcome.  
-Then you'll definitely be welcome aboard the Storm. Oh and you should probably learn to expect the unexpected when it comes to our little group.  
Jayden's voice cut across the conversation they were having:  
-Hey, not to interrupt anything, but we're being shot at here!  
Alana let go of Risha's hand and exchanging a nod the girl's hurried towards their assigned turrets. After  sliding down the ladder and jumping the last few rungs, Alana slid into the gunner's seat. Soon the darkness of realspace before her eyes was alight with blue and red turbolaser fire. Risha's voice sounded in Alana's headset:  
-Alana, two buggers coming in at 3 o'clock!  
-On it.  
Alana quickly spun around on the turret and fired three laser volleys at the two V-19 torrent starfighter swooping in towards them. One of the two managed to dodge while the other's wing was hit. In rapid succession  Risha and Alana took out the two. Suddenly the scanners started beeping and Kai's voice came over the headset:  
-Girls, we have another bunch approaching. Bombers by the looks of things.  
Alana cursed softly under her breath and spun around to where the Force was directing her, her shots narrowly missing three repainted Y-wings. Alana sighed:  
-Damn it, looks like they've got some good smugglers. Risha, can we corner them?  
-We can certainly try, but the shields--  
-Beep-dweet-reet-dwop!  
TK cut across them by stating that he had boosted power to the starboard side of the ship and that they should prepare for a flip, also it appeared that there were a few frigates approaching. They had to take care of things quickly. Alana took a deep breath and nodded to herself:  
-I take them from the right, you take them portside.  
-Roger that.  
The ship suddenly flipped sideways to protect it's vital systems just as the bombers began their attack run. Instantly the bombers changed course and tried to swerve around the ship, but soon found themselves under unexpected assault by four turrets - two topside and two from the hull. They were cornered. The pilots seemed inexperienced and nervously jolted, slamming the y-wing between them into nothing, but debris. Alana, Risha and TK (who had assumed control of the two hull side turrets) chose that moment to take care of the other two. Alana heard Risha and TK give a happy shout over the headset, but as far as she was concerned this was not over until they left the system free and clear. Taking off her headset, Alana stood up and climbed back up the ladder, only wincing a bit when the ship righted itself again - the flips had a tendency to make people dizzy. Hurriedly, Alana made her way to the cockpit and stood beside the scanners, looking down at their readings seriously. Ignoring the confused look Kai gave her for the moment, Alana addressed Jayden:  
-Those frigates are--  
-Hutt-class stuff, yeah.   
-Can we take them out?  
-No, not with the Storm. I haven't calibrated her for major battle.  
-Kriff!  
Kai shot Alana a stern look:  
-Language, young lady.  
-Sorry, Master. Can we outrun them, hunter?  
Jayden sighed:  
-There's no point. The best thing we can do now is jump to another star system.  
-I sense a but coming.  
-We still--  
Whatever Jayden was about to say was cut short as the ship started shaking from the assault the frigates had unleashed on her. Jayden muttered something under his breath before turning to Kai:  
-Can you do anything about that? I need time to warm up the hyperdrive.  
Alana snapped her fingers as an idea came to mind:  
-Master, do one of your illusions! You're really good at those?  
-I can distract them with that, yes, but only for about two or three minutes.  
-That'll be plenty. Risha, TK, take care of any snubs that come after us.  
-Beep.  
-Alana, take over co-piloting.  
Alana nodded and switched places with her Master who sand down on the floor, cross-legged and closed his eyes. As they swerved out of the way of a few proton torpedoes that a another torrent V-19 fighter unleashed on them, Jayden asked:  
-Is he supposed to be still like that?  
Alana didn't look up from the controls as she answered:  
-It's a meditative trance. The illusions will be stronger that way.  
-Got it. Seems like it's working. They've changed their firing line. Good thing too - the Storm's shields are down to thirty five percent. The hyperdrive is nearly ready.  
Alana hummed her agreement as she turned to the hyperdrive control console:  
-Where to?  
-Pick any Republic Star system. Preferably one that's peaceful.  
-Hm, I guess I'll just input the last chosen coordinates then.  
Alana muttered the last part under her breath. The last input coordinates led to a system within the Senex-Juvex sector and as far as she knew there were only minor pirate skirmishes here and there. Risha's voice came over the intercom:  
-Um, guys, hate to interrupt, but are any of you monitoring the sensors.  
-No, kind of busy here.  
-Well, there's an azlus-class dreadnought heading right for us from the planet.  
Alana cast Jayden a worried look:  
-The hyperdrive--  
-30 more seconds.  
-Risha?  
-I don't think we have that long. I've seen this one before, we're pretty much screwed if it opens fire.  
Alana suddenly grabbed the controls and shot Jayden a look:  
-Do you trust me?  
-With my life. Go ahead.  
-Risha, open fire on my mark. Don't panic.  
-Uh, Okay?  
Alana took hold of the controls and suddenly turned the ship around. Instead of moving the Storm away from the dreadnought Alana headed straight for the ship. She could sense the shock through the Force, but she couldn't care less. She charged straight forward. The dreadnought opened fire, but Jayden weaved through the line of fire more or less. She was grateful for Jayden's trust in her, his unwavering trust because without it she would probably be unable to be so focused on it. That was just the nature of their bond. As Alana charged straight for the brodge of the dreadnought with grim determination she felt panic erupt. A small dark smile flitting across her lips Alana called:  
-Now, Risha! Focus on the main forwards batteries!  
A barrage of laser volleys was unleashed on the dreadnought the next second, but suddenly a good amount of smaller and well-equipped ships started heading for the Storm which was still on a steady collision course with the bridge. Not daring to tear her eyes off the viewport, Alana warned:  
-Jayden...  
-I'm on it. Five more seconds.  
On the first second they started encircling them and the Storm flew towards the bridge. On the second second they were caged in and the bridge was only 50 or so meters away. On the third second the ships started firing and the storm rocked, 35 meters left. On the fourth second alarms about low shields started ringing across the Storm, 15 meters left. On the fifth second the Storm's left sublight engine was shot and there were only 5 meters left. Suddenly Alana and Jayden jerked the levers back simultaneously and TK activated lightspeed. The Storm vanished as if it had never been there at all.  
   Now in the blue vortex of hyperspace Alana, Jayden and the rest of the occupants breathed a sigh of relief with Kai standing up and opening his eyes and Risha making her way into the cockpit. She looked between the pilot and the co-pilot:  
-I cannot believe you two did that! That was almost suicidal! Impossible!  
Alana and Jayden looked at each other and TK before all three of them chorused:  
-The impossible is our specialty.  
Kai shook his head at the group:  
-Teenagers.  
Alana sighed and slumped back in the seat slightly, motioning Risha and Kai to sit down on the other two empty ones. She cast her Master an apologetic look:  
-Sorry for dragging you into all this.  
-It's not like you could help it. Just drop me off at the nearest star port and I'll be fine. J2's waiting for on Druckenwell.  
Alana smiled slightly:  
-How is that crackpot?  
-Oh, as grumpy as ever. Probably crashed the ship 10 times over.  
-Hm, probably. Well, we're heading to,- Alana glanced at the screen,- Asmeru in the Asmeru system. It'll be another 8 hours though.   
Jayden unexpectedly facepalmed and TK gave an alarmed whistle. From behind his hand Jayden mumbled:  
-Did you just say Amseru?  
-Um, yes?  
-Damn it. I was hoping to have more time.  
-Sorry, I just input the last coordinates! I didn't know!  
Risha looked between Alana and Jayden:  
-What's on Asmeru?  
Placing his head down on the console, Jayden muttered:  
-It's more like who's above Asmeru.  
-Who?  
-My target. A certain criminal boss that the Republic blindly and stupidly ignores.  
Kai sighed:  
-The Republic--  
Alana held up a hand to cut him off right there and then:  
-Oh no, we are not arguing about politics today. No way. If you boys want to go at each other's throats about who's what and why please do it when Risha and I aren't in the room.  
Risha cast Alana a curious look and mouthed the word "why?". Alana simply raised one hand to her head and drew circles at her temple with a finger, indicating that things would get crazy. Alana stood up:  
-Well, we should all probably get some rest. Right, captain?  
-Right. You girls are bunking together, ok?  
Alana shrugged:  
-Never had a roommate before. Might be fun.  
-Ditto there.  
Alana and Risha cast each other a warm smile. The two girls didn't know each other too well, but so far they seemed to get along just fine. Nodding in approval, Jayden turned to Kai:  
-You can sleep in the Medbay if you want. We've cleaned it up.  
-I think I'll take you up on that offer.  
-TK, you're in charge of monitoring stuff.  
-Beep!  
Jayden stood up and stretched:  
-Well, that's about it for today. See you in the morning, everyone!  
One by one the occupants wished each other a good night and headed to their assigned sleeping quarters, leaving TK in the cockpit. The droid watched them go a somehow warm feeling inside him. It seemed they had added another eccentric organic to the crew roster, but perhaps this wouldn't be so bad after all. Especially since she was an organic who evidently loved weapons as much as he did!


	50. Chapter 48 - Parting and Melding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'm back. It's been a while, but I had a bit of writer's block. I'm moving and the internet connection is a problem so I don't know when I'll be able to update next. Anywho, this is not my best work, but I believe it deserves a passing grade. Don't mind the randomness, that's just how the characters behave. Anyway, welcome to Asmeru! New planetary arc that should focus more on the main storyline from Jayden's side and Alana's fully back in the game too! Risha's a tricky one to write, but I think she's new and I'm just not used to writing her yet. Hope she doesn't annoy the life out of you! Enjoy!

======SW: LB======  
Chapter 48 - Parting and Melding 

Sleep had never come easily to Alana Sheelan, but when it did it was never dreamless. Restless ghosts of a shattered past haunted her at every turn, voices she could not place whispered in her ear and it seemed a permanent cold chill had settled between her shoulder blades. This time was no different. At first it was all like always: whispers, images she did not recognise and then silence. A silence that was deafening. And then Alana heard it - a voice, one that haunted her and made her feel raw, honest fear. The Sith's voice. It was echoing all the words he had spoken on loop and somehow that chilled Alana to the bone. And then she saw them-the glinting yellow eyes in the dark and the blood red lightsaber with a black core. Alana's heart began thumping furiously in her chest and ice cold fear rushed through her veins. His voice was quiet and cold as he spoke, but there was a maliciousness to it, a darkness:  
-Time to die, Alana Sheelan.  
Alana tried to run, but found herself glued to the spot. No! Not now! She didn't want to die! Not in this desolate place! A burning throb suffused her head as an in image was pulled from behind the rolling clouds of amnesia. She saw him again: the Sith Lord was standing on the grass in a place Alana instantly identified as Aroko, but he looked a bit younger somehow and she could see his face - a scar that ran up to his eye most likely from electricity, yellow eyes and dark grey hair. In the background Alana noticed explosions bloom and multiple streaks of light clash together before coming apart. The lights were blue, green, yellow, purple, orange, light blue and red in colour. Alana heard a small voice whisper in her mind as she looked upon this version of the Sith - Darth Tenebris. She remembered, she remembered his name and she remembered the way he looked when she'd first met him. Alana snapped back to the present to see Tenebris raise his blade to strike her down and she couldn't move a muscle. Alana opened her mouth to scream and--  
   Alana suddenly jerked awake, her heart racing at a million parsecs an hour and the fringes of her hair stuck to her sweaty forehead. Alana sat up and slowly attempted to regain both her breath and her bearings. It was just a dream, just another terrifying dream. It'd been a while since she'd had a nightmare. Sighing, the young Jedi lay back down and curled up into a ball. She hated being vulnerable like this. She couldn't let her fear of Tenebris (she knew his name now!) affect her. Not like this. Otherwise she really would be dead when the time came. Alana didn't have any concrete proof, but she knew inside that a final one on one confrontation between her and him was inevitable. Alana shook her head slightly- she didn't want to think of that at all. She lay in bed like that for another fifteen minutes before accepting the fact that this was again going to be a sleepless night. Checking the chrono, Alana saw that it was just a few minutes to five in the morning. Quietly, so as not to wake the calmly sleeping Risha who amusingly enough had a tendency to sleep with her mouth open slightly, Alana dressed in her usual clothes and left the room, the lock engaging behind her.   
   Alana paused in the hallway, listening to the quiet and soothing hum of the hyperdrive as the ship propelled them towards their next undoubtedly chaotic destination: Asmeru. Asmeru: where the Spectrewolf was last sighted, where they would have to drop off her Master, where they would most likely be launched headfirst into another type of trouble. Trouble seemed to be stalking them and was happy to greet them at every twist and turn. Alana snorted softly: well, life would be boring without a bit of trouble and if anything was helping her training it was this. Reaching into the Force Alana scanned the presences on the ship: two were flickering gently as their bearers were asleep while another two were alight with life, but neither was wavering much either. One of the last two was static which meant it belonged to TK and the other one was unmistakably Jayden's. Huh, so he was up too? The last time they'd both been up like this was before Rodia and Alana had summarised that Jayden was far more open to talking at times like these. At lest that's the way it was when he talked with her. Her footfalls light and almost soundless against the durasteel floor, Alana made her way into the common room to find Jayden working on something using his datapad. Sensing her presence close by, Jayden looked up from whatever he had been working on and raised a hand:  
-Hey. Can't sleep?  
Alana shook her head as she sat down next to him on the semi-circle couch. Matching his voice in softness and volume, she spoke:  
-No, but considering I slept for the last 4 days that's ok. Why aren't you asleep?  
-I was.  
-Ah, and you're awake for the same reason as always?  
-Yeah.  
A silence settled around the pair, a warm one, but with things left unspoken. Alana kicked off her boots and sat cross-legged on the couch, meditating, while Jayden turned back to his datapad, not even batting an eyelash at his partner's behaviour. He'd seen her do this a lot when they'd been stuck in hyperspace for two whole weeks. Jayden tried to focus on working out how to get into the orbital station above Asmeru if problems came up, but he couldn't. The memory of Alana's presence in the Force flickering violently a few minutes ago was a little hard to erase. Quietly, he probed:  
-What about you? Weird dream again?  
Alana sighed, but didn't open her eyes. Her connection with the Force had been disturbed by Jayden's words, but she didn't feel like looking him in the eyes while she spoke. She knew he would understand, but she hated admitting any weakness - even to him, especially to him. Why? Alana didn't know. Taking a deep breath, Alana explained:  
-No. A bad dream actually.  
-What was it about? It helps, you know.  
Alana opened her eyes and cast a sidelong glance at him:  
-You first.  
-Uh-uh, ladies first.  
Alana snorted and easily retorted:  
-But men just before.  
Jayden chuckled and shook his head: he should have expected a comeback like that from her. She would never let him have the last word, not willingly. He frowned slightly: would it really be wise to tell her about the dream, the memory that had come up? Jayden wasn't sure. He never showed weakness to anyone, not even to his grandmother- the last blood relative he had left. He wanted to talk about it, but he was hesitant at the same time. Talking about it would mean exposing a weakness and he didn't want to do that. However, Alana....Alana Sheelan had never seemed the type of person to use anything he told her against him or betray him. Alana was infuriatingly stubborn, loyal, brave to the point of foolishness, far too trusting, naive, optimistic, lively and strong. So, so strong. He envied that strength, how he wished he even had a fraction of it. Unexpectedly, Alana, who had been sitting silently until that moment, murmured:  
-You're strong, Jayden. You know that, right? I doubt I could go through whatever you have and come out whole. I'd probably crack. I'm not as strong as I pretend to be. I'm not as brave or as optimistic as I act. Because that's all it is in the end - just another act. I don't know what you see me as, Jayden, but the truth is I'm not a person people should trust or rely much on. I screw a lot of things up and I hurt a lot of people. Heck, one of my best friends had her dreams crushed and shattered because of something I did by accident. I had a child die because of me, too. And I'm afraid, Jayden. So afraid. Of a lot of things. You know, tonight I had a dream that that Sith Lord, Darth  Tenebris, had come close enough to kill me and even though I was armed I was so scared that I couldn't move a muscle. Fear had paralysed me. So you see--  
-When will you stop, Alana?  
-Stop what?  
-Stop undervaluing, underestimating and restricting yourself! Yes, you've made mistakes, but everyone has. And if you think I'm not afraid then you're dead wrong. Heck, I'm terrified every time I go to sleep at night. Fear is natural, but you have to face it. Look at what you fear in the face and tell it plainly and calmly - "I'm not afraid of you". Once you can do that, then you'll be free. Alana, you're human.  
Alana looked at Jayden, her vibrant midnight blue eyes a fraction wider than normal. She was looking at him as though she was seeing him for the first time. Suddenly, a small smile blossomed on her lips and she chuckled:  
-Thanks, Jayden. I think I needed that, but, um, I'm not human, at least I'm told so.  
Jayden cast her a confused look:  
-Huh?!   
Smiling, Alana elaborated:  
-While I was in that comatose state, I sort of met my grandmother. Don't ask how -no clue, but I'm certain it was her. The Force confirmed that. She told me my parent's names and she also managed to drive back the poison's effects, thus buying you and I more time. She told me that I'm actually not human, but I'm from a race that's an offshoot of the human race and while there is no dramatic difference in our biology there are a few changes. My ability to heal faster is a prime example as is my unusual eye colour. Also it appears my paternal grandfather was the Dark Lord of the Sith, like their leader.  
Alana stated all this so nonchalantly that Jayden was dumbstruck. What was with that girl?! Who announced something like that so calmly?! He cast a look in the direction of the Medbay - it seemed that Kai had rubbed off on her. Jayden shook his head, sighing:  
-I must be crazy, but I believe you. Though you do know that you basically just gave me some really good leverage?  
Alana smiled and shrugged, looking at him with honest trust:  
-I'll keep saying that I trust you for as long as I need to.  
-And I'll keep saying you're an idiot for doing so.  
-Yep, seems that's just how we roll.  
Alana countered calmly, leaning back in her seat. She would always disagree with Jayden about this trust issue, but as long as she and he knew the fact that she did - that was more than enough. She knew that Jayden trusted her too so that was definitely enough. They were an odd pair and most definitely not candidates for the galaxies best partners, but what they went through together brought them closer. Through all their arguments, shared worries, happy times, moments when they just goofed around, through all the fights, through all the time they spent together they forced each other to grow, to develop. Alana Sheelan and Jayden Callen needed each other, plain and simple. Looking at her, Jayden realised that somewhere deep within he knew that too so what was he doing? Yes, he feared exposing a weakness, but wouldn't it be hypocritical of him to remain silent when she had opened up a bit of her own vulnerable, wounded and fragile soul to him? Jayden sighed heavily, causing Alana to look at him in concern:  
-Are you ok?   
Jayden was silent for a minute or two before quietly asking, in a voice Alana had never heard before - a voice that was filled with raw emotion and one that was shaking:  
-Are you...are you still willing to listen to me?  
Alana leaned forward, pressing her palms into her kneecaps:  
-Of course, Jayden. I'm always here to listen. I mean you listen to my rambling all the time, so of course I'd listen to you talk. Sorry, I'll shut up now.  
Jayden shook his head mutely. He knew what he had to say and yet the words were just a jumbled chaotic mess in his head. Taking a deep breath, Jayden collected himself and began to speak:  
-Remember how I told you that both my parents died when I was little?  
Alana nodded, deciding that that was better than speaking. Something told Alana that if she spoke now Jayden would have a harder time of continuing. Noting her answer, he continued:  
-What I told you was true, but they didn't exactly "die". Dying normally implies a natural cause of death- a disease or an accident, but that wasn't how my parents, my family, my entire clan died. When I was barely four years old they were murdered, every single one of them - down to the last woman and child. We lived on Mandolore at the time, it was a shortly after the Mandolorian civil war that ended with Duchess Satine on the throne of Sundari. Every single member of my clan, even the ones that weren't on Mandolore, was hunted down and killed. My grandmother and I are the only survivors. I still find it hard to believe it happened: a whole clan of strong Mandolorian warriors wiped out in a single night! The attack was...it was brutal...I saw my family, my friends, my clan, everything that was important to me, get destroyed before my very eyes. It's a miracle that I even retained my sanity after that. My grandma was lucky to survive, she'd been working out a deal of some sort with Clan Ordo back then and the murderers could find no way to reach her. Me? I...I didn't get off so easy. Sorry, but I can't...I can't talk about what happened after...  
Alana nodded her head and quietly whispered:  
-I understand.  
No! She didn't understand! Alana's mind yelled inside. She couldn't understand! Who would be capable of that?! Well, if she was thinking rationally the answer would be a lot of people, but to strike on one night with no warning and to kill an ENTIRE clan of kriffing MANDOLORIAN'S?! That was insane! The skill required was unthinkable! There was a reason that the Mandolorian Wars were so damn hard to win even for the Jedi! And to see that happen at such a young age... No wonder Jayden was the way he was. Heck, she was shocked that he hadn't been irrecoverably traumatised and if the tone of his words in the last sentence was any indication things had any gotten darker. How did he live that? That memory? The survivor's guilt, the pain? Subconsciously, her eyes, which had been stubbornly averted, drifted back to her partner. It was dark in the common room, but she could easily see the darker outline of his body not far from her. He was hunched over, his head in his hands and fingers threaded through his messy dark hair. She could sense the agony his soul was in and instantly she felt guilty for pushing him even just by speaking. Not for the first time Alana felt lost. This uncertainty and awkwardness she felt when navigating her friendship with Jayden unnerved her and made her feel uncomfortable. She didn't know what to do and Alana being Alana never liked sitting still and not knowing what to do. That was what powered her recklessness to some extent. Sighing, Alana shut off the logical part of her mind and decided to just follow her gut. She leaned over and wrapped her arms around Jayden. He was still for a moment before uncertainly he reached out and embraced her too, leaning his head against her shoulder. Alana exhaled gently, but said nothing. The fact of the matter was that there was nothing to be said. Nothing that could help or not make matters worse anyway. The Jedi just sat there silently, offering quiet support to her partner. It was unusual for Jayden to be like this, but considering how she'd broken down on Rodia - she owed him this. The Force Bond between them thrummed gently, confirming Alana's feelings. Sometimes it wasn't words that a person needed, sometimes it was just a simple hug - a reminder that there was still someone who cared, someone who was still with him. Jayden's arms tightened around the Jedi slightly at that thought and his mind flashed back to that girl. She knew who he was and yet she was still here...That was enough for him. That was all that he needed right now: the assurance that he was not alone.

==SW:LB==

Later that morning Alana was using the sonics to wash the dishes after breakfast while the rest of the organic occupants of the ship sat at the table, finishing their drinks and thankfully chatting peacefully. This was nice: no crazy explosions, no monster fights, no Sith Lords, no alarms on the ship, no awkward questions- just a peaceful morning. As Alana was putting away the cutlery, Kai remarked:  
-Well, this was unexpected. Since when has my student been so good at cooking?  
Alana chuckled as she continued methodically cleaning up, breakfast had been pancakes (the first dozen of which she had burned before getting the hang of it) so cleaning up was taking a tad longer than usual as well as the fact that they'd had more people at the table now:  
-Master, while I may have not learned respect over the last two months I have learned other things. Also I doubt the pancakes I burned would agree with you on my cooking skill. I'm learning as I go along, besides somebody had to feed this dolt.  
Jayden cast her a glare:  
-Hey, I resent being called a dolt!  
Risha who had been happily resting her head on the cool tabletop surface after the meal piped up:  
-No offence, well, no, that's a lie, but you really are a dolt in this situation, flyboy. If I met a guy who could cook as well as she does I'd marry him on the spot. Actually, screw it: Alana , I love you and your food. Will you leave these idiots and marry me?  
Kai and Jayden stared at Risha while Alana laughed. Suppressing the bright grin on her face, Alana shook her head:  
-I'm dreadfully sorry, but I must decline.  
-But why, my sweet lover, my akiiria blossom?!  
Risha exclaimed, evidently set on turning this into a theatrical performance. Alana happily played along:  
-Oh, how I wish things were not so, but you see - I am a Jedi so I cannot love! For if I do, that road will destroy us both, Lord Rishaton! Forgive me, my love!  
-No, that cannot be true! My heart cannot live without you! My stomach without your cooking is hollow! I beg you, please join me! Your cooking is a balm to my tortured soul and salvation to my hungry stomach!  
Jayden snorted and he could see Alana struggling to maintain a sorrowful expression on her face to. He could feel her amusement through the bond.  Alana took a tiny step towards Risha, keeping her hand pressed to her chest, over her heart:  
-Please, do not make my heart ache and yearn for you more than it does already! We cannot be together! Such is the cruel hand Fate has dealt us!  
Alana sank down to her knees before Risha. Kai and Jayden exchanged a look: well, that was some really good acting on Alana's part. Risha had struck Jayden as a natural actress, but for someone who hated lying Alana was very good at acting. Risha reached out a hand to her, desperate sorrow etched on her face or, well, Lord Rishaton's face:  
-But, my love, should you choose to renounce your code we could be! Or we could be married in secret, hide it! We can be together! However, I shall not pressure you, my lady, though I the first son of the Rishaton family love you dearly, with all my heart.  
Kai blinked. So this was a tale of two tragic lovers? And while Risha was the male lead Alana was the female. Huh, all they needed was a good, worthwhile antagonist and they'd be set. Jayden obviously had the same thought as he abruptly stood up and strode over there. Taking Alana by the arm, he pulled her up and pressed her close to him, an arm around her shoulders. In a strong and a dangerous voice, he dramatically announced:  
-Ah, you've come again, you empty fool! Trying to seduce my bride, are you?! I shall shred you to pieces!  
Alana looked up at Jayden in confusion and cast him a "what the heck?!" look. He winked and mouthed "play along". She gave him a barely perceptible nod and exclaimed:  
-Forgive me, Rishaton, I could not bear to mention this to you! Even though I am a Jedi and he - a Dark Lord of the Sith we must be wed to keep the peace. I cannot forsake my people!  
Kai raised an eyebrow: Well, this was a twist! Risha glared at Jayden, thoroughly engrossed in the act:  
-Who are you, you fiendish brute?!  
-Who am I?! Why I am the Lord of the Sith: Darth Shadell.  
Risha shot to her feet and stumbled back:  
-No! That cannot be, you cannot be Darth Shadell! The cruelest of them all!  
Jayden gave his best evil villain laugh, which, Kai found himself admitting, was fairly impressive. He smirked:  
-So you finally realise who you have crossed! You shall perish, fool!  
-No, you underestimate my power, Darth! We shall duel for this fair maiden's hand!  
-I accept.  
Risha whipped out her retractable electrostaff, but kept it deactivated while Jayden got out a retractable vibroblade. Kai felt like clapping: this was getting really good! He'd been right by saying this was the most theatrical crew he'd ever met, perfect for each other! He chuckled quietly when he spotted TK recording the whole thing for who knows what reason. He flashed the droid a quick thumbs up to which the astromech flashed his lights accordingly. Meanwhile, Alana, evidently dissatisfied with the helpless princess role, jumped between the blades:  
-Stop! That is enough!  
Darth Shadell, or Jayden, growled:  
-Get back, Aleanora. You shall not get hurt on my watch.  
She glared at him defiantly:  
-No, Elys! I shall not let you kill each other! I am not a weak maiden in need of protection!  
Lord Rishaton, or Risha, objected:  
-Lady Coralia, please get back! This a duel between gentlemen.  
-Yeah, well, I'm a capable woman and I'm going to send your asses back to the Hundred year Darkness if you do not stop!  
Kai snorted: Well, Aleanora definitely not as soft spoken as she seemed. Darth Shadell pushed her behind him and rushed at Rishaton while the other suitor whirled her electrostaff at him. And then they suddenly froze midair. Lady Aleanora came between them, glaring:  
-Enough! I sense a battle with the opposing clan brewing! We must prepare. Will you act civilly as gentlemen should?  
-Yes, milady.  
Both suitors echoed and Aleanora realeased the Force stasis. That was when a proximity alarm on the ship sounded and they all dropped the act. Kai clapped:  
-Bravo! A very impressive performance! You get that all, droid?  
-Beep-beep!  
The tree actors rounded on the astromech, who promptly proceeded to jet away with the three of them chasing after them. Finishing the last of his tea calmly, Kai sighed:  
-Ah, teenagers.  
Suddenly the ship lurched and the blue glow of hyperspace faded away. Playtime was over. Sensing that Alana and the other three made there way into the cockpit with Jayden issuing quiet instructions. After washing his cup, Kai sat down on the second row of seats in the cockpit:  
-What's the situation?  
Alana and Jayden exchanged a glance as Risha darted out into the corridor, heading presumably to the guns. While Jayden turned back to the console, Alana explained:  
-We're being hailed, by the station.  
An orbital station floated above the dustball that was Asmeru. Kai glanced at it and then back to Alana:  
-And that's bad?  
-In theory? Yes. In real life? Depends on whether or not they shoot at us. Hunter, I'm opening the comm.  
-Thanks. I'll take it from here.  
Alana clicked a button and a mechanical voice sounded as an odd holographic protocol droid appeared:  
-Hello, unidentified vessel. You have 5 minutes to vacate this system before we shoot.  
-Well, they're friendly.  
Alana muttered barely audibly. Kai retorted sarcastically:  
-You don't say!  
-Yeah! We don't normally get a 5 minute warning.  
Jayden meanwhile was negotiating or at least attempting to. Apparently it was not going well. Shadow was in control and speaking calmly:  
-Belay that order, Ardent Station. This is the Crimson Streak and we are carrying a personal guest of House Vandron. I suggest you don't shoot unless you want to explain it to them.  
The trigger happy droid commander paused and there was static on the link. All of the ship's occupants held their breath.Out of the corner of her mouth Alana breathed:  
-Think they'll call the bluff?  
-They shouldn't. I doubt the droid has lie detectors - it's a very old model. However, he was here so...  
-Got it: expect the unexpected.  
-That's pretty much our crew's motto at this point.  
Their hushed conversations was broken off when the droid spoke again:  
-Please transmit your clearance codes.  
Alana shot Jayden an alarmed look, but the pilot's mouth had curled up into a triumphant grin. He turned to TK:  
-Tracker, transmit the code under file B-237.  
-Beep.  
Turning his arm in the socket TK transmitted the codes. They all waited with baited breath. Risha's voice came over the intercom:  
-Uh, they're not shooting at us.  
-Not yet. Jayden just sent them the clearance codes. Keep the guns trained on them.  
-Roger that, chief. Gunnery out.  
Alana sighed and began to rub circles on her temples. A small headache was forming there. She cast a sideways look at Jayden:  
-Do I want to know why you have House Vandron's codes? And why you remember in which file they're in?  
-Eh, not really.  
-Thought so.  
Alana and Jayden lapsed into silence with Kai watching them quietly. Finally, the droid spoke again:  
-Crimson Streak you are cleared for landing. Proceed. Ardent out.  
Alana breathed a sigh of relief. Jayden held a hand up to TK who slapped his mechanical appendage against the pilots hand. Jayden winced, but grinned before turning back to the controls. Kai crossed his arms over his chest:  
-Will I be able to get to Druckenwell from here?  
Alana shrugged as she flipped the controls to the sublight engines on and moved the ship forward:  
-Technically speaking: yes. However, there may be complications. Asmeru's an agricultural planet all mountains and and deserts really. They have quite a few settlements, but export hasn't ever been a big focus for the planet. It's too far out from the centre. Asmeru is ruled by two houses: House Vandron--  
-A.k.a the House of complete assholes, slavers and all around bastards.  
Alana cast the pilot a sharp look who just shrugged in response:  
-What? I'm just telling him the truth.  
-Fine. And the second house is House Elegin.  
-Those are the guys you should talk to. They're a bit weird, but good people. Just tell them that Captain El'kar Shan sent you and they'll take you to the ends of the Galaxy. Long story short - we're buddies.  
Alana didn't bat an eyelash as she corrected:  
-You helped them and they owe you.  
-Don't be such a spoilsport, princess.  
-Just setting facts straight, hunter.  
Alana responded, a small smile on her face. Risha suddenly popped up beside Kai's seat:  
-Wait. Are they arguing or joking around?  
Kai shrugged:  
-Knowing them it could very well be both. I advise you to get strapped in, we're landing.  
Just as those words left Kai's lips the ship lurched violently and while those seated ended up straining against their crash webbing, Risha and TK fell over. Sitting up, the togruta grumbled:  
-Ow. Hey, pilot, what's up with the flying?  
-That wasn't me. The left sublight engine is on the fritz.  
Alana facepalmed:  
-Damn it. I forgot. They shot that one out on back while we were escaping Tatooine. We can't land safely without both engines. TK, can you do something?  
-Beep. Dee-woot?  
-We'll manage. Go.  
-Beep.   
The little droid chirped and affirmative before rolling out of the cockpit to the engine room. Alana sighed:  
-Okay, Master can you man the navigation?  
-Consider it done.  
-Risha, coms?  
-On it.  
Alana took a deep breath:  
-It'll be a bit harder without TK, but let's have a nice safe landing.  
Jayden saluted her. Kai spoke up from the back as Jayden and Alana began the landing descent, their fingers flying across the controls:  
-There seems to be a relatively clear space beside House Elegin's compound.   
-That'll do.   
While Alana and Jayden were both capable pilots the danger in this landing was that in the atmosphere of Asmeru gravity could play havoc with your controls. Many a spacer had met their doom there. It would be with an astromech in control, but with a shot out engine and no TK Alana and Jayden would have to make do. The clearing was up ahead of them when Risha chimed in:  
-House Elegin has cleared us to land.  
-Perfect. Let's hope we don't screw this up.  
-Don't jinx it, hunter.  
Alana muttered as they dived down. She resisted the urge to close her eyes as the ships power suddenly went out completely and it plunged, but Jayden managed to switch it back on at the last second. Holding her breath, Alana managed to guide the ship steadily in to the clearing, enough for Jayden to safely set it down. As soon as they were on solid ground and tree branches were covering the left side of the viewport, Alana breathed a sigh of relief:  
-Oh, thank the stars. We survived another landing.  
-You make it sound like I can't land.  
-Oh, you obviously can. I just don't want a repeat of Bestine IV.  
-How about Duro?  
Alana held up a hand to his face:  
-No, just no, Jayden. Just shut up.  
Risha looked between the two:  
-You two seemed to have had a very...interesting journey so far,huh?  
Alana and Jayden sighed in unison before chorusing in perfect sync:  
-You have no idea.  
Kai smiled as he stood up:  
-Well, between a Sith Lord chasing you two and half the Galaxy out to murder Shadow who's tracking down the spectrewolf while he helps locate younglings in a war-torn galaxy I'd say you definitely have your hands full.  
Alana and Jayden groaned and the newly reappeared TK gave an annoyed "feh". Risha, meanwhile, looked thoughtful:  
-Wow, I never thought I'd say this, but Tatooine sounds pretty safe right about now. At least compared to that. Is it too late to change my mind?  
Exchanging a look with his partner, Jayden gave a devious grin:  
-Sorry, but you're stuck with us, doc. Don't worry you'll have your very own "we want to murder you" club very soon!  
Risha's violet eyes narrowed at Jayden:  
-I hate you right now.  
Alana laughed:  
-Welcome to the crew!  
-Beep-blip!

==SW:LB==

Alana and Kai stood at the edge of the stone clearing, beside a path that lead to the compound of House Elegin. Both knew that this was where their paths parted once more. The cool breeze and the warm sunlight with the relative silence was so nice that neither wanted to speak, but eventually Kai spoke first:  
-You sure you'd rather not ditch him and come with me?  
Alana smiled and shook her head:  
-Yeah, you're not changing my mind, old man.  
Kai laughed and ruffled her hair, prompting Alana to glare at him and smack his hand away:  
-As impudent and stubborn as ever, young one.  
-You know you love me, crazy geezer.  
Kai smiled gently at the teenager:  
-Yeah, I do. Stay safe, Alana.  
Oddly enough Alana felt a pressure begin to build up behind her eyes and on an impulse she stepped forward and hugged her Master. The older Jedi sighed, but hugged his student. Even though her eyes were tearing up and she knew she was heading into the unknown again, Alana felt safe. Sighing heavily, the younger pulled back and stepped away:  
-Be careful, Master. Say "hi" to that grumpy droid for me.  
-I will and Alana?  
-Hm?  
-If that punk does anything don't hesitate to call me!  
Alana laughed and pushed him away:  
-Get going, old man, I can take care of myself.  
-Fine, fine, I'm going.  
Alana smiled as she watched her Master walk away, waving. Alana waved back until he was out of sight. Taking a deep breath, Alana nodded to herself: it was time to get down down to business. Stopping for a moment to check what state the engines were in and being pleasantly surprised, Alana ran back up the ramp and into the ship. Making her way into the common room, Alana stopped by the crew bunks and rapped on the door:  
-Rish, have you picked out what you'll wear?  
-Um, yes, thanks for letting me choose.  
-Well, you definitely needed better gear for what we're going to be dealing with. I left a comlink on the bed.  
-Thanks. What's next on the agenda for the day?  
Alana shrugged:  
-I'm dragging Jayden outside for the meeting, I'm tired of the ship and it's nice outside. I'll convince him to have the team meeting there. Hurry up, ok?  
-Roger that, chief.  
Risha's voice came from behind the closed door. Alana continued her path to the common room. Before leaving with her Master Alana had sent Risha to go pick out some less conspicuous clothes - it was a tad obvious she was from a desert planet judging by the way she was dressed and Seila had given her more than enough clothes so Alana was happy to share.   
   As expected she found her two overly destructive teammates in the common room looking over a holographic map of some mountain range that TK was projecting. Alana leaned on the back of the semi-circle couch:  
-What are you two looking at?  
-Our next destination.  
-And that's where?  
-The mountain to the west of here.  
Alana frowned at Jayden's tone:  
-You found him?  
-I have a lead, yes. We need to act on this and as fast as possible.  
-Then let's hear the plan, but can we please do this outside? I'm tired of being cooped up on the ship. Please?  
Jayden sighed and stood up, giving into her pleading tone. He turned to face her and nodded:  
-Fine. Asmeru seems like a nice change of pace from Tatooine.  
Alana beamed:  
-Thanks!  
With that same bright grin on her face Alana practically skipped out of the ship. Following her, Jayden shook his head and muttered:  
-She must really hate being cooped up in one place...  
-Beep-dee-reet-whop. Bzzt-dwoot!  
-Oh, like you have any room to talk either!  
-Beep-whop-deet.  
-Whatever.  
-Deet-doot.  
-I am not a sore loser, you walking scrap heap!  
-Beep-doot.  
-Am not.  
-Beep-doot  
-Am not! Why am I even arguing with you?!  
A laughing voice from a bit above called:  
-Because that's all you two do? It's actually adorable to be honest.  
Jayden and TK looked up to see Alana sitting on one of the higher branches of the trees, enjoying the feeling of the warm sunlight on her skin and the cool breeze. She'd gone way too long without either of those. Jayden rolled his eyes:  
-Really, Alana?  
-What? It's the truth and I'm entitled to my own opinion.  
-I'm talking about the tree thing.  
Alana made an innocent face:  
-What tree thing?  
-You pretending to be a Kowakian monkey lizard and climbing up that ridiculously tall tree thing. Get down from there.  
-No thanks. I think I'll stay.  
-I dare you to get down from there in one piece.  
Alana laughed, seeing through his ploy:  
-Nice try, hunter, but I'm not so easily fooled. However, - Alana paused for dramatic effect, mischief written all over her face,- if you can shoot straight through the centre of this leaf, I'll get down without protest. Think you're skilled enough, Cap'n?  
-You forget who you're talking to. I'm a master marksman. Shadow? Any of this ringing any bells, Jedi?  
-Oh, I didn't forget. Just want to check you're not getting rusty. So do you accept the challenge?  
Jayden narrowed his eyes and looked between her and the leaf she held in her left hand. He sighed and upholstered one of his blasters:  
-Fine. I never back down from a challenge.   
Alana made a "go ahead" motion with her right hand, an "impress me" look on her face. Oh, he'd impress her alright. While Alana maybe a master swordsman in his eyes, Jayden was no slacker either. His stunt with the Tusken's on Tatooine and the event in Jabba's palace had proven that, but, of course, the force of nature currently challenging him hadn't been present for either. Jayden lifted his blaster and aimed at the leaf.  
     Risha, who'd just come out of the ship, watched the ongoing events unfold with a mix of confusion and mild fascination. If she'd guessed correctly Alana had dared Jayden to do something and Jayden being Jayden had accepted. Risha sighed: she just hoped neither of the shot the other's head off or broke their neck, she just wasn't equipped well enough to deal with such injuries. She guessed this was one of those groups that you had to learn to adjust quickly in. Well, while they did seem to have a lot more combat experience, Risha had a lot of skills that she was pretty sure neither of them possessed or not to the extent that she did. Sighing inwardly, Risha resigned herself to watching how this dare would play out.  
  Jayden narrowed his eyes, aiming, before taking the shot. A single blaster bolt was discharged and it flew towards the leaf at an incredible speed and a second later it had burnt a symmetrical hole right through the middle of the leaf.  Alana sighed and Jayden smirked:  
-I win. Now get down from that tree.  
-Alright, alright. Spoilsport.  
-I can hear you.  
-Good to know you aren't deaf!  
Alana retorted as she stood up on the tree branch. Taking a deep breath, she jumped. She used her feet to push off another tree branch as she fell and with two handsprings to lessen the force of the impact easily landed on the roof of the Storm. Walking to the edge, she  effortlessly jumped down, landing in a crouched position before straightening up. She raised an eyebrow at Jayden:  
-There. And I'm still in one piece, see?  
-Show off.  
-Oh, like you aren't one. Hey, Risha, nice of you to join us!  
Risha shook her head at the cheerful Jedi:  
-Alana, I've got to ask - are you really a Jedi?  
Alana cocked her head to the side thoughtfully:  
-Well, I've been with the Jedi Order for 6 years now, I can use the Force, I have two lightsabers and a Jedi Master so, yeah, I think I am.  
Jayden sighed:  
-Look, doc, don't worry about it. I had the exact same questions at the start too. She's a bit too creative to be a normal Jedi, but Alana is good at what she does, no matter what it may seem like.   
Alana glared at the pilot before sighing and turning to the togruta:  
-Those clothes fit you well.  
Risha looked down at herself and nodded:  
-Thanks for lending me them.  
-Oh, no problem. They're not even exactly mine. Well, at least everyone is geared now.  
Jayden nodded in approval and TK chirped and affirmative. Risha was dressed in a sleeveless wine red tunic which went down to the start of her thighs, on her waist sat a black belt that split into two: one a longer loop that fell down to her hips and the other thinner wrapped around her waist, on the chest of the tunic there was a small gold crest that she had somehow pinned to it. Risha also wore black pants that hugged her legs and tucked easily into her boots, on her arms she had armbands of the same colour as the tunic and to which a comlink and a wristband were attached. The outfit wasn't made for heavy combat, but for mobility and agility of movement- Risha's strengths. Her electrostaff hung on her belt in it's retracted form and her smaller medkit was attached to the belt too. Also on her head she had decided to put on her akul-tooth headdress, from the front of which two beaded strings extended to the back of her head - a traditional item for togruta. Alana raised an eyebrow at Risha's feet:  
-You wear shoes with soles?  
Risha shrugged:  
-I've been away from Shili so long that the customs faded. I'm used to wearing shoes now as I'm used to a lot of other things that aren't traditional on my homeworld.  
Jayden cast her a curious look:  
-You're from Shili?  
-Yes. Why?  
-Oh, nothing. We just met another couple a few planets ago that were from the same place.   
-It is the primary togruta homeworld.  
-Makes sense. Come on, we should start the mission briefing.  
Alana and Risha nodded and  followed Jayden to the centre of the clearing where TK was waiting, as always impatiently.  Jayden motioned for the astromech to switch on the holographic projection and TK obliged. A hologram of a mountain range appeared. Gesturing to a barely noticeable dip between the mountain peaks, Jayden explained:  
-This is the mountain range west from here. Over here there's a secret research facility and if the data Tracker here decoded for me is correct we need to get into that facility . The Spectrewolf wanted something there, some research and we need to find out what it was and where he went.  
Risha frowned thoughtfully, her arms crossed in front of her chest:  
-How do we know he's not there now?  
Alana shrugged:  
-I'd say the fact that we had a relatively safe landing and the fact that there isn't a battalion of people trying to kill us right now is a good enough guess. The Spectrewolf knows that Jayden is after him, well, technically he knows Shadow is after him.   
-Well, that complicates the matter.  
Jayden nodded:  
-It does make things a bit trickier, but it's nothing we can't handle. We should just watch ourselves and be less reckless.  
His voice became pointed at the last sentence, his eyes boring into the young Jedi in the group. She spread her hands, an innocent look on her face:  
-Why are you looking at me?  
-Because you're the one who used her shoes as projectiles and then jumped out of a ridiculously tall building and fell calmly to her death.  
-In my defence those were not shoes - they were death traps and that was the only way out.  
-There was a door.  
-The window was closer.   
-You're hopeless. Anyway, we're breaking into that facility and finding that research as well as where the Spectrewolf went. We'll leave as soon as all questions are answered. Any questions?  
Both female members of the team raised their hands. Jayden nodded at Alana:  
-Yes?  
-This is going to end up being a chase again, isn't it?  
-Most probably, however this time it won't be like Rodia. We know who we're dealing with here.  
A dark look flickered over Alana's face:  
-Do we? Do we really know who we're dealing with?  
Risha placed a hand on the Jedi's shoulder, taking her quiet tone of voice for worry:  
-Hey, this guy made Jabba the Hutt quiver and I'm no slacker either and now we've also got you and TK on our side so we'll manage. Don't worry.  
Alana offered Risha a faint smile:  
-Thanks, Risha. I know we will.  
Jayden looked at Alana with a determined look in his eyes, in a low voice he promised:  
-Alana, I promise you, no one will die on this mission. Not even me. I won't die until I take down the Spectrewolf and until I learn something I've been looking for since that day. This won't be like Kii all over again, I promise you that.  
Alana raised her head and gave a small nod. Like her Jayden had always kept his promises so she had no reason to doubt him at this point. Risha looked between the two, feeling that this memory the two of them shared was one she'd rather not see. The look in their eyes was dark and serious. The little astromech also gave a low whirr. Yep, she definitely didn't want to know what has happened. Bad missions happened to the best of people, but this seemed much worse. Jayden sighed and snapped out of it:  
-Alright. Risha?  
-Okay. How in the universe are we going to land the Crimson Storm and get into the facility without being shot to pieces?  
TK and Jayden exchanged a look and Alana groaned, recognising that look:  
-Oh Force, here it comes.  
Jayden grinned, crossing his arms:  
-Oh, we're not going to land the Storm- we're going to go skydiving. TK will keep remote control of the Storm. Don't worry, doc, this'll be fun!

==SW: LB==

-Hope you're not afraid of heights,  
Alana cheerfully teased as they strapped on their parachutes. Risha laughed, double-checking the fastenings:  
-Nah, I'm good with height. Now if that was a giant snake - that'd be an entirely different matter. Stars, even talking about the gives me flashback of Matou. Not a good experience I tell you.  
-You've been to Matou?  
-Yeah and I never want to go there again. So what about you? You afraid of heights?  
Alana shook her head, that ever present smile on her face:  
-Nope. I am afraid of spacious white empty rooms though.  
Risha gave her a look as though she was crazy and Alana shrugged:  
-Hey, I don't know why.   
Jayden gave her a look and corrected:  
-More like you don't remember.  
-Well, it's one of the two.  
Risha frowned. The togruta had been informed of the Jedi's retrograde amnesia, of the absence of ten years of memories and of the official medical diagnosis. However, a few things didn't add up to her medically. Judging by all she knew Alana's memories should have returned to her, there was no brain damage which could have stopped the healing process so why was she unable to remember? Alana had told Risha about the "triggers" she already come across, but neither she nor Risha could understand why those triggers were so random and so odd. In all honesty, Risha was at a loss with how to approach the matter. As if she had read Risha's mind Alana shook her head:  
-While I'm sure you'd love to pick my brain to find the precise cause of my amnesia, now's really not the time, Risha.  
-Right. Sorry.  
Jayden glanced at his wristband before warning the girls:  
-Get ready. We're nearly in position.  
Alana and Risha nodded their acknowledgment and grabbed the top poles of the ramp. As if on cue TK alerted them over the intercom that they had reached the drop point and that he was switching the ship to remote piloting mode. As an afterthought he warned them to watch out. The next moment the ramp was lowered and all three teenagers were assaulted by the sound and feeling of roaring wind that ruffled their clothes and hair. TK who was now in the airlock bay with them told them that they had three minutes before the auto-targeting systems saw them so they had to jump. Jayden took a deep breath and was about to let go when he saw a blur of dark blue and white rush past him, light caramel-brown hair streaming behind her. A second later he saw Alana jump. Exchanging a glance, Jayden, Risha and TK followed. Opening the comm channel, Jayden called out:  
-Alana, are you insane?!  
-No? I believe this was part of the plan.  
-A heads up would have been nice!  
-Oh, relax, we've got another minute and a half before the notice us. Actually, scratch that - I think they've noticed us already. Energy shield's on, people!  
Alana advise came over clear from all the comlinks and seeing as she was farther down than them they all felt like I would be better to comply. Jayden merely sighed when he noticed the two slim, silver cylinders in Alana's hands. A moment later two glowing blades of plasma were at Alana's disposal and just in time since the ground-based turrets started shooting at them. Alana reflected the bolts back at them, blocking as many as she could, but that meant she couldn't pull the cord on her parachute since she was protecting the others and the ground was fast approaching. Alana cursed softly under her breath as she saw the energy shield around her begin to fade, this was like Bestine IV all over again, however instead this time she was in danger of dying by hotting the surface. Jayden's voice calm and controlled came over the comlink:  
-Everyone, extend your parachutes now! If you can't it may be one fall we may not survive!  
Risha's voice followed, inquiring hesitantly:  
-Just how many times have you fallen to your deaths?  
-More than I care to count, right, your highness?  
-A little preoccupied here, hunter!  
Alana snapped as she dodged the blaster bolts she couldn't block while in freefall. She heard the snapping of parachutes over the comlink and breathed a small sigh of relief: there hadn't been any malfunctions good. However.... Alana cast a sideways glance at her own cord to see that apart from her being unable to defend them and reach it it had been burnt off by one of the bolts. Damn it. She may have had the Force with her, but Alana knew that even she couldn't survive a fall like this. Her eyes stung and it was hard to breathe, but Alana's mind still functioned. She was pretty much screwed unless something happened. As expected, Jayden's voice sounded concerned and a bit breathless as he spoke:  
-Alana, what's wrong?! Did your parachute malfunction?  
Alana laughed dryly, though it hurt. She sighed as she started spinning her blades in a figure of eight, creating temporary shield:  
-I can't reach it, Jayden, besides the cord is fried and my shield is down.  
-What?!  
-It's fried and I'm too busy protecting us from the turrets on the ground.  
Jayden cursed in Mando'a before turning to TK:  
-Tracker, go activate your boosters and deactivate those turrets!  
-Beep!  
TK easily complied and did as he was told, plummeting to the ground instantly. Once there he set about reaching his objective. However, Alana still had a lot to deal with. Unexpectedly, Risha chimed in:  
-I inspected the parachutes before we put them on - there is a secondary tag, but Alana still can't reach it if she's protecting us. Captain, I'll help you get over there so you can pull it, deal?  
-Of course. Where is it located?  
-It's at the fastening on her back. It'll be tricky, but I think you can manage it. Now, grab my hand!  
As Risha reached out for Jayden, Alana protested:  
-Guys, don't try this - it's too risky!  
Risha huffed, her violet eyes narrowing:  
-Do you want to die? Was what your partners and I did on Tatooine for nothing?!  
Alana hesitated before retorting:  
-No! And I'm grateful, but I can't let you take this risk. Maybe I'll manage somehow. Argh!  
A bolt struck her square above her heart. Jayden looked towards Risha and nodded, temporary folding his own parachute again (thank the stars for the technology) , the red-skinned young woman grabbed his arm and with surprising strengths jerked him back before with a kick and a surprisingly strong throw shot him down and right, towards Alana. Jayden felt like the wind was trying to skin him, but just as Risha had calculated he ended up about half a meter away from Alana. He could feel her frustration over their bond, but there was gratitude there, too. Over the roar of the wind, Risha shouted:  
-CAPTAIN, PULL IT NOW! IT'S NOW OR YOU BOTH DIE!  
Jayden reached forward, but as if on purpose Alana (who was solely focused on the battle) twisted and he ended up grabbing her hand instead. Jayden cursed, but pulled her forward. Alana's eyes widened as she exclaimed:  
-What are you doing?! I have to--  
-You promised me, Alana. You promised me on Tatooine.  
-That was then!  
-Has anything changed now?  
-Now's not the time, Jayden!  
-Answer me.  
-No! It's hasn't, but--  
Jayden jerked her to the side, out of the way of the new line of fire of the turrets. Grasping onto his left shoulder, she nodded:  
-Nice save. I didn't even notice it'd changed firing vectors.  
-That's what I'm here for. Alana--  
-No, look, let me do what I do best! I can protect us!  
-At what cost? What help will you be if you're crippled?!  
Alana opened her mouth to respond, but Risha's slightly panicked shout came first:  
-GUYS, I MAY NOT BE THE BEST SCIENTIST IN THE UNIVERSE, BUT UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE SQUISHCAKES YOU HAVE TO OPEN THE PARACHUTES NOW! SCREW DEFENCE! CHIEF, LISTEN TO HIM!  
Alana hesitated, she didn't even know why. Her thoughts seemed muddled as if something was messing with them. Jayden cursed her stubbornness: he would have pulled out his own parachute, but it couldn't support the two of them and without Alana's cooperation he couldn't reach the tag on her back. Grabbing her other arm, Jayden shoved them out of the way of the new vector of fire. Frustrated, he cried:  
-Alana, you promised me seven years ago when we first met! You promised to live! That promise is what forged our bond! Remember! Wake up and remember! You promised!  
Pain exploded in Alana's head as images that had been shoved behind the clouds of amnesia flooded her mind. She cried out in pain and curled in on herself. Jayden didn't hesitate: taking advantage of the way she was positioned he pulled on the tag that she had inadvertently exposed. A parachute came out, but just after Jayden opened his own parachute too, Alana released a strong pulse of Force energy and suddenly the parachute was ripped. Acting on a hunch, Jayden pulled her to him and cut one of the ties before reattaching it to his won parachute, consequently forming a larger and stronger one which could support both him and Alana who seemed to be going through some sort of seizure. He could barely touch her through the bond, her mind was in absolute turmoil. Activating, Alana's energy shield and pulling her curled up body closer to him, Jayden hoped that that would be enough. He hoped TK was nearly done with his assignment. A few moments later the shooting stopped and squinting, Jayden could see the smoking husks of the turrets as they slowly floated down. He heard Alana take a shuddering gasp and straighten out, causing him to tighten his grip on her:  
-You back?  
She nodded and whispered:  
-Thank you. I know what I did makes no sense, but my thoughts were muddled.   
-And now?  
-You more or less just barrelled through the fogged glass. I guess I owe you one more now.  
She gave him a small sheepish smile and Jayden sighed:  
-You'll be the death of me one day, but I guess it's fitting. And you owe Risha for this, too.  
Alana raised an eyebrow, but before she could ask what he meant, they ended up three meters off the ground. Jayden pulled the toggles and the parachute slowed to a comfortable landing speed, essentially he had flared. Alana and Jayden easily landed in crouched positions with the material of the parachutes draping over them in the next minute. Alana laughed lightly, tucking away her messy hair:  
-Another happy landing.  
-You're an idiot sometimes .  
-I know. Thank you. But, Jayden, what did you mean by us meeting seven years ago? Granted my memory may not extend that far back, but I think I'd at least feel something familiar when I looked at you when we met.   
Jayden sighed, his eyes averted from Alana:  
-That's... If you don't remember, I suppose it's fine. I'll tell you at a later time, but know that I'm standing here because of what you said 7 years ago. Now, believe we have a job to do.  
Alana grinned and flipped her lightsabers the right side up before igniting one and cutting a hole and freeing them:  
-Let's go sniff out the wolf then!  
-Alana, that was a terrible joke.  
-Oh, just shut up!

==SW: LB==

After getting a thorough chewing out from Risha who was in her doctor mode about risking her life and what the togruta could and couldn't fix, Alana and TK had started working on the door to the entrance of the facility while Jayden and Risha went about hiding the parachutes. They were standing on one of the landing pads next to the facility. The research facility was built into a mountain and hidden from sigh and scanner range by the tall trees and inward signal blockers planted around them. With the turrets eliminated the welcome committee was nought, but Alana knew it would be foolish to hope for it to stay that way. Alana bit her lip as she looked at the inner workings of the door - this would be a tad more complicated than she'd expected. Frowning, Alana turned to TK:  
-What do you make of this? This is way too complex from me to solve. Think you can crack the system without setting off a facility-wide alarm?  
TK buzzed a negative, explaining that this security system could only be shut down by simultaneously deactivating the three power pylons that fed energy towards it therefore shutting the security monitoring field down- then and only then could he hack it safely. Alana frowned, standing up and crossing her arms:  
-Sneaky little bastards. I'm guessing you have no idea where the pylons are?  
-Beep-ree-deet-whop.   
-So the jammers block both comlinks and scanners?  
-Beep.   
-Can't we disable a few so you could use your scanners?  
Before the astromech could respond another voice, a male one, cut in for him:  
-Unless you plan on destroying this whole forest destroying a few jammers won't make a lick of difference.  
Alana turned to see Jayden and Risha returning, the togruta looking deep in thought. Alana nodded at her partner:  
-Hope you had more luck with your job than we have so far.  
-You know we did our job perfectly. I'm me after all.  
-Ah, yes, I should have realised my mistake sooner, my liege.  
-As long as you recognise it, peasant.  
-Oh, what did I do to deserve such forgiveness?  
Risha, who'd just snapped out of her thoughts, looked between the two with mild confusion. She then cast a glance at TK who advised her to just let the two idiots work it out of their systems. Jayden countered:  
-Nothing in particular. You are a very lucky peasant.  
-My liege, I do not deserve such a compliment!  
-Ah, well, I like to praise my subjects. Boost their morale, you know.  
Alana's midnight blue eyes bored into Jayden and she raised one eyebrow, warning him that he was close to overstepping the line. This banter too was something of a competition for both Alana and Jayden. Sometimes the young Jedi really wondered if they brought out the worst in each other. Getting the hint, Jayden backtracked:  
-But, of course, that does not apply to you, milady.  
Alana facepalmed: they were back the princess thing again. He was purposefully trying to irritate her and it was working. Grinning mischievously, Jayden continued:  
-Princess, what is wrong?  
-That! That is wrong! Stop calling me princess!  
Alana grumbled unhappily. Risha looked a little surprised:  
-Why do you want him to stop calling you that? I think it's kind of cute.  
Alana groaned and mumbled something unintelligible, studying her own shoes. Jayden chuckled:  
-I do this to annoy her. She has this fixed idea that all princesses are weak, fragile and helpless little beings that can't do anything worthwhile - just a pretty face.  
-So it's both and insult and a compliment?  
Jayden shrugged:  
-Eh, I don't really think of it as that. It's more like me pressing her buttons. She has the most amusing reactions. And I mean that in the best possible way. We both have names we call each other to annoy them.  
Alana glared at him:  
-Cap'n.  
-Princess.  
-Hunter.   
-Jedi.   
-Idiot.  
-Dummy.  
-Nerf-Herder.  
-Hey!  
Risha laughed, her violet eyes shining happily:  
-Okay, okay, I think that's enough. You're just calling each other names now. Oh and, Jayden? I think Alana has you beat with that last one. Now, shouldn't we focus on the power pylons?  
Alana cast a curious look at Risha:  
-You overheard us?  
Risha shook her head, the tip of her akul headdress swaying:  
-No, but somehow Jayden knew what you were saying and what TK was replying back with,-the red-skinned togruta turned to Jayden her raised eyebrows creasing her white tattoos,- How did you do that?  
Alana replied in Jayden's stead:  
-He was in my head again. You're getting better at doing that more discreetly.  
Jayden looked a bit confused:  
-Well, I did look in your mind, but I didn't do anything special. So why didn't--  
-I think it's because of what happened on Tatooine.  
-What do you mean?  
-Since I asked you to close off the bond when I was in that state, I have a feeling this may have affected the conditions of the bond, it's form or something. It's also possible that it became strengthen as a result of our minds merging again when you showed me what had happened on Tatooine.   
Jayden crossed his arms, his facial expression serious:  
-What's your point?  
Alana drew in a shaky breath. Her hands sliding up to hug upper arms, she finally looked Jayden in the eye and said:  
-I don't want to admit it, but I have a feeling this is either the bond going deeper or,-she took another shaky breath,-it's the start of an subconscious Force mind meld.


	51. Chapter 49 - To infiltrate a base

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I'm back! Did you miss me? I'm pretty sure no one missed my long-winded author's notes so I'll keep this brief (says I and don't keep it short at all) :  
> 1) Apologies for my month long (I think) absence, the usual culprits are behind that: exams which shall decide my future, homework, teachers, family, writer's block etc. The good news is that I'm back and though I have no idea how my summer will go my 3 months summer break starts tomorrow (though I still have to pass 3 exams first :/ )  
> 2) I had absolutely no clue where this chapter was going half the time so apologies for any weirdness.  
> 3) Did anyone miss Tenebris? Because if you did - here have another dose. Also keep this a secret from my siblings...I shall go and once more lament over why my younger sisters have a mini crush on my fictional bad guy. Also Cestele - she'll be an interesting player in the future.  
> 4) I didn't think I could make OC out of character, but apparently I'm capable of impressing myself. Are Risha and Alana in character? I have no clue.  
> 5) Also I finally drew out a planetary plan (as in I made a list of planets they'll visit and what will roughly happen there) and, uh, it turns out there's still 22 planets to go until the grand finale. Considering that each planetary arc is between 3-5 chapters long...Yeah. I'm, um, sorry?  
> 6) Apologies for any unnoticed typos and autocorrect- I hate that thing sometimes.  
> 7) As usual - Enjoy! This is a 13000+ word chapter so have fun.

=======SW: LB==========  
Chapter 49 - To infiltrate a base 

The effect of Alana's words on her teammates was different to say the least. While TK gave a soft chirp of alarm and swivelled his head to look between the Jedi girl and the idiot captain, Risha bit her lip, looking uncertain, and Jayden looked just flat-out confused. Alana sighed: she really should have expected this reaction - they didn't know how dangerous Force mind melds were and how unsettling. Looking between the three of them, she spoke:  
-Okay, from that reaction I'm guessing only TK got what I was talking about and I'm not about to ask why. Which part of what I said don't you understand?  
Jayden raised his eyebrows in his signature "this is obvious so why are you asking" look:  
-The Force meld part. What in the blazes is that? It's obviously connected with combining two things into one, but is it a connection or--  
-No, it's worse than that.  
Alana interjected seriously, her voice quiet. Risha echoed her at the same volume:  
-Worse?  
-That's right. A Force mind meld is also called the Jedi mind meld, but I doubt you've heard about either of those techniques. It's a highly advanced Force technique that melds numerous Force-sensitives minds into one. Basically, two or three Jedi can become a single entity if they all focus and the technique works correctly. However, should the procedure go wrong the consequences of the mistake could end up being lethal with the participants dying or in the best case scenario loosing their minds. Even if the mind meld is done correctly it does have side effects that take a while to wear off.  
Jayden was starting to get concerned with what he was hearing. If what Alana said was true they were slowly, but surely going to end up in quite a troublesome situation. Crossing his arms over his chest, Jayden hesitantly asked:  
-What kind of side effects?  
-The sharing of sensations and emotions for one, the fact that participants finish each other's sentences naturally, well, in short it takes a while for them to start being completely separate from one another. I actually can't believe that I didn't notice this earlier! The facts were staring me right in the face, but I couldn't piece them together! Damn it! If I had noticed this earlier--  
Jayden stepped forward and grabbed Alana's arm:  
-What? What could you have done? Alana, have you ever participated in such a complex technique?  
-I...No, I haven't.  
-Then what could you have done?  
-I could have asked Master!  
-I talked to him about Force Bonds and such and he himself admitted he didn't know enough to be someone to consult on issues such as this. Look, the past is the past - you can't change that. Now, you said that this technique requires users to be very focused on what they're doing, right? That means that they're conscious of what they're doing, but that's not the case with us. You said this was a subconscious mind meld.  
Alana nodded, making Jayden frown. Risha sighed before she suddenly had an idea:  
-Oh!  
-Did you come up with something, doc?  
-It's not something you can do right now, but if we ever have some free time maybe you two can try that technique- it could force the subconscious mind meld to unravel and when you stop doing the conscious one you should revert back to more or less normal.   
Alana nodded, looking thoughtful:  
-That could work and since I have the datachip that Eren made Jayden pass on I can probably find out how it's done. But, - Alana paused and looked towards the door and the exposed panel,- that will have to wait. We have stuff to do first.  
-Beep!  
-Agreed. But if TK can't locate the pylons how do we find them?  
Surprisingly, Risha spoke up:  
-I can locate them.  
All three of her teammate's turned to look at Risha in surprise. Risha shrugged:  
-I can triangulate their coordinates if TK gives me the data I need. It's a simple bit of math.   
-That's not simple!   
Risha smiled at Alana's surprised exclamation as she pulled out her small datapad:  
-I've always been good at mathematics, physics and chemistry. I couldn't have become a good doctor without that. Now, TK, can you tell me the frequency of the jammers? We need to isolate their coordinates first or they'll interfere with my calculations.  
-Beep.  
Risha sat down cross-legged on the landing platforms surface while TK rolled up to her and the two of them launched themselves into calculating where the power pylons could be. Alana smiled and shook her head, looking towards Jayden who was standing beside her:  
-Looks like we just got a scientist on our team.  
-That's true. She'll definitely be useful.   
-We make a weird team though. I mean I'm the historian and the Force expert of the team who manages the negotiations while you're the underworld expert and planner of the team who can tell us when we're walking into a trap as well as a pilot. TK's the mechanics expert as well as the slicer of the group he seems to also be our liaison with droids as well as our shadowy protector. And Risha's our doctor and scientist. Add that to the fact that we're all pretty decent fighters and that we have the legendary Crimson Storm on our side - we make a pretty formidable team.  
-That's true. You know, it's been two and half months since we officially met as of today.  
-Oh, you mean on the Atlantida?  
-Yeah, but if we count that night on Coruscant that means I've known you for about three months now.   
-Two and three quarters, don't go loosing an extra week for dramatic effect.  
-Well, if we're getting technical then I've known about your existence for seven years now.  
-Doesn't count since I don't remember that.  
-You're as obstinate as ever. Can't we have a nice moment while they're doing their science stuff?  
Alana rolled her eyes and smiled at her partner:  
-This is the second time you're saying that. What's with you and your insistence on having a moment with me?  
Jayden shrugged, folding his arms behind his head:  
-Heck if I know. Just want to for some reason.  
Alana shook her head and was silent for a few moments before quietly asking:  
-Hey, back on Tatooine, what exactly did you and Master talk about?  
Jayden cast Alana an odd look:  
-Why are you asking that now? I thought you knew.  
Alana shrugged looking at the treetops, her eyes distant:  
-I don't know. I kind of have a feeling I do know, but I still want to be sure. Jayden, I care about you and TK a lot and I really like Risha, but for some reason I feel like I'm betraying Master by refusing to go with him. You know, he has the authority and the power to make go with him as my Master, but he didn't exercise that authority. What does that mean?  
Jayden looked up at few scattered white fluffy clouds passing them by:  
-I think he respects your freedom and your wishes. While he wants to protect you he knows that you're not a little girl anymore, he knows that you can stand on your own two feet and if you stumble you have TK, me and even the doc to support you. Before we started that cantina brawl we talked about a lot of things and he told me that he's always wanted to apologise to you, but he's never found the time and he's always been afraid of what you'd say.  
Alana looked at Jayden, her dark blue eyes wide and uncertain. Jayden looked at her, a small half-smile on his face:  
-He's always wanted to apologise for not being able to give you the choice of your own path. He's always felt guilty for forcing the path of the Jedi upon you. He told me that he knew what was going on, but he had no idea how to respond to it. He hated what he had done to you, the restrictions he had forced on you and the pain. I didn't really understand that.  
Alana sighed and looked up at the sky, at the wide blue yonder a painful smile on her face. She felt her heart ache and there was some sort of weird pressure behind her eyes:  
-I can't believe him. He must really have been drunk to tell you that. I don't remember if I've told you this before, but when I was younger I never had any friends and apart from Emira and you guys it's not so different now. My peers have always disliked me and as you know the older Jedi have always treated as a ticking time bomb, they still do.   
-Why? You're a friendly person.  
-Emira has always said it's jealousy. The other padawans have always treated me with disgust since I've always been able to pick up things much faster and easier than they have. I can understand them kind of - a little girl that shows up out of the blue, way above the normal age when they were taken in and with no struggle and no work she's given a Master and better yet everyone on the council is cautious around her, treating her delicately just because that girl had amnesia . At least that's what it looks like on the outside apparently.  
-Well, that is jealousy. But that's not how it really was, right?  
Alana looked at Jayden and shook her head, her eyes serious and searching:  
-No. It's true that I became Kai's padawan without much trouble and the Council is cautious around me, but it was never like I got any special treatment. If anything the council has always scrutinised my actions more intently than they normally would.  
-Why?  
-Can't you guess?  
Alana's lips tugged up into a bitter smile and Jayden sighed:  
-You're a wildcard. They don't know where you came from and what you can do so they can't control you.  
-Yep. Back on Rodia I remembered something from my past - it seems people have always hated me for some power I have, because I'm different. People fear and despise what they cannot control.  
There was a bit of silence around them, interrupted only by the low mumbling of Risha and TK's quiet beeps and whistles. Jayden impulsively placed a hand on Alana's shoulder, making her look at him:  
-For what it's worth, Alana, I actually like you because you're so different, so unpredictable, so fun. I'm not afraid of a wildcard, wildcards are what make life interesting.  
Alana's eyes widened slightly and she raised her eyebrows:  
-Do you actually mean that?  
-Have I ever lied to you?  
-No.  
-So?  
-It's true.   
-I don't flatter people, Alana. It's a waste of my time to do so. Besides,-Jayden grinned at his partner,- I of all people know what's you're really like, princess.  
Alana rolled her eyes and elbowed him in the side, but laughed:  
-You're an idiot.  
-Just like you are.  
Alana held up an open palm, smiling:  
-Wildcards for life?  
-Wildcards for life.  
Alana and Jayden simply high-fived each other, the atmosphere that had previously been tense turning light and teasing as always. Risha finally looked up and grinned triumphantly:  
-Okay! It looks like we've got them!  
-Great job, doc!  
-You too, TK.  
Risha and TK looked at each other and the togruta gave a smile while the astromech gave a congratulatory whistle:  
-It was a group effort, but those bastards have done some serious firewalling against outside forces.Anyway,-Risha got to her feet, - I've got them, the coordinates. Should I send them out to our frequency?  
-Yeah, that'd be best. Now, all three pylons need to be destroyed simultaneously, right, tin can?  
-Beep. Dee-bleep-wreet.  
Alana frowned and crossed her arms, tapping her chin thoughtfully:  
-We need to split up into teams, but since comlinks don't work here only Jayden and I can communicate across distances using our bond.  
Risha bit her lip before turning to Jayden:  
-Can the Storm be remote controlled?  
-Theoretically: yes. However, it would take an incredible amount of skill to do in reality.  
Alana's eyes widened as she caught onto the other girl's idea:  
-Risha, you are amazing! TK can do it! He's keeping the Storm in the air above us right now even with jammers, right?  
-That's true... Think you can do it, tin can?  
-Beep! Whop-whop-reet!  
Alana patted the droid domed head:  
-Yeah, yeah, just don't get overeager and destroy the facility, alright?  
TK gave a disappointed beep and released a chirp very akin to a sigh. Sometimes it worried Jayden how human this droid seemed. Risha frowned:  
-So that settles one problem, but since you two are the only ones that can communicate how are--  
-We'll split into two teams: you and me, Jayden and TK. That way we can all destroy them simultaneously and have someone guarding our back. That work for everyone?  
-Yep.  
-Yeah.  
-Beep.  
-Good, then let's get to action.   
They all started heading to their destination, but just before Alana and Risha ducked into the forest, the Jedi cast a glance over he shoulder and a exchanged a look with her partner who mouthed "Good luck" to which she responded by rolling her eyes and mouthing "May the Force be with you". They nodded and both turned back to their task. Easily ducking under a branch, Alana followed Risha deeper into the forest.

== SW: LB ==

As they walked through the winding forest paths Alana smiled slightly. Asmeru was an agricultural world on the outer rim that didn't focus too much on export and with most of the towns located in the southern hemisphere most of the northern hemisphere was left untouched so nature here was abundant. The climate here was temperate and the tall trees provided plenty of cover from the sunlight. It was a nice change of pace from the last few planets to say the least. Wild birds cooed from the tree branches, the leaves of which swayed when the gentle breeze ruffled them. If not for the periodic blinking of her comlink Alana would have forgotten about the mission entirely and relaxed. Risha seemed to be enjoying herself far more than Alana was:  
-It's been such a long time since I was on a forest world, makes me want to kick myself for not finding a way off Tatooine sooner.  
-I don't know how you could stand such a hot world.  
-You don't like heat?  
Risha probed curiously, hearing the Jedi's muttered comment. Alana shook her head, grimacing:  
-Hate it. I can stand the cold, but heat? No way. I despise it. I love worlds like this though. It's so different from Coruscant.  
Risha raised an eyebrow:  
-You grew up on Coruscant?  
Alana shrugged:  
-I wouldn't say I grew up there, but that is where I spent the most of the last six years, yes. The Jedi temple is located there after all.  
-What's it like? I've never been there.  
-Well, it's a planet-wide city with thousands of levels and there are all kinds of people there and places. It's like the central hub of the Galaxy. It's always very busy and though it glimmers that shine is just a facade, it's a dark place sometimes. There's not much plant life there at all so this is a breath of fresh air for me. This whole trip with Jayden has been really.  
Risha tilted her head curiously toward the Jedi, ducking under a low hanging branch:  
-How did you meet Jayden anyway? You two don't seem like two people who'd click straight away.  
Alana smiled, shaking her head:  
-We didn't at first. We drive each other up the wall still with our actions, but I think we're getting closer. I want us to be close friends. Anyway, believe it or not, Jayden and I tried to kill each other when we met.  
Risha quirked an eyebrow as they stumbled through a few bushes, heading towards the coordinates:  
-How did you go from that to this?  
-This?  
-Two people who are really close. Honestly, the way he was talking back on Tatooine I assumed you were his lover, no one and I repeat no one would be that desperate for a friend. You don't think he secretly fancies you?  
Alana's face flushed red, but she vehemently shook her head:  
-That's not it at all! Jayden's and my fates are interwoven- if one of us dies there's a good chance that the other will die too. So that's why...It's a long story.  
-Yeesh, that is a problem. But, Alana,-Risha's voice became serious yet gentle,- he really does care for you.  
Alana smiled slightly, a tender look on her face:  
-I know. As I do him.  
The pair lapsed into silence, but it was no longer awkward and heavy as it had been. Jayden's voice suddenly spoke in Alana's head:  
-We're here.  
-Great. We're a few meters away from our target. Look like it's in the trees.  
-Yeah, ours was high up too. Remind me to never let TK fly me up again.  
-It was fun, wasn't it?  
-More like suicidal. Hey, not to overstep or anything, but why do you have lingering feelings of embarrassment?  
-Huh? Um, oh, that...Let's just say Risha insinuates things too blatantly.  
-Gah, that girl doesn't listen. Just ignore anything she says about what happened on Tatooine, ok? I swear...  
-Ah! We're here. I'm going to climb now so...  
-Yeah, I'll stop making you lose your focus.   
Jayden's voice in her head fell silent and Alana stood next to Risha, looking at the tall tree. Alana looked at Risha:  
-Think you can climb that high up?  
The power pylon was high up, on the top branches of this tree and as if on purpose it didn't have any lower branches which they could use to climb up. Risha shook her head:  
-I doubt that's physically possible: look at how thick the trunk is and there aren't any branches before the crown so it's impossible to climb up that far without proper equipment.  
Alana raised a hand to shield her eyes from the bright sunlight:  
-I think there's some strange type of cord beside the pylon.  
-They must use it for maintenance, but unless one of us has secret boosters or wings it's going to be very hard.  
-Mm, it might not be as hard as you think. After all I've done it before.  
Alana glanced down at the belt she was wearing. She lifted up a flap that seemed to cover some thing different than a usual pouch and smiled triumphantly when she saw a grappling hook attached to some kind of stretchable cord. She should have known. This belt had been given to Alana via Jayden by his friend a twi'lek smuggler and an inventor - Ayyshiri Vrei. Time and time again Ayyshiri's inventions had proven to be better and more useful than the government sanctioned stuff. Alana hoped that this time it would be the same way. Risha looked impressed:  
-That's a clever idea: attaching a grappling cord with an extendable string to a belt and with the way it's positioned on the belt it shouldn't break from the power of gravity, depends on the weight of course, but--  
-Risha, I'm glad you're excited, but now's really not the time for science experiments.  
-Ah, sorry. Bad habit of mine. So you're going to use that?  
-Yep. Let's hope I'm good at throwing stuff.  
Pulling out the cord a bit more Alana spun the loose part around before letting it go and watching it sail towards the branch. It was about to fall just short, but Alana reacted with a lightning fast speed and used the Force to push it forward, but she miscalculated a tiny bit and caused the power pylon to shift. Risha winced:  
-That was close. Don't push it off by accident, ok? That will interrupt the signal and the facility will receive an alert since the cord that runs from the pylon through the trunk might be stretched or broken.   
-Right. I understand.  
Alana tugged the cord extending from her belt to the grappling hook which had comfortably wrapped once around the tree branch. She took a few steps back before breaking into a run and executing a Force leap towards the branch. When the force of her leap wore off the cord continued to tug her upward. Soon enough Alana found herself in danger of slamming into a branch. She twisted her body in such away that caused her to stop and hang onto the relatively thick branch by her elbows. Alana pulled herself up onto the branch and reached to undo the cord that had pulled her up. As soon as it had been unwound it retracted back to her belt and Alana fastened the flap again. She stood up and threw down the cord beside the pylon to Risha who caught it and began to shimmy up it. Alana smiled: so Risha was a scientist, a doctor and professional rope shimmier. Alana used the bond to contact Jayden:  
-We've reached our target.  
-Great. So have we. TK needs three minutes to get the Storm into position and another one to lock onto the pylon. So in short set the timer on your chrono for 5 minutes.  
-Right timer started in three...two...one! There.  
-I've got my chrono synched too so we should fire simultaneously.  
-Great. I just want to check something so talk to you later.  
-Good luck. Let's hope trouble hasn't followed us here.  
Chuckling to herself, Alana kneeled down in front of the pylon. Using a few tools she undid the protective panel around the pylons inner workings and was expecting to find wires or a motherboard both of which could easily be fried, but she was faced with a screen that had code running across it. Alana's eyes widened: she had to disable the code for the pylon to be destroyed! If she didn't a shield would pop up that would prevent it from being destroyed without destroying the tree entirely and that would alert the whole facility. The chrono attached to her comlink continued to tick down. Not wasting any time, Alana started on cracking the code on the adjacent screen. Damn it, this was a lot harder than the usual slicing she was used to. Risha who'd climbed up wisely remained silent, easily piecing together the situation. Alana mumbled:  
-I don't suppose you're an expert slicer?  
-I don't have the faintest idea of what you're doing.  
-Right, so that's a no. Alright. Guess my mediocre skills will have to do.  
Alana cracked the first layer of the encryption only to find that the second layer had double the security. Alana gritted her teeth and pushed on. Her fingers flew across the screen at an incredible rate and with different words that seemed scrambled with both numbers and letter order appearing every few seconds and then disappearing the next Risha was impressed. Just where in the universe were skills such as Alana's considered mediocre? Alana gave an annoyed huff as the last encryption key started disappearing. Yeah, she wasn't losing after coming this far. These sneaky bastards wanted to play crack the puzzle with her? She would oblige. Alana quickly returned the key to its original state and in a few heartbeats she had cracked the code. The screen turned green and the dark grey circles on the pylon lit up yellow. The screens slid aside to expose a motherboard. Alana turned to the togruta, the look in her eyes urgent:  
-Risha, can you fry this motherboard with your electrostaff?  
-Sure. Why?  
-I need to go. I just realised all these pylons have this same security system and if it isn't disabled we can't destroy them without alerting the facility. I need to get to the second pylon so can I count on you to destroy this one? Sync you chrono to mine: we have 3 minutes left.  
-Will that be enough?  
Alana facial expression was one of hard determination:  
-It'll have to be. Take care of this one for me! Destroy it a soon as the timer reaches zero.  
-Roger that, chief!  
Risha saluted Alana and with a nod the Jedi jumped from this tree to the next one and to the next. She used the Force to increase her speed and followed the blinking of her comlink which steadily guided her to the second, unattended pylon. As she jumped from tree to tree she called out to Jayden:  
-Hunter, there's a problem.  
-What is it?  
-These pylons are protected by a security system - you need to decrypt the code. It won't work otherwise. TK should be able to do it in time. I'm heading to the second pylon right now.  
-There's only two minutes left! Can you make in time?  
-I'm not sure.   
-Alana...  
-Do you trust me?  
-Yes.  
-Then believe that I'll make it. Also tell TK to recall the Storm - I'll destroy it myself.  
-Alright. Good luck.  
-Thanks.  
Alana vaulted over one of the higher branches and landed on the branch that held the second power pylon. She ran up to it and kneeled down before it. With the timer ticking down to one minute and a half Alana removed the cover. The code started up again. Alana's focus was single-minded as she decrypted key after key. With forty seconds left she broken through the first layer of encryption. The second layer proved to be more problematic than the first. Uttering a curse under her breath, Alana didn't break her concentration. The timer beeped, warning Alana that only ten seconds were left as she started cracking the last key. At five seconds she was halfway done, at three the screens slid aside, at one Alana summoned her lightsaber to her grasp. As the timer gave a shrill beep indicating that the countdown had reached zero, Alana's green blade was instantly stabbed through the motherboard of the pylon. As soon as that happened the rest of the pylon exploded, throwing Alana back so forcefully that she barely managed to keep her grip on the branch. As the smoke cleared, Alana was faced with a smoking husk of a destroyed pylon. She breathed out a sigh of relief and sank down on the branch. She could only hope the others hade made it. As if on cue Alana's comlink beeped. She pressed the answer button. Jayden's voice sounded:  
-Did everyone make it?  
Risha's voice was the first to respond:  
-All good here, captain.  
-Good. We've taken care of ours. Alana?  
Her shoulders sagging with relief, Alana sighed. Upon hearing no response from her, Jayden's voice grew a bit concerned:  
-Alana?  
-I'm fine. Mine exploded, but I took care of it in time. Did destruction of the power pylons deactivate the jamming field?  
-Beep-reet-dweet! Dwip-twop.  
-So you cracked the jamming frequency? Well done.  
Jayden's voice interjected:  
-Alana, why didn't you answer straight away?  
-I was too busy catching my breath.  
-You did it on purpose to mess with me?  
-Maybe a bit.  
-Alana!  
-I'm sorry.   
-You're not forgiven.  
-Jerk!  
Jayden chuckled lightly and Risha laughed. Even the doctor had been worried after recently meeting the reckless young Jedi. Alana had a natural skill of making people care and worry about her without knowing that she did so. She was just that kind of person. Alana looked around herself, proposing:  
-Should we meet back at the entrance?  
-That would probably be the best idea. Doc, can you make it?  
-Not a problem. See you all there.  
-Yeah.  
With a small click the transmission cut off and Alana stood up. It looked like she still had some more climbing to do.

==SW: LB==

Alana jumped down from one of the top tree branches of the trees surrounding the landing platform. Jayden and TK were already there and Alana could feel Risha approaching. It didn't seem like any of them had gotten hurt. After landing safely in a crouched position, Alana straightened up and approached Jayden who was watching TK work. He looked her up and down, inspecting for injuries which she might have purposefully neglected to mention. Alana had a serious scrape on her arm, but that was all he noticed - she seemed fine otherwise. He nodded at the injury:  
-When did that happen?  
-Oh, this? It's just a scratch. It happened when I was blown back by the blast.  
-What happened when?  
Risha's voice sounded from behind the pair. Alana turned around and the togruta glimpsed the graze on her arm. Alana shrugged:  
-It's fine.  
-I'll say. You were lucky to make it out of the blast's radius that quickly. I've heard that Force-sensitive often see things happen a few seconds before they actually do so they have unbelievable reflexes, but it's one thing to hear about it and to have living proof in front of you.   
Jayden raised an eyebrow, curious:  
-Wait, so I have reflexes like that too?  
Alana nodded:  
-Yeah. Haven't you noticed it throughout your life? The fact that you managed to hold off Ventress is a prime example. You wouldn't have stood a chance against her in close combat in that jungle if you didn't have those reflexes. I never personally saw the fight so I can't say anything for certain, but I'm sure you know what I mean.  
Before Jayden could answer TK piped up, telling them that he'd disabled the system. Risha raised an eyebrow:  
-That was fast.  
Alana smiled as she patted the droid's head:  
-Well, we do have one of the best slicers in the galaxy working with us.   
-Beep! Beep-dweet.  
The slicer in question released a series of especially smug beeps. Risha looked at a certain facepalming Mandolorian:  
-Is it me or is that droid acting like he's better than the rest of us mortals?  
Jayden shook his head, patting her on the shoulder sympathetically:  
-Don't worry it's not you - it's him.  
-Blip-bot-dreet?!  
-Exactly what I said, tin can.  
-Deet-trip!  
-And what's that supposed imply?!  
Alana cut in before this could escalate into a full blown fight:  
-Guys, cool it. We don't have time for this. They're bound to notice the security system's power failure any minute now so we have to act fast. Right now we're out of the camera's viewpoint, but once we're inside--  
-We're caught.  
-Yeah. So we have to be smart about how we approach this.   
Risha tapped her chin before looking at her teammates:  
-Would stealth work?  
Alana and Jayden grimaced, but nodded. Stealth was definitely not their strong suit, but if they put in some effort they could probably pull it off. Keyword: probably. Alana crossed her arms:  
-Okay, so the three of us have stealth field generators, but what about TK?  
-Oh, the walking scrap heap can probably use a holographic disguise and be that droid.   
Jayden jerked a thumb over his shoulder and peering around both girls noticed a disabled maintenance droid. Alana leaned down to inspect the droid. He seemed to have been shut down by TK's shock probe. Standing up, she quietly murmured:  
-It's a BLX series. I don't know, with TK's personality can he pull of being one of them?  
The astromech in question obstinately insisted that he could and that they were foolish to underestimate him. Jayden narrowed his green eyes at the droid, a challenge obvious in them:  
-Then go ahead and prove it.  
TK stated that he would and if they got through this safely Jayden had to lend him one of his spare blasters to disassemble. Jayden shrugged and nodded in agreement. At the words "disassemble" and "custom blaster" Risha's violet eyes lit up with excitement:  
-Can I watch?  
The droid tilted his head before easily agreeing, making Risha even happier. Alana merely shook her head at the whole scene.   
She reached down and pressed the button on her belt to activate the stealth generator, instantly disappearing from view. Realising that their easy casual time was over, Jayden along with Risha switched on his stealth generator. TK scanned the disabled BLX labourer droid and suddenly in place of TK stood that droid. It was a convincing holographic disguise to say the least. The doors swooshed open and the group entered. Making her steps as quiet as possible, Alana followed TK who had taken point. She could sense Jayden and Risha behind them, completely in control of their emotions. She'd known Jayden was capable of that since the Atlantida , but she was glad Risha was capable of it too. Though she wanted to, Alana refrained from summoning her lightsabers to her with the Force, something in the material from which she had made the handles of the blades was resistant to camouflaging. If she ever had the time and the materials Alana hoped to change that. Following along the empty corridor, they quickly arrive before a room. From a glance Alana guessed it was the entrance lobby and surprise surprise there were people there. A human woman was behind the receptionist's desk and was flanked by two IG model assassin droids. Reaching into the Force Alana located at least ten more presences in the adjacent room. A room for the guards, eh? It wasn't a bad idea, dividing the forces, but it was a bit useless against people like her. Barely audibly, Alana whispered:  
-There's at least ten people in the adjacent room. We should probably play it safe.  
-It's not like we couldn't take them.  
-We agreed on stealth?  
-Ah, fair point, doc. So--  
The woman's sharp voice cut over their whispering:  
-Hey! Who's there?  
TK stepped out of the shadows and gave a small bow:  
-Apologies, Master, I got caught up in repairing a faulty panel.  
-BL-X7? You should have been back half an hour ago!  
-There was an issue with the door.  
-Well, then fix it! Ah, actually, hold off on that. The maintenance crew just said there's been a security system malfunction. Go help them fix that.   
-Yes, Master.  
TK, camouflaged as the BLX droid, trotted off obediently. Just as he left Alana noticed him fold his fingers in a certain pattern and then unfold them. Her eyes widened when she realised it was the code the security system had used. Quietly she informed Risha and Jayden:  
-It's the code: he says he'll meet us there later.  
-You know the more I get to know TK the better opinion of him I have. That's actually really clever.  
-Why do I feel like there's an insult in there?  
-Don't have a clue what you're talking about, captain.  
-TK's intelligence aside, we have to figure out what we're going to do. We can't just sneak past.  
-Can't we?  
Alana shook her head, despite knowing they couldn't see her:  
-No. We need the map of the facility because without that we'll be lost here. And the receptionist is bound to have a map on that terminal. It's not like she'll just hand it over so we need to put her out of commission. Quietly.  
-Aren't Jedi usually against killing?  
Risha whispered in a slightly confused tone of voice. Alana shrugged:  
-Who said anything about killing her? Look, while I use a mind trick on her you two take care of the droids.  
-What about the guards?  
Alana bit her lip before glancing at the spot where she felt Risha was:  
-Can you funnel in something through the vents? There should be an outlet there.  
-I have the chemicals to create a bit of sleeping gas with me.  
-That'll do. Ready?  
Alana heard no answer, but she felt their confidence in the Force. Stepping out of the shadows, she deactivated the stealth field. The woman's eyes instantly snapped to her and the two battle droids had her pinned with their weaponry. Perfect, they were all completely focused on her. Hand reaching for a certain button, the woman demanded:  
-Who are you and how did you get in here?  
-That's doesn't matter,-Alana waved her hand and used the power of the Force to push her next words into the woman's mind,-You will forget that you saw me and you will go about your business. You will not pay any attention to anything unusual or anything that's new. The newcomers have authorisation to be here.   
In a trance the women repeated:  
-I will forget I saw you and I will go about my business. I won't pay attention to anything unusual or anything new. The newcomers have authorisation to be here.  
Alana could feel that the woman's mind was struggling, but with another strong push of the Force her mind quieted and she sat still, just staring off into space. Just then the droids were deactivated with a loud clanks by Jayden and Risha flipping their circuit breakers. The two in question popped back into view. Quietly, Risha removed the vent and after taking out a few vials, put on a mask. The same mask that Alana and Jayden had worn back on Duro which they had supplied her with. Jayden and Alana hastily followed her cue. Risha leaned over the vent and set about setting off the gas. Getting an idea, Alana rushed over to the terminal and leaning over the woman's shoulder typed in a command making all the doors and vents in the facility open by using a system-wide override code and a security spike. Before logging out she quickly downloaded maps of the facility and sent them along the frequency. Jayden smiled at her actions: she was planning to gas everyone in the facility to limit their amount of enemies and to avoid leaving a trail behind. He knew Alana normally tried to prevent loss of innocent life, but he also knew she was slowly growing numb to the killing at this point and though it was horrible it was the truth. They all knew that these people were allied with Spectrewolf and that was reason enough to distrust them, so somehow gassing them seemed perfectly acceptable to Jayden. Voice altered by the mask, Alana inquired:  
-How long will the gas's effects last?  
-Depends on how thick the mixture is. How long do you think we'll need?  
Alana glanced at Jayden who shrugged and held up four fingers. Alana nodded:  
-About 4 hours should do it.  
-4 hours, huh? Guess I should add powdered stalk of Shiahra to counteract the hydrogen cyanide. We're not trying to kill them, right?   
It wasn't as if Risha was expecting a response, she'd just been thinking aloud. Therefore she was a bit startled to hear Alana ask:  
-Would that bother you? If I said we were, which we aren't in this case, would you be bothered? Are you prepared to kill?  
Risha stood up with a vial of some strange grey-blue liquid in hand and turned around to face Alana and Jayden. Her eyes were dead serious, not a trace of her usual cheerfulness present. These were the eyes of a person who could save millions lives, but they were also the eyes of a person who knew more than a hundred ways to kill a being in a single move. These were the eyes of a person who had seen the galaxy in all it's ugly and disgusting parts and didn't flinch. This was the face Risha wore as a doctor and as a scientist. Looking Jayden and Alana square in the face, Risha firmly and calmly answered:  
-No. Not in the least. I'm a doctor and I save lives, but just as I can save them I can take them. I'm not innocent and I'm not as naive as you may believe me to be. Do not underestimate me. Death and I have seen each other far too often. Do you understand?  
Alana nodded. She knew now what that look she'd seen on Risha's face before meant. Risha was like them: a teenager who'd grown up too fast because she had been forced into a life that demanded it. Jayden's lips tugged up into a grim smile: he'd known that since the moment in the Tusken camp. Risha Zyran was not to be underestimated. Nodding at her teammates, Risha threw down the vial and the glass shattered releasing a blue-grey vapour. Instinctively, Alana shut her eyes. Counting down to 30 she opened her eyes. The room was filled with a slight white mist, but it hung low so it didn't obstruct their vision. Beside her Risha and Jayden soon opened their eyes. Looking around, Jayden asked:  
-Did it work?  
-It should have.  
Looking at the receptionist, Alana nodded:  
-I think it did. Give me a moment.  
She quickly reached into the Force and scanned for any bright presence, but apart from them there was no one that was an organic being that was awake. She opened her eyes and confirmed their assumptions:  
-Yes, it worked. The only ones still conscious are us and the droids.  
-Well, that evens the playing field. And the map you transmitted helps too. Good work to you too, Doc.  
Risha shrugged as she put the vials away:  
-It's no big deal. I want to be useful. Just in case, I suggest you keep your masks on until we clear the facility. Since Alana opened up all the vents in the facility which is smart thinking, however, it has a big drawback - it probably means that the ventilation system has started a full system wide circulation. So, the gas has no way out and until we leave the effects shouldn't wear off.  
-Understood. But, doc, how do you know all this?  
Risha looked a bit uneasy before explaining:  
-A while back I helped out in a hospital, all the patients were sedated like this, but since the ventilation system wasn't activated many of them fell asleep forever. They died. I learned that the ventilation system can be used as a weapon the hard way. Anyway, we've got to find TK, I can't guarantee how this gas will affect our surroundings.   
Alana raised an eyebrow as they started off down the corridor from the lobby:  
-What do you mean affect our surroundings?  
-Alana, what I whipped up wasn't the usual knockout gas - it's a mix of different chemicals which when combined can produce unexpected results. Let's just hope the powdered stalks counteract the hallucinogenic particles that the cyclone mixture has. Anywho, we better act quickly because aside from that problem, won't someone notice if the facility stays offline for too long?  
Alana nodded, glancing at Jayden:  
-That's right. Wouldn't the Spectrewolf keep tabs on his facilities?  
Jayden made a noncommittal shrug of his shoulders:  
-There's no guarantee that he's watching us right now, but then again there's no guarantee that he isn't. The Spectrewolf isn't someone easily understood or caught. He's a master criminal, not even the top units of the Republic Spec Ops could catch him so they gave up and let him run about as he pleased. He creates chaos and instills fear no matter where he goes. No one even knows his true name or face...Why are you two looking at me like that?  
Alana smiled slightly:  
-I wonder. Hey, Rish, doesn't the description remind you of someone?  
-Yeah, it does. A bounty hunter that inspires such fear in people that he's used as an example in horror stories: the great, mysterious and dangerous Shadow.  
Jayden's eyes widened:  
-Oh, heck no! Don't even go comparing me to him! We're nothing alike! Just because we share similar characteristics--  
Before Jayden could finish his full blown rant Alana clapped a hand over his mouth and made a shushing motion. Her companions nodded and the trio slowly drew their weapons. Peering around the corner they saw a patrol of droids approaching. According to the map Alana pulled up the maintenance room was just past them. Alana's lips tugged up into a tiny smile as she nodded at Risha and Jayden who nodded back before the three of them rushed out.   
They were instantly assaulted by the droids. There were about 12 of them in total so they all took on 4. Alana easily blocked their blaster bolts before ducking under the line of fire and slicing one of the droids in half from the legs up. The other three closed in, she escaped them by force leaping and landing on the the shoulders of one of the other ones. Keeping a lid on her darker side, she sent out a torrent of Force lightning around herself that instantly disabled 6 other ones along with her targets. She stabbed the one she'd been standing on and for good measure cleaved his head off his body. She turned around to see Jayden take down his last one with two extremely precise shots and Risha stab the her own adversary in it's weak spot with her electrostaff, short-circuiting it. Alana switched off her lightsabers and replaced them back in their carriers, commenting:  
-That didn't take long.  
-Yeah, because a certain someone had to show off.  
Alana rolled her eyes at Jayden's teasing remark:  
-Hey, you had your fun on Tatooine, now it's my turn. Come on, the maintenance room shouldn't be too far ahead.  
As they continued down the corridor a door on their left swoooshed open and a med droid tottered out. Completely ignoring them, it moved on down the corridor. Alana cast a curious look at the droid before breaking into a small smile:  
-You know I think this is the first time in all our time travelling together that a droid didn't attack in a place we've broken into.  
-True.  
Risha sighed in exasperation:  
-Just how many places have you broken into? Actually, don't answer that. How are the two of you even still alive with all of the reckless things you do?  
Alana shrugged:  
-Luck.  
-And a lot of it.  
Risha shook her head tiredly and instead turned to look at the open Medbay door. She took a few steps forward and peeked into the room. From the open doorway a calm blue glow spread, washing Risha's red face in its hue. Her violet eyes seemed to shine, radiating excitement. Alana sighed, looking between the togruta and the door to their right which apparently was the maintenance room:  
-Okay. Risha, you get whatever we need from the medbay while Jayden and I meet up with TK. We'll meet back here in 20 minutes. Deal?  
Risha nodded quickly, sending the beaded string at the back of her head swinging:  
-Deal.

== SW: LB==

Cestele Lagrah rubbed her eyes tiredly. It was only midday and she was exhausted. Granted, she'd been up two days in a row with no sleep, but she'd always thought she had better stamina than this. Placing her head in her hands and briefly closing her eyes, Cestele ran down the mental checklist of things she'd made for the day. She'd just finished talking with the construction and development crews about the final touches for the Silencer Mark II, an hour ago she'd closed the negotiations with Malastare which ended with them being allowed unrestricted access to the fuel supply lines, she'd double-checked that everything was in order with the munitions officers and had placed orders with their smugglers for the supplies they were lacking, she'd also checked in with the planets under their controls before putting together her reports and sending them off to Lord Tenebris. Sighing, Cestele also ran down the checklist of things she was doing while Bendak was sick in bed - she was glad that she'd at least done three quarters of them. To cover for Bendak she still had to sort through the new recruits, give arrow squadron their new assignments, check how the training of the newly formed spectre division was going as well as talk to the various division generals on how the troops and the established outposts on different planets were doing before compiling reports on all that before sending it off to the Supreme Commander. In short the female Chiss Commander of the True Order was swamped with work.  
Rubbing her temples, Cestele looked up at the chrono on the wall, noting that she should have gone to lunch about 3 hours ago. For a moment Cestele contemplated just skipping lunch entirely in favour of work, but her body seemed to be having none of that. The chiss woman sighed, resigning herself to the fact that she'd have to eat if she wanted to continue working. Cestele stood up, giving her office a cursory look to make sure nothing was out of order - she was normally a neat person, but with people dropping by every so often even her office could get messy.   
Unlike on many military flagships the commanders and officers of the True Order weren't restricted from decorating and furnishing their office to their tastes for their comfort, they were just asked to make sure the office was accessible and had enough space to move around in. Many had taken to that easily and had been creative with decorations, but for Cestele being given free reign of her own office and quarters and no militaristic restrictions whatsoever were things that made her life more difficult. Cestele, like many of her race, had grown up on the chilly home world of the Chiss - Csilla and with the Ascendancy being a society that was strongly focused on the military (at least that's how they interacted with outsiders though the Chiss never took the offensive) Cestele had entered the military too, but when she had defected to join the True Order she found that old habits died hard. Cestele had furnished her office modestly, unable to keep herself from referencing the militaristic style, but she did make an effort to add some personal touches. The walls remained their original dark grey colour with only a navy stripe rimming the top and the bottom, the walls were bare save for two things. On the one closer to her desk a holographic projection of her family hung while on the wall between the two navy couches a painting that her younger sister, Nirra (the same Nirra that had been avoiding her calls since she'd finished her job with that doctor on Corellia), had given her when they'd last met face to face. It had been quite a few years ago now. The painting was one of Cestele's personal treasures, something she had very few of. It was painted on a real easel with real paint, a rarity these days, and depicted a dawn on Csilla from Cestele's and Nirra's secret spot. Despite her talent for spying, Nirra was an artist at heart and this painting had been created for her. She'd given it to Cestele when she realised there was no way of talking her older sister out of leaving the Ascendancy for good. A small grey holoterminal that doubled as a table stood between the couches. The room would have looked drab and dreary if not for the lighting, somehow Cestele had arranged the lights in such a way that whenever a visitor came in here he or she would be inevitably reminded of their home star system. Cestele claimed she had no idea why they thought that, but to some it seemed more than pure luck. The young Chiss woman disagreed.  
Cestele was pulled out of her thoughts by the persistent beeping of the intercom built into her simple white desk. She hit the accept button and the Heavensward's communications officer looked relieved:  
-Commander Lagrah, I'm sorry for disturbing you, but there's a message for you.  
Cestele arched a single blue eyebrow:  
-A message? External or internal?  
-Internal, m'am.  
-Alright. From whom?  
-Um, I don't know, Commander. It says you are to meet the sender in room 32B on the 4th deck. That's all.  
-Understood. Thank you.  
The officer saluted and the transmission cut off. Cestele frowned: Deck four and room 32B? That was where the supreme commander normally held unobtrusive meetings, but he wasn't back from his trip yet so why... Well, Cestele supposed lunch would have to wait. This seemed to important. After closing down the terminal she'd been working with Cestele left the room, the lights behind her switching off automatically as soon as the door closed. She calmly and quickly walked across the corridors of the office section of the true order until she reached the elevators. She pressed the button and waited for one of them to come. It didn't take long. Stepping into the elevator she was greeted by Captain Kalum - the head of inventory and resources for the True Order and the Heavensward. Saluting her, he turned to the controls:  
-Where are you headed, Commander?  
-Deck four. Mind pressing the button?  
-Not at all. Why deck four?  
-I just got a call from internal communications, seems someone asked to meet me there.  
-Are you sure that's wise?   
Cestele cast the Cathar captain a sideways glance:  
-What exactly are you implying, captain?  
-Nothing at all. Just past experiences have taught me that it's best to know who you're meeting.  
-Captain, that may have been true in the Republic, but we're the True Order. If someone doesn't like something they're free to leave, provided they keep their mouth shut. We're not forcing anyone to join us - it's all voluntary. And if anyone is foolhardy enough to be a traitor, well, I wouldn't like to face Lord Tenebris's wrath.  
-That's true enough. Though I find surprising that Lord Tenebris doesn't rule with fear like you would expect a typical Sith from the stories to act.  
Cestele merely replied with a polite smile. The elevator pinged as it reached deck four. Just before stepping out the Vice Commander of the True Order looked over her shoulder and added:  
-Oh, Captain Kalum, I'll be expecting the report of the weapon focusing parts for the Silencer Mark II by the end of the week.  
-Understood. Have a good day, sir.  
-You too, Captain.  
The elevator slid shut, taking the captain further down. Cestele walked across the empty corridors of deck four. It wasn't usually in use since the True Order didn't need to hold war strategy meeting or anything. They were after all just a ghost, a shadow lurking in the corners of the galaxy. They were a ghost, but a powerful one. At the start Cestele had often questioned why they had to hide the existence of the True Order, but now she understood: the Galaxy wasn't ready for them yet. They didn't need to know about those that watched from the shadows. It wasn't time yet. Cestele sighed as she recalled what she had said to Captain Kalum, he was a lot older than her and he was paranoid as a professional hazard, but even though she had less experience she would never question the members of their order. The True Order, while heavily armed and amassing more power as of late, was not a militaristic organisation. They were observers and until the time was right they would remain as that and after appearing they would retreat back to the shadows. The people who had joined the True Order were all very different, but at heart they were good people who believed in their cause. They believed in a different galaxy, they believed that the truth could be brought to light even if they had to become ghosts to do so. Contrary to folklore (because that was the only place where the records of the Orders existence remained) the True Order was not a vigilante organisation- they were just simple people, soldiers and they were most definitely not evil spies or great heroes. All of them had a reason for joining the True Order and even though she was not supposed to Cestele couldn't help pondering on what Lord Tenebris's reason was. The records stated that he had created the True Order, but that had been more than a few millennia ago. Still, she wondered why would a man like Tenebris want to become the leader of a shadow organisation. He had incredible charisma and skill, he could rally armies with just a few words, he made people believe in his vision and he was a powerful individual- so why, why would he resign himself to the shadows? He could have taken over leadership of the republic, but he had chosen not to. Why was that? What story did he have? Cestele shook her head at her thoughts: he was the Supreme Commander what he did was his business, it wasn't her place to question his judgement- she just had to do her job. Cestele had been so lost in h r thoughts that she didn't realise she had been standing in front of the door to room 32B for at least three minutes now. Swallowing down her embarrassment, Cestele knocked on the door and a calm male voice spoke:  
-Enter.  
Cestele did as she was told and entered the conference room once the door slid aside. She initially thought that the room was empty until she saw a familiar figure sitting at the table with a few datapads stacked around him. He was dressed in a simple version of the True Order's uniform as he sat there one hand threaded through his hair, supporting his head, the other scrolling through the datapad. He looked far paler than he had when Cestele had last seen him. Whatever he had been doing had taken a toll on him, but his eyes which had flickered up to her upon her entry still held that fiery intensity. She snapped to attention and saluted him to which Tenebris just waved his hand:  
-At ease, Commander.  
-Yes, sir.   
Tenebris sighed, leaning back in his chair as he surveyed one of his second-in-command. There was a beat of silence before he asked:  
-How are you?  
Cestele, who'd been expecting something far more serious like him asking for her to report on something, blinked in surprise. However, she responded back fast enough for the momentary pause to have been missed:  
-I'm doing fine, sir. Why are you asking?  
-You look pale, Commader.  
-With all due respect, sir, my skin is blue.  
-That doesn't mean it can't become a lighter blue colour.  
-Sir, that just means I haven't been getting enough oxygen lately.  
-And, yet, your sleeping quarters should provide you with the necessary level of oxygen for your physiology. Which confirms my assumption - you have been ignoring my instructions to take care of your health, both you and Bendak it seems.  
Cestele's shoulders slumped in defeat, it was useless to try and lie to Tenebris, she really should have known better. Still, she had her own questions for the supreme commander and judging by his mood he might consider answering them. Just as Cestele opened her mouth, Tenebris added:  
-However, I must commend you on the strength of your mental shields. It would take me a lot of work to break through them at this point. I see you haven't been wasting time.  
-Yes, sir, I've been working on them as you instructed.   
-And yet you neglected your health?  
-That...Sir, you're back earlier than we expected you.  
-I arrived earlier this morning, but don't change the subject, Commander.   
-Sir, with Bendak being sick I have been busy.  
Tenebris raised a grey eyebrow:  
-Are you telling me that you're incapable of doing your job and looking after yourself properly? Are those words of incompetence I hear?  
-I am capable of that! I just have had a lot on my mind lately! Please don't jump to conclusions!  
Cestele didn't even realise that she had raised her voice and lost all traces of professionalism until the words had left her mouth. Biting her lip, Cestele hastily bowed:  
-I apologise, my lord. I should not have raised my voice or spoken to you so informally. I will accept any punishment.  
There was no answer. Cestele chanced a glance up to see Tenebris leaning back in his chair, one arm covering his eyes his lips pressed into a thin line. A small part of her was unsure what this meant while another part of her screamed that she was an idiot for losing control so easily. Cestele had to agree with her second part: she really was an idiot. She'd made the leader of the True Order who she admired mad at her. This was bad, very very bad. Unexpectedly, Tenebris's lips turned up into a smile and he began laughing, making a confused Cestele even more bewildered. After a moment, Tenebris sat up straight again and, removing his arm, smiled at his second-in-command:  
-Thank you, Commander. That's just what I needed. Will you please sit down?  
Numbly, Cestele did as she was told still staring at Tenebris. Her mind was struggling to comprehend what just happened. Tenebris continued smiling and seeing the befuddled expression on his face, he sighed:  
-I apologise for startling you. You might have misunderstood my intentions, Commader, I did not summon you here for a formal meeting or to talk about the Order, at least not right now. I needed to ask someone's advice on certain matters and I can't exactly turn to that many people. Do not worry, your outburst won't have any consequences. I needed to know that people can still speak to me normally. So, thank you, Commander, for reminding me once again that I'm just a mortal man. I'm sorry for goading you, but that's the only way I could think of drawing out unmodulated reaction from you.  
At his words Cestele sighed and rested her head in her hands. If her being exhausted wasn't enough now the supreme commander was apologising to her? She wasn't sure this was reality anymore. Sighing, Cestele rubbed her eyes:  
-Sir, I'm not sure I understand.  
-Don't worry about it, Commander. However, could I trouble you for a personal request?  
Cestele leaned her head to the side, looking at him curiously. Why was he even asking her this? He was their leader so she would do whatever he asked of her. He need not even ask. However, something told her that an answer like that would not do. There was something in Tenebris eyes, his expression that seemed almost brooding and that was very unlike the supreme commander. Taking a deep breath, Cestele made her red iris-less eyes meet the supreme commander's yellow ones:  
-Of course, sir. I'll do anything I can to help.  
-Thank you.  
Cestele blinked in surprise. He was thanking her? It wasn't that that Supreme Commander was never grateful, but it was unusual for him to say those two words out loud. He must have really been a lot more tired than it seemed. Clearing her throat a little, she nodded at him:  
-What do you want me to do for you, sir?  
-Commander, could you tell me about your childhood?  
Okay, this was the last thing the chiss woman had been expecting. She cast a cautious glance towards the dark lord:  
-Sir, with all due respect, aren't all the important parts of my life written in my personnel files?  
-Yes, but that is not what I asked you, Commander. I want to hear you talk about it.  
-If I could be so bold: Why?  
-I need to know what a childhood is like to make a certain decision.  
That explanation was plausible enough, but Cestele could see he was lying. She didn't call him out on it however, it wasn't her place to do so. She just wondered why he felt the need to lie to her. She knew that she wasn't anyone special to Tenebris , but she had faintly hoped that as one of the two of his second-in-command he wouldn't lie right to her face. Cestele smiled slightly and shook her head at herself - for all her acting she was just like the others. Very well, she would play along with his act, but first... Cestele looked Tenebris straight in the eyes and quietly spoke:  
-You do know there's no need to lie to me, sir? I don't have to know the exact truth all the time, but if you could not lie to me when I look you in the eyes that would make me breathe a little easier. I'm not saying that you're lying right now or anything, but when I was younger I learned that eventually when you lie no matter for what reason you will find that you have no one to turn towards. That's all. Please forgive my forwardness.  
Tenebris's eyes flashed with a strange dark emotion, but he didn't say anything. Cestele inhaled deeply before beginning to speak:  
-Well, to start off I suppose it's fair to say that I was born a little over 24 years ago on the chilly Chiss homeworld of Csilla, in the capital - Csalplar. I have 2 older brothers and an older sister as well as a younger one - Nirra, but when I left I cut ties with all of them, but for Nirra. I suppose my childhood was normal enough - I was encouraged to get good grades at school, I had close friends that I spent time with, a loving family, a safe life - I was happy. When I finished school, this was after my childhood had ended, I joined the military. I'm sure you're well aware of this already, but many Chiss join the military- whether it's because they feel patriotic and want to serve the Ascendancy in that way or if it's because they just don't know what to do with themselves.  
Tenebris raised an eyebrow, looking at his second in command intently:  
-And which were you?  
Cestele fiddled with the sleeve of her uniform jacket, refusing to look the Dark Lord in the eye. Quietly, she confessed :  
-I was the latter. Even though my parents raised my sibling and me with discipline, they supported our every decision. And even though I had that support, for a long time I didn't know who I was. I felt that I was just wasting my time, that I was supposed to be doing something and until four years ago I didn't know what that was. Well, you know what happened four years ago.  
Tenebris nodded, his fingers interlocked. Four years ago he had come to the Ascendancy with a certain proposal and as part of the escort guard he had met a young Chiss woman named Cestele Lagrah. To this day he wasn't sure what had convinced her to join, but two years after she had defected to the True Order and renounced every faction save for this one he had chosen her and Bendak as his vice commanders. They were the perfect match: brains and brawn in one. Cestele crossed her arms over her chest and slowly continued:  
-However, you asked me what my childhood was like. Well, I don't remember it too well, but I remember that I was loved and that I felt safe and at home with my family. Because, my lord, I believe that's all any child truly needs to be happy - they need love. Without it, without care, that child will grow up into a not fully whole person.  
There was a pause before Tenebris stood up and turned towards the viewport. A silence that seemed almost sad enveloped the room. Tenebris was the one to break it:  
-And how can you tell if a person isn't whole? How can you fix that kind of person?  
Cestele frowned, a strange feeling spreading to her fingertips. It was strange, Tenebris words somehow made the air in the room charged, electric even. She cautiously ventured:  
-Sir?  
Tenebris turned around and shook his head, a unreadable expression on his face:  
-Don't mind me, Commander. Now, I believe the time for off-topic chat is over - we need to get back to work.   
Cestele stood up and saluted the commander, glad to be back on a topic she could handle without feeling like she was fumbling in the dark:  
-Yes, sir. I have reports on--  
-Wait a moment, Commander.   
-Sir?  
-You are getting lunch first - I can't have my second vice commander falling ill, too.  
Cestele made a face before quickly schooling it back into a neutral expression:  
-Sir, I --  
-That's an order, commander.  
Cestele sighed and nodded in acknowledgment:  
-Yes, sir. I suppose I could eat while I work.  
-I believe your work right now involves delivering the reports to me as well as helping me organise the troop movements in the Mid Rim. I'm not sure how you'll be in two places at once.  
Cestele groaned inwardly: she hadn't really thought about that. Maybe Bendak's flu was really getting to her too. She opened her mouth to speak, but wasn't exactly sure what to say. Suddenly, Tenebris gave a small ghost of a smile:  
-Unless, that was your way of inviting me to lunch?  
-What?! No, I was simply thinking of an effective way to--  
-Relax, Commander, I know you weren't, but I wouldn't mind it if you were. I'm rather hungry as it is - Force temples are exhausting and ration bars are nasty things.  
Tenebris commented, stretching his long arms. Cestele slapped herself inwardly: what was wrong with her today? Sighing, she faced the dark lord with a serious look:  
-Sir, with all due respect, who was it that just gave me to order to eat properly? No offence, but that's hypocritical of you.  
-I do have a little over a third of a galaxy to run, commander.  
-Even better. How long until you collapse again? Don't think I haven't seen the medical records.  
Tenebris gave her a warning look:  
-Don't underestimate me, commander.  
-I'm not, sir. I truly respect you, but an army isn't an army without it's leader. If you collapse, sir, for whatever reason - we'd be in a state of disarray. That's all. Please excuse me. Good day, sir.  
With those words said, Cestele briskly saluted Tenebris and left, her facial expression impassive. Sometimes she didn't know where she stood with the commander. He was one of if not the smartest person she knew and yet he was foolish enough to neglect his own health. Cestele stopped at the elevator and sighed: that was enough thinking about Darth Tenebris for one day out of her - she had work to do and she supposed she could eat lunch then get back to it with a cool head. Cestele ran a hand across her face: man, she was tired.

==SW: LB==

Alana, Jayden and TK met up with Risha as planned and after double-checking the map they decided to head to research lab, deciding that that was probably a good place to start. As they walked along the lab that was aligned with a supposed criminal mastermind, a question popped into Alana's mind. She turned to Jayden figuring him to be the one most likely to answer the question for her:  
-Hey, hunter, there are different types of bounties, right?  
-Yeah - local bounties, system bounties, sector bounties and regional bounties. Why do you ask?  
-Which category does the job for the Spectrewolf fit into?  
-None of the above. We were hired anonymously and we got the info from the Master of the guild.  
Risha frowned:  
-Master of what guild?  
Jayden rubbed the bridge of his nose as he explained:  
-There is a system among bounty hunters - it's called a bounty hunters guild. Most of us are part of it. I believe there's six houses and everyone belongs to one, it helps clients pick bounty hunters with specialisation with this or that. However, there's a house that doesn't exactly have a specialisation - House Salakatori. It's the smallest house of all and the people in it are hand-picked: they are the elite. People like Jango Fett, Cad Bane, Aurra Sing - they're all part of it.   
Alana frowned at the names:  
-I know those three. Jango Fett was the gene donor for the clones and there was the whole mess with him, but he's dead. However, the other two are still trouble. I mean,they had the guts to go stage a hostage situation in the Senate Building on Coruscant just to get Ziro the Hutt out of jail.  
Risha's eyes widened:  
-Seriously?!  
-Yeah, it wasn't too long ago.  
Jayden nodded in confirmation:  
-That was a good piece of work, but reckless.  
-Says the man who tried to murder the chancellor. Anyway, you were saying?  
-Right, house salakatori. My teammate's and I are part of it.  
Risha cast him a suspicious look:  
-I thought we were your teammate's?  
Alana smiled slightly:  
-He means his bounty hunter team. There's three other people: a twi'lek and a rattataki as well as iridonian. I have yet to meet the last one, but they're good people.  
-That's an odd mix.  
Jayden rubbed his temples, groaning:  
-Tell me about it. Anyway, the request was issued anonymously and the bounty is enormous. The more dangerous the job the bigger the bounty normally.   
-So is that why you aren't doing any bounty hunting on the side?  
Jayden grinned at Alana:  
-Who said I wasn't? I'm not actively searching for other bounties, but for instance Rodia was a prime opportunity as was Jabba's Palace. I killed those guys, scanned their biosignature and turned them in for the bounty.   
-So if you come across targets with prices on their heads...  
-Yeah, I pick them off. Only trouble is if there's another bounty hunter on the case - then I'm not really allowed to intervene.  
Risha snapped her fingers:  
-Ah, I've heard of that. It's the bounty hunter code, right?  
-Yeah. It's so House Salakatori doesn't get engulfed in infighting.  
Alana groaned:  
-Why are there so many damn codes in the galaxy?! I hate the lot of them!  
Before anyone could say anything else, TK chirped that they had arrived. However, they found the doors sealed shut and the ventilation system closed. Risha groaned:  
-Kriff, the ventilation system--  
-I know.   
Jayden replied tersely. Alana closed her eyes and scanned the room inside, informing the others:  
-The door is sealed shut from the inside, no hacking this and there's also five awake organic presences inside as well as...fifteen droids.   
-That's problematic, but I think we can handle them.  
Alana bit her lip and shrugged, casting a glance at the togruta:  
-I wouldn't start celebrating yet. There's something twisted about those presences.  
Jayden shrugged:  
-Guess we better open the door and find out. Question is how?  
-Blip-Beep-Deet.  
Alana frowned:  
-An inner lever system? You may be right, but even if I do use the Force for this I can't lift both...alone...  
She trailed off, eyes widening as she looked at Jayden. Jayden facepalmed, recognising that look in her eye - it was the one where she had an idea. Usually, the one you'd least expect. He eyes her warily:  
-You're not planning to detonate the door, are you?  
-Of course not, that's be too much trouble, plus according to Risha that's a stronger isotope of usual durasteel and I doubt it'd work. Anyway, my idea is much subtler: I can't do this alone, but with you I can.  
Jayden frowned:  
-Are you asking me to manipulate levers that I can't see using the Force?! I'm not even trained!  
Alana, however, shook her head, the look on her face a serious one:  
-Master taught you how to levitate objects, right? He said you learned as quickly as I did which means you have both talent and potential. This is the same: we just have to both levitate the levers at the same time.  
-Alana, I can't do this - I'm not a Jedi! I don't even want to be one! I never even asked to be Force-sensitive in the first place.  
Alana sighed and looked Jayden straight in the face, crossing her arms over her chest:  
\- No one did, Jayden. I certainly never asked to be a Jedi or to be Force-sensitive, but here I am. The Force is a part of me without which I cannot exist and it should be the same for you, but with you there's always this block. You are powerful in the Force, incredibly so - I can feel it, but you deny your abilities, you deny the Force that freedom. You are stopping your own power.  
-I never wanted it. I still want nothing to do with it. I can't use it.  
Risha and TK watched the argument silently, each absorbed in their own thoughts about the matter. Risha wasn't sure who was right in this matter. She knew Jayden was Force-sensitive, but he must have had a reason to hide away his abilities, to ignore the call of the Force, to shy away from it. Risha had even avoided the topic of the Force at first, being compared to her older sister brought back bad memories. TK had his own thoughts. What Alana was saying struck a cord with him. His Master's mother... The Force had torn her family apart as had it forced his Master to adopt a nebulous state of existence. For star's sake, it had destroyed a whole system - two entire civilisations! They had been destroyed because of it. He knew that the Force was both a blessing and a curse.   
Meanwhile, Alana gave Jayden a small sad smile and dragged him a little ways away from Risha and TK. She figured he wouldn't want to have this conversation in front of them. He frowned at her:  
-I said no.  
Alana leaned against the wall and looked at Jayden calmly:  
-I know what it's like to be afraid of the Force.  
-I'm not afraid!  
Alana studied his face carefully before whispering:  
-Aren't you?


	52. Chapter 50 - Questions of Science

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya! I'm back and with chapter 50 no less. I actually can't believe I made it to my 5th milestone. That's a huge achievement for me. This chapter is kinda okay. I mean it's not my pride and joy, but I'm pretty happy with it. Notes:  
> 1) So, about Asmeru - this planetary arc might take a little longer than I originally planned because of stupid plot bunnies that keep giving me new and fun ideas. Well, fun for me, not so much for my crew of misfits.  
> 2) Pieces of Risha's backstory in this one.  
> 3) Apologies about the last part, since I don't want Asmeru to drag on forever and bore anyone I had to tell not show. If this makes no sense now you'll understand once you reach it.  
> 4) 9200+ words! Yay, for not making it over the 10000 words cap on fanfic dot net!  
> 5) Apologies for any missed typos and autocorrect, I seriously do try to root out the mistakes.  
> 6) Oh, before I forget, I will be editing chapters 1-8 since they are horrible compared to my current writing. No plot changes, but grammar, lines (because a lot of them are horribly cringy) and discrepancies fix.  
> 7)As usual - Enjoy!

=====SW: LB====

Chapter 50 - Questions of Science

-You ready?  
-As I can be.  
-Alright then. Follow my lead.  
Alana closed her eyes and reached out with one hand, reaching into the Force for strength and grasping the lever on the other side of the door using it. Beside her Jayden tensed, but copied her. At first he felt nothing before suddenly that intense feeling engulfed him again, whatever block that he had had restraining it lifted. He felt the Force everywhere around him, it surrounded him, washed over him, pierced through him - slowly enveloping his entire being within itself. The sensation was so intense, so foreign and yet so familiar that Jayden could hardly keep his mind clear. His body seemed to be thrumming with power that was begging to be let loose, potential energy that needed to be allowed to achieve some purpose. Jayden did his best to grab the lever that was on the other side of the door. In his mind he heard Alana counting down from 5 slowly over the bond. As soon as she reached one he used the Force to pull on the lever. Instantly, just like last time, it felt as though the floodgates had been opened and as though the world had slowed down. Jayden felt increasingly disoriented and even a bit dizzy, but when he heard the quiet click and saw the two circular panels above the door light up he breathed a sigh of relief. They had managed it.   
Seeing him sway on his feet a bit, Alana dragged him away from the doorway, closer to Risha and TK and just in time as the doors soundlessly slid open the next second. Silently motioning for Risha to check on Jayden, Alana tiptoed to the door and peeked into the room that had been so securely sealed. She couldn't contain a soft gasp of surprise when she saw what lay within. It was a rather large room, filled with all sorts of machines that hummed and whirred as well as big, strong glass containers that held creatures that could in no way have been created by natures design. Alana felt sickened when she saw that some of the figures lying motionless on the floor in a rayshielded cage weren't animals at all, but living, sentient beings. However, even from such a distance it was obvious that those people weren't being treated as people, rather they were treated as animals, test subjects. Alana quickly turned away from the door and took a deep breath, trying to quell the feeling of nausea that the sight had awoken within her. She was angry, mad at those people even, but what was more important was that they had to rescue those people. Alana looked down at her hands and bit her lip, accidentally shifting her mask a little. She wanted to save those people, but could they do it? Did they have the time? And now that they had opened the doors the sleep gas would begin to affect the people here, however, if they weren't entirely their respective race anymore who could say how it would affect them? Unbidden, the image of the Power Guard Mark II that the doctor on Corellia had created appeared in Alana's mind. Why did people like this exist?! What had made them this twisted?! Alana peeked into the room again and this time surveyed the scientists. Her eyes widened when she realised that she recognised a few of them. Quietly, Alana returned back to her three teammates who were hiding quite a bit down the corridor. Upon reaching them she cast a concerned glance at Jayden:  
-How are you feeling?  
-Fine. A bit dazed, but otherwise splendid. I'm fit for battle.  
Alana turned to their resident doctor who nodded in confirmation of the Mando's words. Alana sighed, twisting her fingers as she quietly relayed what she had seen to Jayden, Risha and TK. By the end of her recount Risha looked mildly disturbed, Jayden wore his usual serious expression on his face while TK was, well, TK. Alana took a deep breath and pulled out her holoprojector, adding:  
-There's also the matter of this.  
She inserted a small data chip into the port and instantly a holographic projection of one of the scientists popped up along with a box of information about him. Alana twisted the dial on the holoprojector's side and one by one, five holograms of different scientists that Alana had seen in the lab popped up. Jayden frowned:  
-Wait a second, I've seen these guys before.  
Alana nodded:  
-So have I. It's not surprising though. Needles, Draken, Jaliara, Gearbox and, as cliche as this name is, Shredder - they all have very high bounties on their heads. What's more all of them have a death mark in nearly all civilised star systems so all the bounties will be for them dead. The things these people have done...they're horrific.   
Risha crossed her arms over her chest, a dark smile on her face:  
-So I guess this is a business opportunity for the great Shadow, eh?  
Alana glanced at her partner to see that he had switched into his Shadow persona already. Unholstering his blasters, he shrugged:  
-I was going to kill them anyway, I guess I'll just get something for my work then.   
TK gave an impatient buzz, asking if they were going to attack or just stand around talking. Annoyed, he also added that talking the scientist to death was not a very sound strategy. Shadow nodded:  
-I'm with the droid on this one. We have to move quickly. I'm surprised they haven't noticed the breach in security yet.  
Alana and Risha nodded, each young woman pulling out their respective weapons. Exchanging a look, they entered the room as a group. Igniting her lightsabers with a familiar snap-hiss, Alana raised her green blade towards the scientists , drawing their attention:  
-As much as I'd like to just kill you here and now, I have a duty to follow the rules of the Republic and ask you to surrender and come quietly. Will you comply?  
A mocking laugh sounded and the person called Needles, the head scientist, stepped forward. He was a middle-aged human cyborg, with extremely pale skin and dark hair, he also had strange blue lines running across his body. He clapped his hands in a sarcastic manner:  
-So, it seems we have a bunch of new test subjects who came willingly. How kind of you. Would you be so kind as to join your fellow test subjects in that cage? You would help contribute to science.  
The man motioned towards the rayshielded cage and a red-haired Mirialan woman who stood beside it gained a twisted smile. Alana felt Shadow tense beside her: it seemed his patience was running out too. Her voice as cold as ice, Alana replied:  
-No, thank you. You call everything you have done science? It's monstrous.   
-Oh ho, my dear, you do not realise it, but the true monsters are people like yourself. Only cowards shy away from experiments that will further progress science.  
Risha's patience snapped and she exclaimed:  
-Science was not meant for this! You cannot mess with people's lives!  
Needles's eyes snapped to the young red togruta and he chuckled:  
-Oh, what a fortuitous meeting this is. Those word are surprising especially from you, Doctor Zyran. After everything that you've accomplished, you still--  
The scientist didn't get to finish what he was saying as the next second he rose in the air and began choking. Pale-faced from what the man had said, Risha turned her head to side to see Alana holding her hand in the shape a hand would take when one was choking someone and her eyes were ice cold:  
-I'll take that as a "no". Very well, death it is.  
Suddenly there was an explosion and smoke engulfed the whole room, lowering the visibility severely. Alana cursed under her breath, but rushed forward anyway. Man, how she hated people who monologued- why was it always like this? She really hated the fact that they were on Republic land. Sighing, Alana charged forward only to abruptly stop when she saw a gigantic figure before her. It took a moment for Alana's mind to reconcile the monstrous giant with Needles. The blue lines on his arms were glowing. He seemed as though he had been bloated and his body no longer looked human. He was also about the same height as the Storm. Alana barely managed to dodge the fist of the giant Needles. The giant sneered:  
-You seem to know who I am. Surely you expected this?   
-So it's true. You used genetic engineering to be able to turn your body into that of a superhuman giant, but before you did that you tried it out on countless peaceful inhabitants of your homeworld who trusted you completely. You killed them, thousands of people and for your own gain?! For power?!  
The giant tried to step on Alana, but the Jedi quickly dodged and rushed for that same foot. The giant chuckled as he kicked her away and she landed against the wall. If he was correct a blow that hard would kill any normal human, but to his surprise the Jedi got up again. Her head was bleeding and she most definitely must have had a minor concussion or something, but she rose and once again activated he lightsabers like being tossed across the room like a rag doll was no big deal. She smirked and tilting her head to the side, announced:  
-My turn.  
Raising one hand, she unleashed a storm of Force lightning that danced across the giant's body, causing him to scream in pain. Alana took that as her chance, as her opening. She Force leapt onto the kneeling giant's back, but was blown back by a blurry and spiky figure. She hit the floor with the figure on top of her and her lightsabers rolled out out of her grip, flickering out as soon as the pressure on their handles disappeared. Alana looked up at her second assailant to see that it was that same Mirialan woman with red hair, but now she had spikes protruding from her body and her skin had turned a darker shade of green. Alana knew her - she was Jaliara, a woman who had mixed her genetic code with that of a rakghoul's and a terentarek's to be stronger. The serum which she had tried out on many before herself had destabilised her sanity and caused her to become obsessed with crossing living sentient beings with deadly creatures. Her methods were always cruel and painful. Her hands quickly found the young Jedi's neck and she smiled that same dark twisted smile when she saw Alana's eyes widen in surprise:  
-Like my new look, girlie? You seem to have underestimated us. We will sacrifice anything for the sake of science and that means using our own bodies as canvases too. You've heard what these spikes can do, right? Well, you'll be their next victim.   
Alana struggled, but the woman's hold was too strong. The spikes started pressing into her chest. Alana couldn't suppress a small cry of pain as one of them impaled itself within her chest and warm, crimson blood seeped out of the wound, staining Alana's white shirt. She was also slowly running out of breath. Absently, Alana briefly wondered why the sleeping gas wasn't affecting these freaks. Gritting her teeth, Alana closed her eyes, gathered the Force around herself and then let it go. In a pulse it exploded, ripping Jaliara's molecules apart - that was Force Destruction, a powerful dark side ability. The scientist cried out in pain and jumped back, but a second later she was gone - reduced to nothingness with the power of the Force. Alana stood up and grimaced at the blood of the woman and her own, the wound the woman had caused her didn't seem to be making matters easy for her. Alana righted the mask on her face again and as she summoned her lightsabers to her hands she turned to see the hulking giant trying to grab Shadow who shot him in the eye as he tried to fend off another man who looked like he had gone insane. Risha was fighting with a man who looked like he had crossed his DNA with a Nexu's -Shredder, while TK was cheerfully fighting a whole platoon of battle droids. Alana winced when she saw the man's Shadow was fighting against, Gearbox, shoot him over the heart. She felt the pain and this time it was a lot more acute than the time's they'd both been hurt before. Her suspicions about their situation being a subconscious Force Meld were being confirmed and she didn't like that. Alana stumbled a bit, but, forcing herself to get over the pain, she ran towards Shadow, however, she was stopped when she saw a man with two vibroblades block her path. He was outfitted completely with cybernetics and Alana could barely identify of what race he was - zabrak was her final conclusion. She recognised him as Draken, not much was known about him except the fact that ate the bodies of his failed experiments. He bowed to her:  
-Let us duel, Master Jedi. You win - I answer any question you may have and then die, I win - you die and I eat your flesh. Do you agree?  
-I don't have a choice, do I?  
-No.   
-Fine, let's duel. It's been a while since I faced a melee opponent.   
-As have I. Let us see who proves stronger.  
He rushed at Alana with a flurry of strikes, but the young woman quickly backed away with a series of handsprings and gracefully landed on her feet. She then threw one of her blades at him, but he ducked under her lightsabers purple arc and merely smiled when it returned back to her hand. He was bearing down on her again in seconds and as their blades parted and came together again sparks of plasma flew. Alana quickly parried his strikes and when she saw an opening she took it, but Draken was too quick and her blade sliced through air. He, however, managed to land a strike against her back, cutting her skin. He gave a satisfied sigh at the sound of the little gasp of pain she let out and at the sight of blood staining her clothes at the back. Alana knew that Shadow felt that pain too as she did his and she hated causing him this pain, but right now she just did not have the focus or the time to close down the bond properly especially given it's precarious nature currently. Draken rushed at her again, this time aiming for her head, but Alana ducked under his blades and knocked his feet out from under him with a low sweeping kick. He fell to the ground, but not without his blades brushing against her forehead, making another cut there, just below her fringe, over her right eye. Alana groaned as she felt pain resonate from her kneecaps that came from Shadow, but she still stumbled towards Draken and pinned him to the floor using her foot. Crossing her blades over his neck in a scissor motion, Alana breathed out:  
-Do you surrender?  
Draken let go of his blades and Alana used her free foot to kick them away, out of his reach. The cyborg nodded:  
-I acknowledge defeat. You are clearly a far more skilled duelist than I. Finish me.  
Alana narrowed her eyes at him:  
-Not just yet. I have a few questions for your first.  
-What makes you think that I will answer them?  
-Because if you don't you'll be breaking your word as a warrior, Draken.  
-Ah, so you are appealing to my sense of honour. Risky, but that courage makes you bold. Ask away, Master Jedi, if you do not fear the truth.  
Alana hesitated for a moment at those words, but she did not have the time to debate what he could have meant. Glaring down at her prisoner, Alana asked:  
-You have a price on your head, why are you and all those other scientists allied with the Spectrewolf?  
-He understands the importance of going to any extreme for knowledge. He pays us and we do our own experiments as well as inventions for him. He controls half of the gangs in the underworld and no bounty hunter would think to look for us on a secluded place like Asmeru. Also getting into this facility is no small feat, especially with all the guards.   
-We broke in.  
Alana pointed out. Draken nodded, his chin inching dangerously close to her lightsabers:  
-Yes, I watched you break in on my own private cameras. You are very smart to have cracked my code like that not once, but twice. You are far more intelligent than my comrades give you credit for.  
-If you saw us why didn't you stop us?  
-I was far too busy with my experiments here and it was an experiment- I wanted to see if any of you strange children could master my challenges. I was betting on the boy personally, but it seems I underestimated you.  
Alana huffed:  
-Nevermind that. What did Needles mean when he talked to Risha like that? He made it sound like she knew you guys.  
-I do not know. I have never met Risha Zyran before.  
-Fine. What is the Spectrewolf plotting?  
-What isn't he plotting? There are files concerning our research on that terminal.  
-You're being awfully forthcoming.  
-You'd have found them anyway, but, it's no use - no matter who you are you will never stop him.  
-We'll see about that.   
Draken chuckled:  
-You are very foolish, Jedi. Now end me.  
-As you wish.  
Alana calmly responded and stabbed her blade through the cyborg's heart. His head fell and his body became limp. Alana stepped off him and looked to her teammates to see all three of them fighting against Needles's giant form. They seemed effective in slowing him down, but not killing him. It was obvious that something much stronger than blasters and an electrostaff was needed to kill the giant. Alana glanced around and smiled darkly when she saw a machine with a focusing laser. Ignoring the pain her body was in for the moment, Alana approached the machine and quickly set the lasers capabilities to maximum power and shot it at the giant. A huge hole appeared in his head and he fell to the ground, dead with a loud rumble. Breathing a sigh of relief, Alana leaned against the laser machine.   
Risha, Jayden and TK barely managed to avoid getting squished beneath the giant's corpse. He was finally dead, but they hadn't done that. Risha turned to Jayden, who had finally turned back into his regular self:  
-Um, who exactly blew a hole through the giant's head?  
Jayden nodded towards the opposite side of the room where Alana was sitting on the floor, leaning against some sort of machine that looked more like a miniature turblosaer than anything. With a faint smile on his face, Jayden sighed:  
-That was Alana. Always managing to come through at the last moment even when she's in such a bad shape.  
Risha frowned as she started hurriedly walking towards Alana:  
-What do you mean?  
-She's got numerous cuts across her body and she's bleeding quite severely. We share sensations and pain because of the weird Force bond.  
Jayden supplied, feeling the ghostly cuts sting on his own body. He too had noticed that the pain was far more acute than the past few times they had shared sensations. Alana smiled slightly as she saw her three teammates approach her, looking a little worse for wear, but mostly uninjured:  
-Guess you guys owe me one for saving your butts.  
Jayden chuckled:  
-Are you seriously going to start keeping score now?  
Alana smiled tiredly, but shook her head:  
-Nah, too tired for that and my body feels like somebody ran a sandcrawler over it. Did you have to get punched so much? Oh, yeah, Rish, that idiot got shot over the heart - you might want to check that out.  
Risha sighed as she kneeled down beside Alana, shaking her head:  
-Says the person who's bleeding profusely. I'll take a look at him after you. I guess it's a good thing I stopped at the Medbay to pick up supplies. Now, come on, let me see your back - you'll have to take off your clothes for a moment.  
Alana nodded, but looked over at Jayden and TK for a moment:  
-Hey, boys, that terminal over there should contain information on the Spectrewolf. Can you go check it out while she patches me up?   
Jayden looked at TK and surprisingly enough the two nodded and went over to the aforementioned terminal. Alana laughed a bit as she took off her jacket and shirt so Risha could take a look at the cuts:  
-You know I think that's the first time they've done something together without arguing.  
Risha smiled as she inspected the cut:  
-Do they often argue?  
-Nearly always. This is the first time they aren't. Ouch.  
Alana winced as Risha applied some strange brand of disinfectant mixed with kolto to her wound. Risha grimaced:  
-Sorry. I know it stings, but this'll make it heal quickly. You say this is the first time they aren't arguing, but it really isn't. Back when I met them on Tatooine, right after Jayden pulled me out of Jabba's clutches, I met TK and during that time they weren't arguing at all. They were both single-mindedly focused on one goal - saving your life at any cost. You're like their common denominator. Ah, and it seems like they did start arguing.  
Alana chuckled a bit as she glanced over her shoulder and saw the droid and the human exchanging insults as per usual. She leaned her head against the laser machine and sighed:  
-Risha, why did that man talk like he knew you?  
The togruta remained silent as she moved onto patching up Alana's chest wound after bandaging her back one. A few minutes passed in silence before she spoke:  
-In my 18 years of life I have done a great many things - some good and some bad. I'm in no way a perfect being. I've made a great deal of mistakes and all actions have consequences. I've hurt a great deal of people with my mistakes and I've been trying to atone for those mistakes, but the things I did can't be forgotten that easily. Please believe me, I never meant to hurt anyone, but sometimes you don't know who you're hurting and how until it's far too late. I know my words are cryptic and I'm not giving you the answers you deserve, but I can't. Not just yet. Please trust me.   
Alana looked Risha in her violet eyes and slowly nodded. It seemed that everyone around her had secrets in the past that they didn't want to dig up and that was understandable. Some things were truly best left forgotten. However, it seemed that the past was not so easily left behind. The young woman drew a deep breath and nodded:  
-You're right. Let's focus on the task at hand. Am I done?  
-You're done.  
Risha confirmed, standing up. Alana quickly pulled on her top and jacket before she grasped the outstretched hand and stood up. She quickly approached Jayden and TK who were sifting through the information on the terminal:  
-Anything useful?  
Jayden shrugged:  
-Bunch of research notes, a correspondence with some maniac named Doctor Vindi--  
Risha looked up from her medkit suddenly, interjecting:  
-Did you just say Doctor Vindi?!  
Alana looked towards the togruta:  
-Yes. Do you know him?  
-Yeah. That man is insane and not in a good way. A while back I heard that he perfected an aerial form of the blue shadow virus. Thankfully, it was contained before he managed to infect the whole galaxy with it. He treats viruses, plagues and diseases as people and would do anything to let them roam the galaxy again. I think he was arrested.  
Alana nodded:  
-Oh, I heard something about that. I think Skyidiot, Ahsoka and Padme were involved in that incident.  
Jayden raised an eyebrow:  
-I wouldn't peg Senator Amidala for such a risk taker. And Skyidiot?  
Alana snorted:  
-Then you obviously don't know her well enough. She's far from harmless when the situation calls for it. Remember, she's the one that gave us a chance to escape on Bestine IV? As for Skyidiot that's what I call Anakin Skywalker. He annoys me way too much, constantly calling me "shorty" and whatnot.  
Risha tried to hide her smile behind her hand (undoubtedly uncomfortable because of the masks they were all wearing) while Jayden outright snorted:  
-Well, considering what you told me and what your medical charts say you were rather short for your age, chief.  
-I'll second that, doc.  
Alana rolled her eyes at the pair of them:  
-Oh, just shut up.  
Alana looked to the side to see TK watching her curiously and with confusion. She wasn't sure how she could read the little droid so well, but something within his body position and movements hinted at that. She leaned her head to the side, looking at the astromech:  
-Hey,TK, you ok?  
-Beep. Dee-reet.  
-If you say so. You were just looking at me as if you weren't sure who I am.  
-Beep-frotz-bleep-dweet!  
-Okay, okay.  
Alana laughed at the droid's hotheaded response. If he could act like that he was fine. Jayden, who'd resumed searching the terminal, suddenly spoke up:  
-I think I've found what we're looking for: the Spectrewolf's personal research.  
-What does it say?  
-I don't know- it's heavily encrypted. Tracker?  
There was a pause before TK whistled an apologetic negatory, he couldn't break this encryption. Alana frowned and stepped up to stand beside Jayden and TK, peering down at the encryption on the terminal:  
-No wonder. This looks like a manual encryption.  
-Pardon?  
Alana turned to Risha and explained:  
-This means that this information won't be decrypted unless certain parameters have been fulfilled in the physical world. Most likely some terminals activated or something. However, judging by these four ports on the sides of this terminal I'd say they're keys. It seems likely that these keys are stored in this facility. We need to find them. But, first...  
Alana quickly changed the terminal's controls and deactivated the rayshielded cage. The terminal showed that the people within it were only asleep from Risha's gas so that was a relief. Alana turned to the only non-organic of their group:  
-TK, can you download the full map of the facility?  
-Beep.  
-Great. Can you project it too?  
The droid beeped an affirmative and a second later there was a holographic 3D projection of the facility's layout. Alana scanned it before glancing at the information on the terminal. Jayden was the first to speak up:  
-Look, that room just past the armoury - it looks like it houses an elevator.  
-There's one over here too.  
Risha chimed in, pointing at a small room just past the lab they were in right now. Alana glanced back at the terminal's four empty ports:  
-So that's two, but what about the the remaining pair?  
Risha crossed her arms thoughtfully:  
-Are we sure that there's only one key per an elevator? What if there are two?  
-We'd have to split into groups again. Hunter, you know more about the Spectrewolf than anyone - could there be two keys together?  
Jayden was silent for a moment before slowly speaking:  
-I've never personally met the Spectrewolf, but from what I've heard he's a fan of puzzles. I wouldn't put it past him to have two keys on the same level, but in such a way that one person wouldn't be able to get both. And from where the elevators are located I'd say that there's a good chance that the pairs are located on opposite sides of the facility. We will have to split into groups again, but this time the tin can has made our comlinks operational so if one of us is stumped we should be able to contact each other.   
Alana crossed her arms, a frown etched on her face:  
-What kind of puzzles can we expect?  
-The deadly kind. I don't know really, I'm not the one who designed this death trap. As for the teams I think we should have a good balance of Melee and ranged. Who knows what's in store.  
-That's true. Since the chief and I are both Melee and you and TK are both ranged we'll have to mix and match. So how are we doing this?  
A thoughtful silence descended on the group. Alana's mind tried to flip through the best variations, there weren't that many. It was either her with TK or her with Jayden and vice versa for Risha. Personally, she had no objections to either companion and she could accomplish her job with the help of either. Her mind knew this and her logic confirmed it, but her heart wasn't so accepting and had its own mind when it came to the matchups. Alana gave herself a good mental slap: what was wrong with her?! This mission was far more important than who she went with. Heck, she'd be fine going alone! Alana sighed and held out her hand:  
-Right, while you guys decided who goes with who I can go scan the biosignatures of those bastards. Jayden, you wristband please?  
Risha looked surprised:  
-Hold on, why are we deciding?  
-Because I don't have a preference. I'm fine with either of those two - after all I've known them both for a while now.   
Alana responded as she took the wristband that Jayden easily slid off his arm. Taking it, Alana nodded and just before walking away she turned to the doctor, reminding her:  
-Oh, yeah. Rish, that idiot isn't speaking up but he was shot in the knee and just above the heart. Could you take a look at that please?  
The doctor nodded slightly absently:  
-Sure.  
-Thanks.  
Alana walked away and headed for Draken's body first. After a moment of fiddling with the wristpad she figured out how the scanner worked and set about doing her work. As she walked from Draken's body to Needles's she did everything thing she could to keep her thoughts away from the scientists and so her thoughts strayed to the topic of bounty hunting. Inevitably, her eyes flickered over to her partner before she forced herself to look at what she was doing - scanning Needles's body. The bounty hunting was one thing Alana didn't understand about Jayden - he was smart, he was strong, he had a way with words as well as the looks (stars forbid he ever heard her thinking this)... Why in the universe did he choose to become a bounty hunter? Even if his childhood had been cut off like that and he had been scarred by that event why did that path lead to him becoming a bounty hunter? Was there no other choice? Had someone prompted him to become a bounty hunter? As usual Alana had far more questions than answers. She didn't know enough about Jayden to even make an assumption...Shutting up that line of thought, Alana walked over to the crazed woman's body. As Alana scanned the woman's body she remembered what she had said - that they would go to any lengths for science. Alana bit her lip at that thought. She couldn't help wondering what it was like to believe in something so much, to essentially (though in a twisted way) love something so much so as to give up everything for it. Though these people had done terrible things Alana couldn't help, but somehow feel a little sorry for them as well as a little envious. In a sense, she wished that she had something that she loved so much that she'd give up anything for it. She didn't have that... Did she? Alana glanced over her shoulder at her friends. Would she give everything and anything to protect them? To make sure they lived on? For once she was stumped. The Jedi Code told her that she should not, that that was exactly what attachments led to, but was that really the right course of action? Alana knew that she would give her life if it meant protecting them, that she would fight to make sure they lived until her dying breath, but that was not what bothered her. The question was whether she would be able to forsake everything for them? Everything she had and live on. For one, would she be able to walk away from the Order if it was for them? Would she be able to give up the Force if it meant saving them? As Alana scanned the final body a daunting question came to mind: would she be able to give up searching for her memories, to give up on ever getting them back, to give up on ever having them if it meant protecting them? And then the final question reared it's head: Did she love them? Alana instantly cut off that line of thought. She did not want to think about that. She cared about them, all of them, but that was it. Full stop. She refused to dig deeper. Thankfully, it appeared she didn't need to as Risha was calling her over. Alana rushed over and looked between the three of them, handing the wristpad back to Jayden:  
-So did you decide?  
Risha nodded:  
-Yep. I did some math and using probability I determined that the--  
-Doc, less science and more basic.  
-Oh, come on that's basic science.  
-Still less science, please. I feel a headache coming on.  
-Oh boo hoo, Captain. I treated your wounds so it can't be them. Anyway, chief, you're going with the captain back there and I'll go with TK. They seem like good match ups.  
Alana raised an eyebrow:  
-Is that math or gut feeling talking?  
-Why can't it be both? Anyway, see you later. Keep in touch. Oh, one more thing.  
Risha turned around in front of the door that should lead to the elevator:  
-The air down there should be safe for breathing so you can take off your masks.  
-Thanks.  
-No problem. Come on, TK.  
The droid whirred enthusiastically and followed after Risha. Jayden and Alana mutely followed them with their eyes. After a moment Jayden broke the silence:  
-Hey, is it me or does the tin can like her better than us?  
Alana laughed a bit at that question before managing to get out:  
-Oh, it's not just you. He definitely likes her better than us.  
-That traitor. I guess we know TK's type now.  
At that Alana couldn't help laughing some more. Jayden merely smiled, glad to see that uncertain brooding expression gone from her face.

==SW: LB==

As they headed towards their elevator which was just past the armoury, receiving periodic reports from Risha and TK who had descended two levels and so far were fighting through waves of assassin droids, Alana and Jayden kept their eyes peeled for any assailants of their own, but they didn't draw their weapons. Jayden turned to Alana:  
-Hey, I've been meaning to ask you something.  
-Hm? What is it?  
-How did you know that those guys had bounties on them? I didn't think that's typical Jedi or typical "Alana" knowledge.  
Alana chuckled at his puzzled question and, locking her arms behind her back, did a little twirl as they walked. She smiled at him mischievously, her midnight blue eyes twinkling with a merry light. Alana shook her head slightly:  
-Nope, it's not.  
Jayden crossed his arms over his chest at his partner's behaviour. Raising an eyebrow, he probed:  
-So then how?  
Alana sighed and looked up at the ceiling:  
-Jayden, you're a bounty hunter and I'm your partner. You've said so yourself,-Alana glanced at Jayden and her lips curled up into her gentle small smile,- What kind of partner would I be if I didn't help you out in any way I could? Even if it's something as small as looking up what bounties were placed, who the people are, where they could be and just general rumours about the Spectrewolf - I want to do it, because I want to be useful to you somehow.  
As he looked at her, Jayden felt his heart miss a beat in a strange way, it moved as it hadn't done in years. For a moment his train of thought was completely derailed by the thought of how amazing and beautiful his partner really was before he snapped out of that daze in shock. What had just gone through his mind?! Why did her simple words evoke such a response from him? And what was up with that last part? Sure, he thought Alana was truly amazing often what with how often she managed to do the impossible and prove everyone who doubted them wrong, but the word "amazing" somehow felt like it had a slightly different tinge in that sentence. Also beautiful? Really? Jayden glanced at Alana again to see her deep in though over something again, her big dark blue eyes looking down at the floor without really seeing it. Jayden couldn't deny the fact that Alana was an attractive young woman - she really was a cut above average, but he had only thought of her as beautiful just once before. That time on Bestine IV when they had attended that formal party and Alana had showed up a bit late with Senator Amidala looking like she was a being from the myths - that was the only other time that Jayden had thought and somehow told her that she was beautiful. Maybe that had just been the magic of the evening, but now when there was nothing like that the thought had passed through his mind again. Why? This time he had no excuse. He frowned. It seemed like that the truth was staring him straight in the face: Alana Sheelan was beautiful to him and not just in the physical sense, not just in her outward appearance- all in all, inside and out...to him she was very beautiful. Jayden gave himself a good mental slap - why were his thoughts drifting in that direction?! He felt like these thoughts were pushing him towards a conclusion he didn't want to make. At all. He liked the way things were now and he didn't want to analyse his thoughts any further because he was afraid that they would tell him something that he was already trying to desperately avoid thinking about and even acknowledging. Alana's voice was the one to jerk him out of his uncomfortable thoughts:  
-Hey, look, we're at the armoury.  
Jayden looked up to see that she was right, but there was something written above the door on a red flashing panel in some language he couldn't decipher. He nudged her arm gently:  
-Alana, up there. Can you read it? What does it say?  
Alana looked up and narrowed her eyes at the strange writing. It took her a moment to recognise it as she rarely heard the language being spoken let along in written form:  
-I can read it. I think that's Proto-Corellian, it's says "lockdown mode active."  
-Are we responsible for that?  
-Most probably. However, I have a solution.  
Alana pulled out a card out of her pocket and placed it in the identification slot. After a moment the machine beeped and the red panel turned blue as the doors slide open. Alana flashed Jayden a smile, throwing and deftly catching the ID card:  
-See? Simple.  
-Good thinking. Whose card is that?  
-Needles's. He was the chief scientist so that means he had full clearance. Come on.  
Alana and Jayden stepped into the armoury and were met with the sight of 6 deactivated turrets. Jayden shook his head:  
-At the risk of sounding like an idiot I'll repeat myself - that was some really good thinking.  
-Yeah...  
Alana agreed with him, her voice apprehensive. She doubted the two of them could have gotten rid of these turrets easily. Jayden continued walking and Alana followed. They passed by rows upon rows of different Melee weapons some which neither Alana nor Jayden had ever seen in their life before. Then came the blasters and that was where they hit a snag. Jayden was obviously awed by the collection of mods as well as actual blasters themselves. Alana shook her head at him:  
-Jayden, we aren't thieves.  
-Yes, but these mods are just amazing. I mean I've never seen any of these.  
-Jayden.  
-Alana, please?  
-Why are you asking me?  
-Because you'll be my accomplice.  
-What if you set off an alarm?  
-I won't. We came here on Needles's authority.  
Alana sighed, realising that she wouldn't win:  
-Fine, but only four pieces. We aren't here to rob the armoury. I'll be going on ahead.  
-Sure, sure...  
Alana shook her head at him again and continued walking. Men... However, her previous thoughts were completely derailed by the sight of crystals and not any ordinary gems, but the weaponised kind. Things that could make her lightsaber strikes more powerful. Okay, so maybe she didn't have room to talk like she had. Alana's eyes scanned the crystals to see crystals like Bondar, Damid, Nextor, Sigil, Opila, Rubat and even a modified white krayt dragon pearl. She heard a snort behind her:  
-Seems the princess has encountered her own kind of enemy.   
Alana didn't even turn around and retorted:  
-Do shut up, hunter.  
-Yeah, not happening. So why are you so interested in these crystals? I didn't peg you for the kind of girl to be interested in jewellery, plus don't you have that weird gem-like artefact that enhances your Force abilities?  
-I do, but these crystals are different. They're used for weapons and they're especially useful if installed into lightsabers. For example Rubat and Damid focus the weapon power and intensify the plasma beam, while Opila and Sigil maximise the general damage of a lightsaber swing. Well, you get the gist.  
Jayden's eyes widened slightly at Alana's explanation:  
-You really know a lot about lightsabers and crystals, huh?  
-No more than you do about blasters. Jedi build their own lightsabers so each one is unique and no two are too much alike. We even undergo a certain ritual to get our kyber crystals. Anyway, I probably shouldn't take this. Seems like a trap.  
-Nothing happened when I took those mods.  
Alana bit her lip, logic and hope conflicting within her. Jayden sighed and carefully gathered the four crystals Alana had pointed to while explaining before taking her hand and placing them in her palm and curling her fingers around them. He patted her once on the head:  
-There. Problem solved. Come on, time is of the essence.  
-Uh, right.  
Alana quickly rushed after him, stowing away the crystals. She had not expected Jayden to do that, but then again she supposed his actions were logical since she had been wasting time with her own indecisiveness. Yes, she had to focus on the mission. Alana followed Jayden out of the armoury, passing by it they made a left turn and soon enough they were standing in front of an elevator. Alana inserted the scientist's card again and the button lit up, indicating that the elevator was coming. Just then their comlink beeped and Risha's voice sounded:  
-Okay, so we cleared out all of the droids as well as all of the turrets which where a nasty surprise, let me tell you. Anyway, we hit a stumbling block. Alana, you know history well, right?  
-Um, I think so?  
Jayden sighed inwardly at her response and interjected:  
-She's a history whiz, Doc. She just has confidence issues.  
-Hey!  
-What? It's the truth.  
Risha sighed over the link and asked:  
-Alana, can you name the 8 most influential people during the Cold War? And I don't mean leaders, but individuals.  
Alana slowly folded down her fingers as she listed:  
-Well, on the Republic side there was the Hero of Tython, the Barsen'thor, the leader of Havoc squad and the Voidwolf, while the Empire had the Emperor's wrath, Darth Nox, The Champion of the Great Hunt and Cipher Nine. That's all. I think. Anything else?  
-No, that's amazing. Thanks. We've encountered the challenges portion. What about you?  
-Waiting for our lift.  
-Ah, well, we might end up beating you to the punch this way.  
-We'll just see about that, doc.  
-Sure thing, captain. Risha and TK out.  
The transmission ended and the comlink shut off. Alana glanced at Jayden:  
-We better hurry or they really will beat us to the goal.  
-So this is a race now?  
-Are you really willing to lose to them?  
-Heck no!  
-Then a race it is.  
As if on cue the elevator dinged and the doors slid aside. Alana raised an eyebrow in surprise:  
-For a mass murdering killer and criminal boss the Spectrewolf sure has fancy elevators.  
-Don't you know? That's a must for any villain.  
Alana couldn't help grinning at Jayden's matter-of-fact remark. Yep, that was her partner, alright. They were about to jump headfirst into a metaphorical snake pit and he was making smart ass comments. She'd forgotten how much she missed this. Well, there was no time like the present after all.

==SW: LB==

-Oh, you have got to be kidding me!   
Jayden exclaimed as he looked down at the posed question. The questions were posed on computer terminals and they had to solve the questions to move onto the next room. At first there had been something like a physical test that could be turned off using a code, but since neither of them knew it and since neither of them wanted to get chopped in half or impaled upon falling in a pit of spikes Alana and Jayden did their best and somehow made it by working together. It was a good thing that it had ended up as the two of them working together, because the amount of teamwork this required was close to being ridiculous. And then came the questions portion. At first the questions had been perfectly normal, ranging from questions on history (which Alana aced) to questions about key individuals in the underworld (which Jayden easily solved) and to questions about arts and culture (which was a serious team effort). Questions on Chemistry and Physics that they couldn't solve themselves they enlisted help from TK and Risha. In short everything was going better than expected, but then the questions started getting weirder and weirder and that was how Jayden found himself staring at a question which read: "How many actors are involved in the Quarren opera "Diarenna"?". This was ridiculous. How was anyone supposed to know this?  
To his surprise, Alana moved to enter a number. Jayden grabbed her by the wrist to stop her, prompting her to look at him. His clear green eyes bored into her, a concerned look in them:  
-Are you sure about the answer? How does one even know the answer to this type of question?  
Alana smiled and gently pried his hand off her wrist, squeezing it reassuringly:  
-By being completely bored at the opera and talking to the actors while on an escort mission with one's Master for some diplomat. Relax, I know the answer.  
Jayden watched warily as Alana easily typed in the number 23. He braced himself for something crazy to happen, but nothing did. A part of the wall just slid aside and with a small smug smile Alana went through the new door with Jayden following her. Slightly curious, Jayden probed:  
-So, how did you end up attending the "Diarenna"?  
-Well, like I said I was on a mission with my Master. I think it was about half a year ago and we got saddled with this bratty, stick-up-his-six senator from some planet or other who needed to go to some conference. Turned out there was this black market ring on that same planet so while Master went off to investigate that J2 and I got stuck with the senator. Let's just call him Senator Bob for now, I didn't bother remembering his name. Anyway, Bob was like "Hmm, I haven't had enough of this lovely, lovely planet and all my friends have nothing to do now that the conference is done so let's go to the most boring opera in existence!". I'll admit that the planet was experiencing a stormy season then, but that opera was something I'll never forget. It was a new form of torture. Ugh, that opera was 4 full hours of slow, inhumane torture.  
Jayden snorted as he saw Alana grimace and shudder at the horrible memory. He shook his head:  
-I don't believe you.   
-You don't, huh?   
-Yeah. I've been to worse operas. Might have written a script for a worse one too.  
-You wrote a script for a stage production?!  
-It was a mandatory school project.  
Alana's dark blue eyes widened in shock:  
-Since when have you attended school?! I thought you became a bounty hunter when you were a kid?  
Jayden nodded, confirming her words as they walked along a long, white, empty corridor :  
-Yes, that's true, but when I was 12 there was this one mission where we had to infiltrate a special boarding school for sons and daughters of nobility to scan a certain file from the headmaster which was on paper so yeah, I ended up having to pose as a student since it was obvious that neither Heims nor Alda nor Seila were going to make the cut. Those might have been one of the worst 7 months of my life. That's actually where I learned all that high class stuff that I suppose my parents would have taught me.  
-Like what?  
Jayden grinned, looking directly at her:  
-Like ballroom dancing.  
Alana glared at him:  
-Once again I blame the death traps on my feet!  
Jayden chuckled, but said nothing in response, allowing Alana's temper to cool down. And just in time as they came to the end of the corridor and into a room where another terminal stood. Jayden huffed:  
-This better be the last question.  
Alana grinned over her shoulder:  
-Oh, don't start whining now, hunter.  
-I'm not whining, I'm complaining. There's a difference.  
-Whatever you say.  
Alana replied as she approached the terminal and swiped across the screen, causing what seemed to be the last question to pop up. It read: "What is the main method used to establish ownership of a slave?". Alana bit her lip, her stomach tightening at the the thought of the disgusting practice. Slavery aside, this question seemed deceptively simple, way too simple compared to the previous ones. Crossing her arms, Alana began thinking out loud:  
-Okay, so I think I know 3 core methods. The first one is slave brands, but that's just a no. The second one is shock collars, but those a rarer these days. And the last one is chips. As much as I hate to think about this - it's probably the last one. Okay, so--  
Once again Alana felt her hand be stopped by Jayden's grasp. She looked up at him, exasperated about to tell him to cut it out, when she saw the look in his eyes and that made all the words vanish from her mind. It was a look she rarely saw on Jayden, it was a haunted look. Whenever she saw it on him, it shook her to her very core. For reasons she couldn't place she hated seeing that look on his face and wanted to hurt whoever had made him wear it. She didn't want to see him in pain. Tentatively, barely audibly, she breathed his name:  
-Jayden?  
The Mandolorian simply shook his head and gently moved her away from the terminal, taking her place. He started typing on the keyboard. There were a few moments of silence before he spoke:  
-You're overthinking this. It was designed to trip you up. The simplest answer is often the correct one. The main method is slave brands.  
-Are you sure?  
A bitter smile on his face, Jayden looked at her, echoing her own words back to her:  
-Relax, I know.  
He typed in the two words. The wall inside of them slid aside, but Alana paid it no heed, watching Jayden with poorly masked concern. She was worried about him. He must have felt her concern because he turned to her with his usual smile on his face. She felt conflicted: half of her was irritated at him for brushing her concern of with his usual smile while her other half was accepting of that. Alana turned away from him, sighing. She was worried about him, damn it. She knew inside that he was lying to her, putting on that smile to stop her from getting in, to put up walls. She had no concrete proof and she was the last person in the world who had the right to talk about this, but she knew he was cracking. Unexpectedly, she felt him use his hand to gently pull her head against his shoulder. She didn't move. She knew that right now they were about two enter one of the most secure rooms in the Spectrewolfs base and she should be freaking out over that, but instead here she was, worried about her partner. She heard, Jayden sigh as he pressed his nose into her hair and whispered quietly:  
-I'll be alright. I promise. Don't worry about me.  
She didn't have to say anything for him to understand.they stood like that for a moment longer before they moved to enter the room were they keys were stored as though nothing had happened.   
However, as soon as the door as they entered the door slid back into place and suddenly there was a click and the vents opened up. A strange sort of dark green started pouring out. Alana and Jayden quickly went to reach for their masks when a movement distracted them. A pair of figures stood before each of them. Jayden let out a strangled gasp:  
-Wh-What?!


	53. Chapter 51 - Ghosts of the Present

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, world! Um, okay, before anything can I please apologise? This chapter has been a pain to write and it didn't come out the way I wanted to. Life and lack of motivation was the reason for this delay. Don't worry though, I'm feeling pretty motivated now! Let me just say one thing for the record - unless something drastic happens I WILL finish this fanfic. I hate it when stories go unfinished. I did have a lot to deal with - my birthday, summer tasks, family stuff and college searching just to name a few. Anyway, enough of my excuses - onto the notes:  
> 1)Like I already said above I'm not happy with this chapter even after 2 months of work so do tell me what you thought of it if you have the time and motivation. If you don't, it's fine.  
> 2) A lot of backstory hints in this one.  
> 3)About Alana's mental state (you'll get what I mean later on in the chapter) - she's very close to the breaking point and that does have effects...  
> 4)There shouldn't be any typos, but please let me know if there are any.  
> 5)As always - Enjoy! This chapter is only 9100+ words, but I hope it's enough for now.
> 
> ===SW: LB===

Chapter 51 - Ghosts of the Present

-Wh-what?!  
Alana heard Jayden gasp in a strangled voice from beside her. In front of herself she saw two people who she could not for the life of her recognise - a woman and a man. Her first thought was that Jayden must have recognised them, but it turned out he was looking at a different spot in the room. Alana went to reach for her mask, but she froze when she saw the woman's eyes lock on her. Those eyes... In all her time Alana had only seen those eyes once before - on herself as she looked into a mirror rarely. The woman was gorgeous, there was no denying that fact, but both the double-bladed lightsaber at her hip and the look in her eyes made Alana uneasy. What's more the familiarity of her features and the uncanny similarities to herself made Alana feel unbalanced. The headache at the back of her head started building, it felt as though something was trying to get out from behind the clouds of amnesia and Alana forced herself to look away from the woman. The man who stood beside the woman was tall, had a lean but muscular build and a pale complexion, at his waist hung two lightsabers. His icy blue eyes held the same half-vacant look as the woman's did and Alana paused when she saw his hair colour, his hair lay neat over his forehead and on his head, but it was the colour that made Alana pause. It was her exact hair colour. Her eyes and her hair...Could they be? Alana was jerked out from her own muddled thoughts by Jayden's strangled voice:  
-Mum? Dad?  
Alana whipped around to look at the space before Jayden, but there was no one there. Who was he looking at? Suddenly the man in front of Alana spoke:  
-It was all your fault...  
The woman nodded:  
-The war happened because of you...  
Their voices sounded distant to Alana, but achingly familiar. However, their words were enough to give her pause. Alana had no idea what they were talking about. She frowned, her hands instinctively reaching toward her lightsaber carriers:  
-I'm sorry, what are you blaming me for?  
-All the death, the chaos, the reason for all that pain was you. They came because you were there.  
-I was where? Who are "they"? What death? What chaos? Who are you?  
-Do you not remember us anymore?  
Alana's mind struggled and then suddenly, as if all the floodgates were released memories she didn't recognise started flashing through her mind. They were so quick that Alana had no time to understand what was happening. Her body started shaking uncontrollably and she fell to her knees, screaming in pain. Her head felt as though it was about to split open. She saw it in her memories: the woman's smile, the man's warm eyes, she remembered their touch, the pain and loneliness when they weren't there. She then remembered love and fear, death and chaos and then above all grief . Alana didn't understand what she had remembered, she even had no clue what this all meant. She knew one thing though, she knew who these people were. Alana's head stopped hurting the moment she realised that and the gates to her memories closed, locked again behind the clouds of amnesia. Still, she knew who they were. Alana looked up, her vision blurry from tears that had formed. She saw the two figures watching her vacantly, blaming her for something that had happened. Alana didn't know what that was, but she knew that they were wrong. These gas induced hallucinations weren't her parents. The gas may have dragged their images out of her subconscious, but these people weren't them. Ridding herself of the tears, Alana looked up at the figures. To her surprise her voice didn't shake as she spoke, it was firm and confident:  
-I'm not afraid of you. I won't believe you. You may have their forms, but you are not Eren Sheelor and Neerean Coran. You are not my parents. You don't even have their voices. I may not remember them clearly, all I have are snatches that I just regained, but I'm certain of one thing - you are not them! You would never be them! My parents loved me, no matter what! I know that they're dead, I know that I will probably never see them again, but I know they're watching over me. So don't you dare! Whatever you are, don't you dare take their image and try to deface their memory! This isn't real!  
As soon as she uttered the final words the figures disappeared as though they were never there. Alana breathed a sigh of relief before quickly putting on the mask just in case. Alana knew what she had said was the truth, she was sure of it and no matter how much it pained her she would accept it and come to terms with it in her own time. Those figures had brought back memories she had missed and memories she would treasure and yet doubt still arose. But for now she had to deal with other things, more pressing matters.  
Jayden was standing stock still, his mouth mouthing "I'm sorry" over and over again. It took a moment for it to hit Alana just what the hallucination was doing to Jayden. For her, someone who someone who scarcely had any memories of her parents, seeing people blame her for their death, for a war she didn't know of...Well, it had been unnerving to say the least. However, Jayden...Well, she had felt the guilt he held over his parent's death and even though she didn't know where it stemmed from Alana could tell it weighed heavily on his conscience. Jayden could act like he was just a ruthless killer, but Jayden Callen (not Shadow) had a very strong sense of justice and if he felt something was his fault - he would blame himself relentlessly for it. It was just like the time she'd gotten sick after Rodia because she pushed him out of the way. He was no doubt still blaming himself for it and he would continue to do so no matter how much she told him not to. Now, when hallucinations of them were blaming him he would readily accept the blame and it would crush him. He had to snap out of it! But Alana knew that it was something he could only do by himself - she couldn't help, no matter how much she wanted to.  
Jayden looked at them, at Caleb and Lea Callen, and he felt as though he was being suffocated by pain and guilt. They were right, they were completely right - it was all his fault. They died and it was his fault. It was all entirely his fault. Slowly and steadily, with their voices whispering venomous words in his ears he gradually fell into despair. All he could do was apologise. Within him even Shadow remained silent. The real world faded away and he found himself standing in a room full of endless grey. Suddenly, the air in front of his blank eyes shimmered and a very familiar voice spoke sternly, the sharp sound of Mando'a a stark contrast to the smooth sound of the Basic his parents were speaking in:  
-Pu'yida bat gar, ad be ner ad. Gar cuyir a adiik be Mando'ade bal parana'yr at ha'yr Callen bal su olar gar cuyir- sacarhr at a vere etevir. Ni cuyir kathu'ya'yida. [T:Shame on you, son of my son. You are a child of Mandolore and heir to clan Callen and yet here you are - bowing to a mere illusion. I'm disappointed.]  
Jayden would recognise that voice anywhere. It was his grandmother's voice. But how could she be here? Wait...Where was here? Last he remembered he had been standing with Alana and then...His stomach twisted as he saw the billowing figures made out of smoke. Those shadows had assumed his parents forms. The female shadow spoke in his mother's voice and Jayden found himself powerless. He couldn't fight them. His shoulders sagged and he found the darkness of despair reaching for him again. The Spectrewolf would break him, he knew that now. If this was just a taste then Jayden knew he would never survive the real test. His grandmother's voice spoke chidingly again:  
-Narir gar dajun bat shukur gar danija? Gar danija ibac gar malyasa'yr draar rala kateyita olaror at e be gar aliit tug'yc. Gar ganar adate meg bu'cina bat gar, meg baatir yirhaou gar. Cuyir val va emuurir aliit at gar? Narir gar digur, vakr? Aliit cuyir chaaj'yc ori'shya tal. Malyasa'yr mies meg baatir yirhaou gar kataona gar? Partaylir, Jayden be Callen Ha'yr. [T: Do you plan on breaking your vow? You vowed that you would never let harm come to any of your family again. You have people who rely on you, who care about you. Are they not like family to you? Did you forget, grandson? Family is far more than blood. Would those who care about you blame you? Remember, Jayden of the Callen Clan.]  
No. The answer was instantaneous. His parents would never blame him like this, these people weren't them! He had friends that were slowly becoming family and they were there for him: Alana - the person who understood him in ways no one else could and the person to whom he could feel an undeniable attraction to, TK -who annoyed the life out of him but was always there when needed, Risha- a relative newcomer who always spoke her mind and had a deep and caring heart. Those people stood behind him. This was not real. Jayden faced the swirling figures and glared at them:  
-You are not real. Disappear. Now!  
The figures faded away into nothing and Jayden found himself back in the room where the keys were stored with Alana pressing his own mask against his face. Taking deep breaths through the mask, he muttered:  
-I'm back.  
She looked at him in concern:  
-Are you alright?  
Jayden nodded, a ghost of a grin on his lips:  
-Better than ever. Now, where are those keys?  
Alana and Jayden looked around the room to see two keys floating in stasis fields on opposite ends of the room. Alana and Jayden exchanged a look and moved to the stasis fields. The keys were meant to be removed simultaneously. The Spectrewolf had made sure that no single person could remove them. Alana quietly started counting down:  
-3...2...1...Now!  
Jayden and Alana both pulled out the keys out of the stasis fields at the same time. The stasis fields shut off. Suddenly, a recorded female voice declared:  
-Datadrive Alpha and Beta removed. Initiate authorisation scan.  
-Uh oh.   
A red beam shot out of the projector above the wall and before Alana or Jayden could react it scanned them. An alarm blared and the voice spoke again:  
-Unauthorised access. Deploying offensive countermeasures.  
-Yeah. That doesn't sound good.  
Jayden's words proved to be spot on as the next moment the wall slid aside and a whole battalion of modified B2 battle droids marched out. Alana and Jayden quickly looked at each other before mouthing out one word in unison - "RUN!".

===SW: LB===

-Remind me why we ran like our lives depended on it again?  
Alana choked out as they stood in the elevator catching their breath after outrunning the army of modified battle droids. She was doubled over and so was Jayden from the looks of things. Those droids could really run. Jayden looked over at her and shrugged:  
-Workout?  
Alana shot him a glare to which he gave a strangled chuckle before finally straightening up, but still breathing heavily. His green eyes trailed to her again:  
-What? Did you really want to fight those things in such close quarters? Imagine what could have happened if one of the blaster bolts ricocheted.  
Alana paused before nodding:  
-Okay, I see your point. Still, I don't like running away from a fight.  
Jayden sighed and remained silent. It was only after a few minutes had passed that he asked Alana a question without looking at her:  
-Was either of us in any shape to fight after that?  
A few more minutes passed in silence as both Alana and Jayden struggled with the memories of what had transpired. Finally Alana spoke up quietly:  
-No. We weren't.

==SW: LB===

Alana and Jayden were carefully traversing the winding corridors of the facility, keeping their eyes peeled for any new attackers after they'd been ambushed by what seemed like an army of deadly assassin droids outside the elevator. Alana winced as she moved her arm to avoid brushing against Jayden. Those droids really knew how to shoot. Her body would be recovering from those blaster bolts for a while, she just knew it. Still, neither she nor her partner had gotten fatally injured so that was good. However, the whitewashed walls of the facility were really grating on Alana's already thin nerves and there was the fact that the gas was due to wear off soon so the young woman was beginning to get rather stressed. Jayden, who could sense her growing frustration and stress through their bond barely stifled a laugh when he heard her think about painting the walls polkadot magenta. Alana cast a slightly annoyed look at the Mandolorian:  
-What?  
Jayden snorted at the expression on her face. Despite the mask that covered her from the bridge of her nose down to her chin, Jayden could see the half-annoyed and half-pouting expression she bore. It was very amusing and...well...if he was being honest, rather cute on her. It was an expression Alana rarely wore and that somehow made it more special. It was just like those rare adorable childlike expression she occasionally wore - special. Not that he'd ever tell her that. Chuckling to himself, he waved the question off:  
-Nothing.  
-You laughed. That isn't nothing.  
-Well, maybe I like laughing at nothing.  
-Did that gas addle your brains?  
Though the teasing quip had been meant in good humour, both Alana and Jayden fell silent. Neither wanted to acknowledge it. Those gas-induced hallucinations...They had hurt. After a few moments Alana quietly whispered:  
-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have joked like that.  
-It's fine. No harm done.  
They continued walking with a heavy silence hanging between them. Alana bit her lip, uncertain at what to do. They both were avoiding the topic, but was that really for the best? Should they keep what they had seen bottled up inside? Just as Alana opened her mouth to say something she was cut off by the sound of wheels and a familiar voice's shout:  
-CHIEEEFF! CAAAPTAAAIIN! JUMP!  
Alana and Jayden whipped around to see Risha and TK behind them as well as a whole stampede of SEC-M droids, more commonly known as mouse droids. However, what really baffled the two teenagers was the fact that Risha wasn't trying to outrun the stampede she was using the mouse droids as skates while TK was flying with his boosters and whirring away, undoubtedly insulting the inferior droids. Deciding to act now and ask questions later, Alana and Jayden followed Risha's advice. Soon enough the Jedi and the Mandolorian found themselves barely balancing as each of their feet stood on separate mouse droids. Jayden wobbled:  
-Woa-woah!  
He nearly fell off as his right mouse droid sped up, but he was pushed back upright with a helpful shove from the togruta. Jayden sighed in relief:  
-Thanks, doc.  
-No problem.  
Alana snorted at the sight of the usually good at most things Jayden struggling to keep his balance. She wasn't having that trouble since she'd quickly adjusted her body, this was just like the time she and her master had been forced to go skating across the ice of a lake on Alderaan at one point during their mission. Jayden rolled his eyes at her behaviour:  
-Very funny, your highness. Why aren't you falling off?  
-Because I know how to skate. Look, bend your knees a bit and stop waving your arms around so much. You have to shift your center of gravity if you don't want to fall. Try it.  
Jayden cast a sceptical look at his partner, but followed her advice, instantly finding his foothold far more stable. Risha cast Alana a curious look:  
-You can skate?  
Alana rubbed the back of her head in a slightly embarrassed fashion:  
-More or less. It was a skill I picked up while training with my master.  
-Oh, Kai?  
-Yeah. We were on Alderaan during the winter season so...Well, it's a long story. What about you? I wouldn't imagine Tatooine had any place to learn to skate or anything of the likes.  
Risha nodded in confirmation:  
-True, but a little before the Captain here met me I used to have a sandboard with repulsors. It made travelling way easier. Those stupid gammoreans trashed it though. Well, I needed to replace one of the coils anyway.  
Risha shrugged. Jayden ran a hand down his face before asking the question that had been on his mind since he'd seen the stampede of mouse droids:  
-Uh, doc, what's with the mouse droids? And why aren't you near the lab?  
Risha's red face suddenly turned a bit redder as she laughed in a nervous manner:  
-Ahaha...haha...Um, well, you see...Funny story really, but, well, um, yeah...  
Alana resisted the urge to facepalm and merely cast a resigned look at Risha:  
-Don't tell me you went looking through the archives and ended up getting lost? Oh, and what, did TK piss off these droids and so they're chasing you now, so you decided to use them to get back to the lab since the effects of the gas are wearing off?  
Risha's violet eyes widened in surprise and her eyebrows shot up. She opened and closed her mouth a few times with no sound coming out before nodding. Now it was Alana's turn to look shocked:  
-Are you serious?! That was just a joke.  
-Well, you basically just summarised everything that happened.  
-Oh, look's like the Princess's jokes have mystical powers.  
Alana cast Jayden an irritated look, exactly what he had been expecting:  
-Hunter, do shut up.  
-Nah, I think I'll keep talking.  
-Callen.  
-Sheelan.  
Jayden copied her, grinning from ear to ear. Alana rolled her eyes at him, barely restraining herself from punching him with the thought that it'd hurt her too. Risha couldn't help chuckling at their antics. However, the temporary lighthearted atmosphere was quickly shattered once TK stated that they had arrived. All three teenagers easily hopped of the droids that zoomed past the lab to wherever they were going. Exchanging a look, the three organics and the droid hesitantly made their way into the lab. They were met by the sight that the test subjects had woken up and were now glancing around nervously. Placing one hand on Jayden's shoulder Alana nodded towards the console, handing him her key at the same time:  
-Risha and I will go deal with them. You two find out what the Spectrewolf was up to.  
Jayden cast a questioning look to the togruta who gave a quick nod and handed her key to TK before following after Alana. The young Jedi slowly approached the victims who tensed up at the sight of her. Alana could feel their fear and apprehension through the Force. Motioning Risha to stop beside her, a few good meters away from the victims, Alana raised her arms up in a sign of surrender:  
-Do not worry, we're here to help you. I'm a Jedi with the Republic, beside me is my friend and a doctor - Risha.   
One of the victims, a Rodian woman burst out angrily, fear ringing in her voice:  
-That's what those psycho's said too! They told us they were here to help and then they kidnapped us and warped our minds and bodies! We can't trust you! You don't even look like a Jedi!  
Alana sighed and nodded:  
-I understand. If I were in your position I wouldn't trust us too, but as much as I wish I had the time to convince you right now none of us have that time.  
An ageing twi'lek man croaked:  
-What do you mean?   
Alana exchanged a look with Risha who nodded and spoke up, her voice altered by the gas mask:  
-Listen, right now there is a gas circulating throughout the entire facility. It's effects will last for another twenty minutes at most. Whatever genetic modifications were done to you made you wake up earlier than the rest of the guards so you have time to escape. The head scientist's are dead and gone and we're obviously not going to stop you. However, once the gas stops working the people who trapped you here will wake up and we won't be able to help you. Please believe us on this. We do want to help you.  
There was a scattered murmuring amongst the group of test subjects before one man, a Mirialan burst out:  
-Okay, say we believe you: where would we go?! Can we even return to our old lives after what they did to us?  
Alana hung her head and averted her eyes. She had no answers for them. She was wondering that too. Surprisingly, Risha did and once she spoke her voice was firm and confident. It took a moment for the young Jedi to realise that this was Risha's doctor mode speaking, her true self:  
-Yes, you can. You can go back to your old lives. The genetic modifications aren't drastic enough to make you unable to live life. You will find things a little strange at times, but according to my analysis you should be able to go back. As for where to go...  
Risha and Alana cast a look at Jayden who gave them a thumbs up and mouthed the word "favour". Alana smiled and turned back to the people who were watching her and Risha warily:  
-There's a house here who could help you - House Elegin. They owe a certain friend of mine a rather large favour and if you explain what happened I'm sure they'll help you. Tell them a Captain named El'kar Shan directed you to them and ask them for help. They will help you.  
There were a few moment of silence before slowly murmurs of assent came. An old twi'lek woman stepped forward:  
-Thank you. We will listen to you. You are brave children, aren't you? We will go.  
Alana and Risha smiled slightly and quietly watched them as they all left. As soon as all the victims were out of room, Alana turned to Risha with a grateful look on her face:  
-Risha, thank you. I didn't know what to tell them.  
Risha smiled brightly and clapped the Jedi on the shoulder:  
-Hey, that's what teammates are for. Besides, I'm the doctor here. Come on, let's see if the boys managed to unearth anything.  
Alana smiled faintly and nodded. Risha Zyran... Alana would never understand how she had ended up being on a team with such a strange, but amazing person. Well, it wasn't like Jayden or TK weren't like that too. Approaching the boys, Alana switched back into mission mode:  
-What did you find?  
Jayden looked up from the terminal, his expression holding no trace of relief or confidence:  
-Well, we found something alright, but what it is is still a question. Take a look.  
Both young woman cast a glance a terminal, confusion rippling over their faces at the random assortment of numbers and letters that was displayed on the screen. Unexpectedly, Risha clicked her fingers:  
-Oh, those look like coordinates! There are a few too many letters though and those spaces...  
Alana and Jayden suddenly spoke in unison:  
-No, those are coordinates. Realspace system coordinates.  
Risha and TK stared at them while Alana and Jayden exchanged a look. Okay, this was a first. They'd never matched each other word for word before. Taking a deep breath, Alana tried to finish what she'd been saying:  
-They're coordinates, but...  
-They're incomplete.  
Jayden easily finished for her. Alana ran a hand down he face, a chill creeping up her spine:  
-Yeah. That.  
Risha looked between the two in confusion:  
-What's up with you two?   
-Deet-reet?  
Jayden cast a tense look at his partner who nodded, confirming his unvoiced question:  
-It's the meld. We need to hurry up.  
-I second that.  
Risha frowned as Alana typed something out on the terminal:  
-If they're incomplete where are we going?  
Jayden replied in the Jedi's stead:  
-The orbital station probably has the other half. We're going there. Alana's copying the code now. Tin can, if you will?  
-Beep.  
TK chirped an agreement and whirred his interface around in the socket, copying the code into his memory banks. Alana stepped back and looked at her teammates:  
-Looks like infiltrating one base isn't enough.  
Jayden nodded:  
-Not in the Spectrewolf's case anyway. Doc, how much time do we have left?  
As if on cue Risha's chrono beeped. The togruta bit her lip as she looked down at it, before announcing:  
-We have just under 10 minutes.  
-Okay, that's cutting it close. TK?  
-Beep-deet! Whir-deet-blip-dwoo!  
-Seems like we're going to have to run.  
No one objected to that plan. Fighting a whole facility of the Spectrewolf's goons was not a very enticing idea.

==SW: LB==

As she sat down at the table beside Risha and opposite from Jayden in the galley, Alana asked the question that had been spinning around in her mind since they'd just barely managed to escape the facility on Asmeru's surface:  
-So, what's our next move?  
Currently, they were in realspace above Asmeru and they were sticking as far away as possible from their next target - the space station. They needed to figure out their plan of attack before they did anything. Jayden frowned, interlocking his hands in front of him:  
-This is going to be a little harder than usual. The walking scrap heap and I compiled all the information we had and now have from the facility, however even with this we'll have to take a different approach from our usual tactics of breaking in. As we saw upon our initial arrival in orbit the station is well fortified and it's run by droids. According to the tin can it's become completely automated which is both good and bad.   
Risha crossed her arms over her chest:  
-Can you elaborate on that last part?  
-The easiest way to put it is that we know we're dealing with pre-programmed droids, however, they were programmed by the Spectrewolf's people which is troublesome. Tracker and I have a plan, but it's not our usual approach so this is risky.  
Alana raised an eyebrow:  
-Riskier than usual? And before you say anything may I remind you that we've dealt with giant mutated creatures and humans, ancient Sith ghosts, criminal syndicates and gangs, hungry predators, Sith apprentices, Kaleesh warlords and hordes of psycho murder droids.  
Jayden's lips tugged up into a faint smile as he shrugged his shoulders:  
-This is different. Normally I wouldn't worry this much about droids, however, these are his droids. I'm not sure what to expect from them. To be honest I think they're just about as predictable as the tin can is.  
Alana sighed:  
-So we have absolutely no clue what they'll do. Okay, so we're going in blind - it's not like we haven't done that before. Though judging by what we saw today this'll be a heck of a lot tougher than normal. You said you two have a plan - what is it?  
Jayden and TK exchanged a look before the astromech projected an enlarged image of the facility. Jayden pointed to one landing platform as he explained:  
-The station has two points of entry. Obviously, we can't fly the Storm anywhere close to this facility, but the Storm does have two escape pods and for whatever reason the scanners can't pick them up. However, you can still see them so while we jettison one group the other group will provide a distraction by getting captured along with the Storm. While the stations droids are focused on group B, Group A will infiltrate the station quietly and attempt to take control.   
Risha nodded:  
-That sounds like it could work. Still, why do I feel it's not that easy?  
Jayden sighed:  
-Because it isn't. Group B will be taken to the detention center so it'll be up to a member of Group A to get them out. Also I should probably mention that all the doors are double rayshielded so to even get into the station members of Group A will have to use an unconventional method.  
Alana looked at Jayden quizzically:  
-Such as? Sounds like you have an idea.  
Jayden nodded, but avoided looking at her. Alana crossed her arms, narrowing her dark blue eyes at him:  
-Jayden.  
-Fine. Look, there's a way to get into the facility through the ducts, but the ducts have metal sensors so the person who gets into them must have no metal in them or on them anywhere. If that person can climb into the station through the ducts they can disable the double-rayshielding and allow the other member to enter.   
Alana nodded:  
-Ok, I follow you so far. So it'll have to be you or me who goes climbing around in the ducts.  
Jayden shook his head:  
-Um, no. The only person here who is completely organic is you, Alana.   
-Wait, what? What about you?   
-Yeah, I'm with the chief here Captain. What part of yourself did you replace with cybernetics?  
Jayden didn't look at either of them as he replied quietly:  
-Does it matter?  
Risha's voice softened a bit as she reasoned:  
-I'm the doctor here, I'll find out anyhow and I think TK already knows. So really the only person you'd be hiding it from is the chief right here.  
Jayden knew she was right. But still.... This was a weakness and he didn't want anyone to know his weaknesses even if they were his friends. Weaknesses needed to be eliminated in order to be strong - that was something he'd been forced to learn early on, but this weakness wasn't something that he could remove - he needed it to live. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Alana's voice:  
-Um, it's none of my business though. Really. I don't think I should be prying. So, I'm evidently part of Group A...Who's my partner for this operation?  
Jayden turned to look at her to see Alana smiling and holding her hands up at her shoulders in a sign of surrender. Jayden's world suddenly became a little more muted. Vaguely, he could hear that Risha was saying something and Alana was responding, but he couldn't make out what. All he could hear was his own heartbeat pounding in his ears, his artificially maintained heartbeat. Before he even knew what he was doing Jayden started speaking:  
-Hey, Alana, whenever you feel me get hurt just above or below the heart do you feel strange?  
Alana tilted her head to the side as she considered his question:  
-Well, the sensation of pain is the first thing that sticks out, but now that you mention it I feel an odd current run through my body before it disappears.  
Jayden nodded:  
-That's it. That's where the implant is.  
Jayden easily lifted up his shirt so the left part of his chest was exposed. Alana's eyes widened. The skin around his heart was riddled with scars and marred horribly, there was also the faint glint of an extremely thin sliver of metal. That was the implant. Feeling awkward for even asking Alana quickly drew away her eyes, but not before she saw the numerous scars that were all over Jayden's upper body. Scars from obviously more than just fights. She didn't even recognise some of the objects that could have caused them. Jayden dropped the edge of his shirt and looked down at his now tensely clasped together hands, explaining:  
-I've had this implant for several years now. It regulates my heart or I suppose the word "supports" is better.   
Risha frowned, her doctor side kicking in:  
-It supports your heart?  
Jayden nodded:  
-It's a long story I'd rather save for another day when we don't have a plan to put together. Let's just say the damage I sustained was enough that my body couldn't support life naturally by itself and therefore I had to get an implant that would assist with it. My heart isn't as weak as it was when the implant was fitted, but one too many strong punches or shots could still cause it to fail. If that happens the implant tries to kick start it back up. So far it hasn't failed yet, but technology isn't infallible. And if one day it doesn't work...  
Jayden trailed off. No one needed the ending to be spelled out for them. Risha's left hand tightened it's grip on her right arm:  
-I'm so stupid. How didn't I notice it before?! I'm supposed to be the doctor here for star's sake!  
Jayden smiled wryly:  
-Well, it's not like I advertised it. Those two have been with me for nearly 3 months and they didn't know.   
TK gave an annoyed buzz, making Jayden amend his previous statement:  
-Okay, okay. So tracker found out somehow, but that's it. It's not like the princess knew. You didn't, did you?  
Jayden asked, looking to his Jedi partner. She shook her head, an odd look in her dark eyes. Quietly, she confirmed his assumption:  
-No, I didn't.   
There was something lurking behind her words, but Jayden knew he didn't have time to try and figure out what it was right now. He continued on:  
-Anyway, my cybernetics issue aside we need to get back to our game plan. So, I think Group A will be Alana and TK while Group B will be the doc and myself. Any objections?  
-Beep-frotz.  
-You'll hear no objection from me, captain.  
The togruta, Mandolorian and the droid turned to the look at the Jedi of their group. Alana impassively shook her head:  
-I think that works fine. I assume we'll start this early tomorrow morning?  
Jayden gave an affirmative dip of his head:  
-Yeah, around oh-four-hundred.   
Alana stood up and turned around, placing her cup in the sink a bit too forcefully. Before leaving the galley she quietly wished everyone goodnight and left presumably for the crew quarters. Risha followed after her with her eyes before turning to the Mandolorian and the droid in the room:  
-Hey, is this just me or did Alana's behaviour seem off to you right now? It was kinda out of character for her.  
The astromech piped up to suggest that perhaps she was just tired. Jayden nodded:  
-Of course, she's tired, but it's not like Alana to leave her cup unwashed and stuff. Plus I'm no Jedi, but even I could feel her unease radiate in the Force before she got ahold of it. I know that she's had a bad day, but... Hey, Doc?  
Risha who had been about to use the sonics to clean her and Alana's cup, looked over her shoulder raising an eyebrow:  
-Yeah?  
-Could you see if she's okay?  
Risha gave him a strange look and nodded, acquiescing:  
-Sure, but isn't that kind of your thing? You two meeting in the middle of the night to chat about stuff?  
Jayden stared at her:  
-You knew?!  
Risha shrugged:  
-I caught you once.   
-That figures.   
-So you think you can't talk to her?  
Jayden looked away, shaking his head:  
-No. I don't think I'm her favourite person right about now.  
Risha and TK turned to look at the Mandolorian in surprise:  
-How come?  
-It doesn't matter. Goodnight.  
Throwing those words over his shoulder, Jayden left for the Captain's quarters. Risha sighed and cast a look at the astromech beside her:  
-I swear...Jedi and Mandolorians, what is with them?!

==SW: LB==

Risha walked into the crew quarters after showering to see Alana under her covers, pretending to be asleep. The togruta wasn't fooled for a second. She locked the door and easily switched off the lights before sitting down on her own bunk bed. Crossing her arms over her chest, Risha called out to Alana:  
-Alana, I know you're awake. Quit hiding from your problems.  
Alana reluctantly turned around to face her as she mumbled:  
-I'm not. I'm okay.  
-Are you though? Really? And don't hide behind that Jedi Code rubbish. We both know that you're not like that for better or for worse.  
Grimacing Alana sat up and drew her legs to her chest, wrapping her arms securely around them. In the dark she could vaguely see the outline of Risha who was undoubtedly watching her intently. The young Jedi sighed:  
-I don't know.  
-What?  
-I don't know if I am okay. How does being okay feel? Lately everything has been so jumbled around in my head and what's worse it keeps on adding. I don't know who I am anymore. Before I met Jayden on the Atlanatida I thought I knew who I was, before I went on this whole trip I did know who I was, but now... I have no clue who I am.   
Risha nodded, Alana's words striking a cord within her. She knew what it was like to feel lost, to feel like everything you had ever known to be good or evil being brought into question, to feel like your world was slowly turning upside down. She had been like that once. Risha sat down cross-legged on her bed as she quietly spoke:  
-Well, let's sort through what you do know. I know what it's like to feel lost and at times like those it's best to sort through what you do know, especially with your amnesia and memory triggers. Okay, tell me what you do know about yourself for certain.  
Alana nodded and took a deep breath before starting:  
-Alright. My name is Alana Sheelan, I'm sixteen years old. I'm Force-sensitive and for the past 6 years I've been Kai Lionis's padawan. I wanted or want to be a Jedi?  
Risha shook her head:  
-You're not certain about that. Keep to what you know is the absolute truth.  
-Um, I'll try.  
-Don't try - do.  
-Right. Well, I'm Jayden Callen's partner...  
-You don't sound too confident in that fact.  
-I am confident!,- Alana burst out before exhaling tiredly,-Sorry, not sure what came over me. Okay, I'm female and Emira, TK, Jayden and you are my friends.  
-Righto. What else?  
-I use the Jar'Kai fighting style coupled with form 6- Niman. I can see ghosts as though they are living beings. I'm being chased by a Sith named Darth Tenebris. I don't trust Chancellor Palpatine. I don't always agree with what the Council wants. My mission is to alert the guardians of future younglings. I'm currently aboard the ship known as the Crimson Storm and I'm trying to get my mind in order. I have amnesia. My mind...  
Risha smiled and nodded:  
-It helps, right?  
-Yeah, this is like a miracle. My mind is so much clearer now. Who taught you this?  
Risha slowly ran her fingers over the beaded string that normally ran from her montrails that she had taken off for the night. This was a family symbol among the togruta, but unless Alana was wrong Risha's was missing a few pieces. That didn't sit well with Alana. Quietly, Risha responded:  
-I taught myself. When I was dealing with what I had done I felt like I was losing myself and so I started repeating everything I knew for certain about me every night. It helped me keep a grip on who I was. Now, try sorting through the newer information. Again, certainty is key, if you're not sure save it for later - don't say it. Come on.   
-Huuhh...Okay, my parents were named Neerean Coran and Eren Sheelor.  
Risha raised an eyebrow:  
-How come you don't have either of their last names?  
Alana shrugged:  
-I was born out of wedlock and was deemed a bastard my whole life so maybe that's why.  
Risha tapped her chin thoughtfully:  
-Well, you still could have taken your mother's last name. Wait a sec...Coran...Sheelor...Sheelan.... Um, Alana did you ever think that maybe you did take both of their last names?  
Alana gave her a confused look:  
-How do you figure that?  
-Look at your last name: it's a near perfect combination of your parent's last names. "Sheel" from Sheelor and "an" from Coran. So, that's it - Sheelan.  
Alana stared at Risha for a good 10 seconds before she finally cracked a smile:  
-Rish, really? I doubt it.  
-And I'm positive it's true.   
-Maybe, though I feel there's more to it than that. Still, I'll probably never know. It's not like I can ask her.  
It took a moment for Alana's words to click in Risha's mind and when they did she felt her heart clench in pain. It wasn't just sympathy. Though her parents lived (as far as she knew) they may as well have been dead. She knew what it felt like to lose a parent and it hurt, the grief was overwhelming. Quietly, the togruta spoke:  
-I'm sorry for your loss. I know how much it hurts.  
Alana buried her face in her knees, trying to hide from the world:  
-I, uh...Thank you. You know, even though I only remember flashes, tiny things, I feel like there's a big gaping hole in my heart. I miss them both so much though I barely know them. And that's what makes it worse: I don't remember the people who gave up everything for me, who loved me no matter what. I don't even remember if I loved them back...  
Alana's voice was cracking and Risha could tell she was close to tears. Slowly, the togruta stood up and went to sit beside the younger girl, drawing her into a comforting hug. Alana's body quickly became wracked with sobs as she cried silently for the loss of the people who had loved her unconditionally and who she could barely remember. Risha ran her hand down the girl's hair in an attempt to offer some small measure of comfort:  
-I'm sure you loved them too, Alana. You wouldn't cry like this over someone you did not love and if anything I believe most children always love their parents no matter how wretched they may be, some small piece of your heart will always love them no matter what. You said it yourself - you miss them. Alana, you of all people, should know that you did and still do love them even with your amnesia. It's okay. Just let it all out. I'm here for you no matter what, remember that.  
It took another good half an hour for Alana's tears to finally run dry during which Risha just sat there, murmuring words of comfort to somehow ease the pain. When she'd essentially lost her parents she had had her grandmother and she was grateful. Alana didn't have family to lean on so she would do her best to substitute. She wanted to be her friend, someone who she could turn to. She hoped that that could at least give the young woman some comfort...

==SW: LB==

-Are both of you inside?  
-Yep.  
-Alana, you're not just saying that to ditch TK, are you?  
-Me?! I would never! I'm not Jayden.  
-Hey, I resent that accusation!  
His response was silence when a cheerful quip would normally be the usual retort. Currently, they were running a final check on the escape pod Alana and TK would be using to get to the orbital station undetected via intercom and they were about ready to launch. However, things were still different between Alana and her partner. Risha and TK didn't understand what, but they could plainly see that something was amiss. Alana had woken up as cheerful as ever despite the early time (something that Risha and Jayden abhorred), but while she seemed closer with Risha it was like there was a rift between her and Jayden. To a person who didn't know the two it wouldn't be apparent, but the politeness that Alana's words held whenever she addressed him was as biting as the bitterest insult. It was like she was treating him as though he was an ally, but not a friend. Jayden was surprised to admit that it actually hurt, a lot. He knew what was going on, but until Alana became willing to talk to him he couldn't do anything. While he was absorbed in his thoughts Risha continued to double-check that everything was green across the boards for launch. The plan would work like this: they launched Alana and TK, gave them 7 minutes and then flew into the station's sight range and let them capture them. Jayden was convinced that as soon as they recognised the ship they'd rather capture it than destroy it which would work in their favour. Risha had her doubts, but she didn't have a better idea so she decided to wing it along with him. As soon she did a final check with Alana Risha turned to Jayden, tapping him on the shoulder to snap him out of it:  
-Captain, Group A is ready for take off. Are we clear to start?  
Unexpectedly, Jayden stood up and shook his head:  
-Give me two minutes with Group A. I need to check something inside the pod.  
Risha raised an eyebrow and gave Jayden a knowing look, but pressed the intercom button again anyway:  
-Hey, chief, the captain says he need to check something inside the pod. Halt the launch.  
-Sure. Please remember that time is ticking, you know.  
Jayden responded instead of Risha:  
-I'll be down in a minute. It won't take long.  
-...I would appreciate that.  
The intercom switched off and Jayden grimaced at the tone of Alana's voice. Yeah, he had to go and speak to her about this right now. Knowing their life, it wouldn't end well if he didn't. Risha shoved him none too gently in the direction of the cockpit's exit:  
-Go. If you want to tell her something, do it.  
Jayden shot her an annoyed look:  
-I told you I have to check something in the pod.  
-Yeah and I wasn't born yesterday, Captain denial. Anyway, she's right about the fact that we need to hurry. Go on ahead. Oh, but, don't tiptoe around her - I think that'll just make things worse.  
Jayden nodded and left the cockpit. Risha sighed: Damn it all, this is why she had tried to make Alana tell her what was up with her and Jayden yesterday. The girl had just shaken her head and gone to sleep. She had no idea what the cause was, but it did make Risha worried, all of this. If they couldn't function as a team, this whole mission could fall through, but even Risha knew that Alana would never let her personal issues get in the way of the mission. Ah, Jedi and Mandolorians....Seriously, having two on the same ship working as partners was just asking for trouble.  
Jayden ducked into the open escape pod on the lower floor of the Storm to see Alana sitting in the pilot's seat while TK was plugged into the wall, interfacing with the system. Feeling his presence in the Force, Alana took the initiative to speak:  
-The pod is functioning normally. Everything should go according to plan. However..  
-It never does, does it?  
-I believe you know the answer to that question yourself. My input isn't necessary.  
Jayden sighed and leaned over the seat to flip the thruster switch to on as he'd seen her looking for it frustratedly. She quickly drew her hand away and folded them across her chest. Jayden turned to look at her, realising that he couldn't skirt around the issue. Not with her, never with her. He took a deep breath:  
-Alana, we need to talk.  
-Now is not a good time.  
-I know, that's why I'm saying we'll need to have this talk later.   
-Right.  
Her voice had taken that dismissive edge, making Jayden worried. Was she really that upset with him? For the first time since they'd met Jayden allowed his true feelings to seep into his voice when it wasn't just her:  
-Alana, please...  
There were a few moments of silence before Alana drew a shuddering breath and sighed, finally making eye contact with him. Her bright dark blue eyes looked so uncertain, but her voice was steady as she spoke:  
-Okay. We'll talk after the mission. I promise. Happy, now?  
-Not really, but it's a start. My mood definitely got a lot better and now I have motivation too.  
Alana shot him a halfhearted glare:  
-Like your goal isn't driving you. We all know you're after the credits.  
Jayden paused on his way out of the escape pod and smiled over his shoulder, it was one of those rare, gentle smiles that forced Alana's breath to catch and her to feel warm and fuzzy in her heart:  
-Not going to lie - that's true to an extent. Shadows motivation may be his goals and his work, but Jayden Callen's motivation is, oddly enough, you. I don't why that is, but you're what keeps pushing me to try harder. Good luck.  
Alana simply nodded. She had no words. TK chortled and the Jedi threw him a look before slumping in her seat. It wasn't fair. How had he forced her into talking to him? Well, it wasn't like she was mad, she was hurt, but she wouldn't let her feelings compromise the mission and maybe later, when they'd returned she'd have figured out what to say to him...

==SW: LB==

-Okay, that's it. It's time for us to steal the show.  
Jayden announced as he piloted the Crimson Storm closer to the orbital station. They'd given Alana and TK 10 minutes to land the escape pod and now it was time for their little diversion. Risha sighed exasperatedly, but turned to her section of the controls. In all honesty, the togruta was clueless when it came to piloting ships, but thanks to the little crash course Alana had given her before leaving Risha could at least believe that she wouldn't be the one at fault if the ship rammed headfirst into the station. Well, mostly that is. As she flipped on the forward deflector shield's Risha couldn't help asking:  
-What makes you so sure they won't blast us into bits?  
-This ship is the Crimson Storm.   
-They don't know that. It could be a fake.  
Risha fairly pointed out as the ship drifted closer towards the looming orbital station. Jayden grinned:  
-Who says they don't know?  
Risha cast him a suspicious look:  
-What do you mean by that?  
-Oh, nothing except the fact that I'm broadcasting the Storm's unique signal codes. Well, the backup ones anyway.  
Risha stared at the Mandolorian:  
-You mean you're daring them to pay attention to us?!  
-'Course. Isn't that the point of a distraction?  
-Oh, right. I think my brain malfunctioned for a moment.  
The young man snorted in amusement:  
-Don't think too hard.  
As if on cue the holoterminal beeped and the holographic image of the same droid who had threatened to shoot down their ship when they'd first arrived in orbit winked into existence. In that same mechanically infuriating voice he announced:  
-Attention, Crimson Streak. You are under arrest for trespassing on private territory, you will be towed and moved to the detention block until our superiors decide what to do with you.  
Suddenly the ship shuddered and started moving closer to the orbital station on it's own accord. The monitors indicated that a tractor beam had been locked onto them. Jayden did his best to look indignant:  
-What?! I know of no such rules! I demand you let us get on our way this instant.  
-No. You are trespassing and shall be punished accordingly.  
-Who's territory is this?!  
-That is none of your business. Criminals like you shall be punished. Deactivating all non-survival functions now.  
The lights on the Storm flickered out and the whirring of most offensive systems stopped. The transmission winked out of existence. Risha finally allowed herself to laugh, clapping her hands. Jayden grinned and did a mock-bow before plopping down on the pilot's seat:  
-How was that?  
Risha crossed her arms over her chest:  
-A tad over the top, but it's passable.  
Jayden rolled his eyes, reclining in his seat:  
-Everyone's a critic.  
-Such is life.  
-My existence is a tragic one indeed. I'm under appreciated in my time!  
Risha snorted:  
-Let's keep the dramatics to a minimum.  
The ship shuddered once more as the docking clamp engaged. Jayden stood up and stretched:  
-Well, I suppose it's time to play the role of the helpless prisoners.  
Risha nodded, standing up:  
-Yeah, you do know how twisted this is though - letting Alana be the knight in shinning armour?  
Jayden snorted as he heard the droids enter the ship:  
-She'd kill me if she was forced to play the damsel in distress.  
-She'd kill if you even suggested that.  
-I have.  
-How are you still alive?! Are you one of the the undead?!  
Jayden was spared from answering when the assassin droids marched into the cockpit and pointed their blasters at them, demanding their immediate surrender. Risha complied easily feigning fear while Jayden continued playing his role of an irate space pilot. Everything was going according to plan, for now. The droids quickly slapped two sets of binders on them, confiscated all their weaponry and other tools, stripped them of their armour before proceeding to escort them to the detention block. Risha had to work really hard to maintain her fearful expression as Jayden's portrayal was only becoming more and more amusing by the second. When they finally got thrown into a cell and the rayshield activated the droids disappeared. Jayden winced as he sat up:  
-That one sure had a mean throw.  
-Oh, don't be a baby.   
-Hey, I'm just stating facts here.  
Risha rolled her eyes before addressing him once more:  
-So, what now?  
-Now we play the waiting game.  
A smile crept up onto Risha's face as she drew a secretly stashed away pazaak deck from the linings of her boot:  
-Mm, I'm not a fan of that one. Care for some pazaak instead?


	54. Chapter 52 - Traces of Identity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, world! I'm back! Yes, you're not hallucinating this is a new chapter and, yes, I did take, what, nearly 2 months to write it. Apologies for that, I hope no one is upset with me about that. I just couldn't force myself to write it and with pressure of RL on me it was hard. I'll try to be better with updating. You know, this is random, but after I finished writing the chapter I looked into my photo gallery and was like "Wow, I really can't believe I created these characters" then I looked on AO3, FFN and Wattpad and I was astonished once again by how much support I've gotten. I started writing this just to get a story out of my system, it was going to be stupid and very boring, but with all of the support I got I wanted to write more and write something that I would like and people could enjoy reading. So, honestly, I owe a lot of this to you. Every single person who supported me means a lot, if I'm ever feeling uncertain or down about my writing all I have to do is look at what you have given me and I can feel more or less confident again. So, thank you, thank you so much for your support. It helps me go on when those around me don't believe in me. Wow, I'm getting carried away, aren't I? Sorry, sorry. Onto the notes:  
> 1) Once again not my favourite chapter and it feels kinda rushed, but I like the concept and it does introduce some different sides to side characters. Plus it introduces Tetra and I'm super happy about that. You'll get it when you read it.  
> 2) For the end part: it's okay if you have absolutely no clue what TK is talking about with the Engine and whatnot - it'll all be explained in the next chapter, you're not meant to know. To anyone who does, however, you are officially amazing.  
> 3)The language in which the song is sung is Ryl, the native tongue of the Twi'lek's and this is actually an Earth song, but I decided to translate it for effect.  
> 4)I'm being severely tempted to write about Kai's time as a pairate captain and what occurred, but I'll try to hold off. Maybe I should try it once I finish this? What do you think?  
> 5) Apologies for any missed typos and autocorrect.  
> 6)As always - Enjoy!

Chapter 52 - Traces of Identity

This was ridiculous. The thought had entered Alana's mind many times as she crawled through the ventilation tunnels at a painfully slow rate, but this time she was absolutely certain of it's truthfulness. In her 16 years of life Alana Sheelan had done many seemingly stupid things, but somehow her current situation topped all of that. Alana huffed as she shuffled through the tunnels:  
-I swear if this goes on for much longer the next time I see Jayden I'm shoving him into one of these.  
She understood perfectly well that she was the only one who could do this as she had no metal on her body (having handed off all her equipment to TK), but that in no way restricted her train of thought. Alana stopped when she saw a grate with light filtering through it - this was it, she was inside the orbital station. Alana carefully used the Force to silently levitate the grate and set it further down the narrow tunnel with a soft clang. Wincing at the noise, Alana poked her head through the opening and looked around. There were two assassin droids guarding the entrance, heavily armed as well as there were two turrets behind them. Well, considering the fact that she wasn't armed and had none of her shields with her this would be interesting. Easily diving through the open hole, Alana landed with a handspring and her shoes making contact with the floor soundlessly, avoiding the droid's attention. However, the turrets were calibrated to search and destroy any lifeforms so Alana had to act quickly. She threw up a quick Force shield around herself and with a quick pivot she flipped the circuit breaker of one of the assassin droids and used the Force to lift him up as a shield from the turret's onslaught. Keeping him levitated there, Alana turned towards the other guard only to see him pointing his rifle right at her chest. Alana quirked an eyebrow and impulsively pulled the blaster rifle from his hands with the Force before using it to haphazardly launch a barrage of blaster bolts at him, turning the droid into a pile of parts. Huh, so she could make a shot to save her life... The things you learn. Alana focused back on the problem at hand: she had to disable those turrets. But how? An idea popped into her mind - it was insanely risky, but she could probably make it work. Letting go of her shut down droid-shield, Alana shot a storm of Force lightning towards the turrets, frying them mercilessly with her blue lightning. Half a minute later she stopped, pausing to catch her breath - using dark side abilities like Force lightning took a lot out of her.   
With the turrets and the droids disabled, Alana let herself take a break to asses the situation. Reaching out into the Force, she rather quickly found Jayden and Risha's presences in what she assumed was the detention centre - that was her next stop if things went according to plan. Speaking of the plan... Alana went over to the control panel and released the rayshield and the blastdoors, letting TK. The droid chirped a "thank you" before asking if she'd seen any interface sockets. Alana nodded:  
-Yes, there should be one just around that corner.  
-Beep-reet-whop.  
-I know this place is swarming with enemies. Now, can you even plug into the station's network?  
-Beep...dee-kree.  
-What do you mean "probably"?  
-Oh, I don't know, but maybe the fact that you're on the Spectrewolf's station should give you a clue?  
Alana started as she heard that same exasperated and slightly mocking tone in her head, the same one she'd last heard on Bestine IV. Alana sighed and responded, deciding to get to the bottom of the voice's origins here and now:  
-Who are you?  
-Didn't we have this conversation last time? I'm you, well, a slightly smarter and far less naive and trusting version of you.   
-I remember that, but where did you come from and what are you doing in my head?  
There was a pause before the voice snorted:  
-So you're finally going to start asking smart questions? Well, to answer both your questions - I'm you, where else am I supposed to be? I'm something that your mind created to deal with all the flashes of the past that are flooding your head at random intervals. I only step in when you're about to do something colossally stupid, like right now.  
-So, it's not to give me hell with your sarcastic remarks?  
-That's a side benefit. By the way, you might want to get your weapons back from the droid - there are enemies approaching. Seems like our nice little chat will be cut short.  
-Have fun hanging out in my head.  
-I always do. Give my regards to flyboy and red chic for me.  
The voice replied, laughing before there was silence in Alana's head again. Yes, she liked the silence much more. She decided to heed the advice she'd been given - the Force had been prodding her to pay attention to the approaching danger.  
-Um, TK, can I have my shields and lightsabers back, please? Looks like we're about to make a bunch of new friends.  
The little astromech chirped an affirmative and as a response drew out her belt with all her equipment attached to it from within one of the compartments in his body all the while continuing his battle with the security system of Ardent Station. Alana quickly fastened all her equipment on at the proper places and proceeded to recalibrate the biometric locks while simultaneously summoning her lightsabers to her hands with the Force. After making sure the locks were operational, Alana temporarily replaced her lightsabers back in their carriers and in turn her chrono to cross-reference Jayden's and Risha's positions with the map of the facility TK had already transmitted across the channel. According to the two red dots on the grid which were located not far out of the detention centre and their position within the Force, everything had seemed to go completely according to plan. So far. Alana knew better than to think things would remain this way - their lives detested plans in all forms and manners possible. Switching off the grid and lowering her left arm, Alana commented:  
-Seems like they're in the detention block.  
TK buzzed an agreement, informing her that he'd found the video footage of them being led off (which apparently was sufficiently hilarious due to the idiot captain's acting) as well as the fact that he'd found the codes to deactivate the Storm's lockdown and he'd set the video cameras to loop so they were least likely to be detected. As an afterthought the droid also added that he'd diverted the incoming patrol and now they were going to take a long walk out of an "accidentally" opened airlock. Alana grinned at that:  
-Have I ever told you how absolutely awesome you are?  
-Beep! Deet-reet-whip-bzzt.  
-TK, you are not taking on a whole legion of droids without my help. I'm coming with, you may be a super droid, but you're not--  
TK quickly cut off her protest by stating that he was a droid among a station of droids - he would be far less likely to be detected here than she was. Therefore he was in a prime position to take control of the main base of operations while she proceeded to liberate the smart doctor and the idiot captain. Alana bit her lip, mulling over the idea. She could see the logic in it and TK was light years smarter than the droids patrolling around here, but this was the Spectrewolf's pit stop they were in so...Alana shook her head at herself: now, was not the time to hesitate - the more time she wasted deliberating over the issue the more danger Risha and Jayden were in. Truly, only now was she starting to see the danger of this plan. She searched the Force again before turning to look doubtfully at TK who extracted two of his blasters and twirled them around once for emphasis. Alana sighed and finally nodded, conceding to follow his plan of action:  
-Alright. I trust you'll find a way to outwit them?  
TK made a string of binary sounds that sounded suspiciously like "oh, please!". Alana patted his dome and tapped the button on the latch of her belt, enabling her stealth field and vanishing from view. As she went to head down the corridor she heard TK call after her, making her stop. She looked at the small silver droid quizzically, tipping her head to the side, knowing that he could see her with his infrared imaging. TK remained silent for a moment before telling her to avoid as many patrols as she could and wishing her good luck, he would keep track of her position as best he could. Alana smiled:  
-Thank you.  
With those words set they parted, each going in their different directions. Alana quickly snuck through the corridors before descending down a flight of stairs soundlessly only to end up in a corridor where there was a droid every few meters. That coupled with TK asking her not to destroy the droids if at all possible posed a problem. Alana frowned, muttering under her breath:  
-This could take a while...

==SW: LB==

-Aaanndd that's a set.  
A laugh sounded after Risha's triumphant exclamation before an elderly male voice added:  
-You better step up your game, son, or the young lady will really clean you out.  
-Yeah, I've pretty much got you beat, Captain. Surrender.  
Jayden scowled at the comments and cast a halfhearted glare at the cheeky togruta that he was sharing a cell with. She merely stuck out her tongue at him to which he rolled his eyes and turned to look at the ageing, bearded man in the cell opposite them. He'd introduced himself as a trader named Julos Okarr who had been arrested just as they had and had been here for about two weeks along with his ship. Julos had proved to be a good-natured man and had spent the last two hours refereeing an ever-ongoing pazaak match between Jayden and Risha. They were all bored and had nothing better to do and the last thing Jayden wanted to do was think about how dangerous this was over and over. Jayden moved his gaze back to the cards in his hands, announcing:  
-Never!  
Risha snorted in amusement, drawing another card from the deck pile:  
-Have if your way. Be a sore loser.  
-It's never over, till it's over.  
-That makes absolutely no sense.  
The togruta retorted blithely, waiting for him to make his move. Jayden flicked his hand in her direction in an over exaggerated sign of dismissal:  
-You are just too small-minded to understand the full brilliance of my strategy.  
-Which is losing to me badly?  
She fired back easily, raising her eyebrows and implant simultaneously. Jayden rolled his clear green eyes at her which had acquired an odd tinge of blue due to the light emanating from the rayshield blocking the exit from the cell.  
-No. Behold my final move!  
Jayden exclaimed, placing down a blue plus-minus two card from his hand deck. Risha smirked and pulled a plus one card, adding her total up to 20. She gave a whoop of triumph as Jayden's total reached 23:  
-OOH, YEAH! I WIN! AGAIN!  
Julos chuckled, his grey eyes twinkling merrily in amusement:  
-I believe that's 6-7 in favour of the doctor.  
Jayden groaned and fell back on the cool cell floor as Risha continued celebrating. The cold steel floor against the bare skin of his back was enough to distract him from the unease that Alana's absence and the foolhardiness of this plan inspired in him. He was perfectly fine traversing deserts and fighting through rakghoul infested sewers, but being stuck as a captive on the Spectrewolf's station made him really apprehensive. Still glowing from her recent triumph, Risha crowed:  
-So, what does it feel like to have your luck run out, Captain?  
At this Jayden's expression darkened significantly and he sat up abruptly, startling the doctor. Arms crossed over his chest he whispered harshly:  
-You better hope it hasn't. Otherwise we're all screwed.  
Risha deflated instantly, her violet eyes losing the amused glimmer instantly, turning serious. She nodded, running a hand across her left lekku in a nervous action:  
-Sorry. You're right. We can't get carried away.  
Jayden sighed heavily:  
-I shouldn't have snapped like that. I apologise.  
Risha's lips twitched up into a shadow of a smile:  
-No harm, no foul?  
-Sure.  
Jayden easily agreed. He didn't want to fight over something like this with a friend, he was already at odds with Alana (even though that was mostly his fault). It had only been around two hours, but this was driving him crazy. He was the prey here and he hated that. He had been prey all his childhood, he refused to be anything but the predator now. He knew this whole plan was far more risky for Alana and TK then it was for him and Risha, but this plan was definitely one of the most dangerous moves he'd made as of late. If it had been some ordinary run-of-the-mill mob boss he wouldn't worry, but with the Spectrewolf... Well, it would suffice to say they were playing with a very lethal kind of fire. Julos, evidently mistaking his darkened countenance for fear, spoke up:  
-Don't worry, boy, the droids are annoying pricks, but they won't harm you.  
-I seriously doubt that.  
Jayden responded, crossing his arms. He glanced at the small tattoo on his left shoulder, the crest of clan Callen and Shadow's symbol. If they realised it was him...Well, he didn't want to think about what kind of execution the Spectrewolf would devise for him. A silence descended on the cell block, each inmate dwelling on his own thoughts.  
Risha settled back against the wall, shivering slightly. It was kind of cold. She fixed her violet eyes on the flickering blue rayshield. This reminded her of the time she'd spent in Jabba's palace as well as that prison on Telos. Risha smiled wryly: fun times. However, she seriously hoped Alana would be here soon, being caged like this brought back bad memories for her and filled her with a sense of apprehension. Jayden was right: without luck they were all most likely screwed.

==SW: LB==

TK moved through the almost sterile winding hallways of Ardent Station unhindered, the droids not paying him any mind as he moved amongst them. While most of the station's population was made up of murderous protocol and assassin droids there were still a fair few astromech and worker droids among their number and no one payed the odd new droid any heed. That was exactly how TK wanted things, this way he would be much harder to stop.  
Following the schematics, he quickly ascertained the fact that reaching the main control centre would be much harder than it originally seemed. The main control centre doors were protected by an encryption code of such complexity that TK was way too puzzled to solve. There was something a bit familiar about this code's patterns though...Still this was a problem, one he hoped his new plan would provide a workaround to. Soon the small silver droid ended up in the hangar bay where there were numerous worker droids milling about, doing their assigned jobs. The hangar bay was dimly lit, but TK could easily make out three large silhouettes - starships. He noted that there were two freighters and a shuttle, one of the freighters was the Crimson Storm. The ship looked untouched. Good. TK looked around for a moment before selecting a simple BLX labourer droid moving crates at the edge of the hangar as his victim of choice. BLX droids were normally programmed to be good natured and forthcoming so TK had hope this one would be easier to pry the information out of than the others. The droid looked at him in confusion:  
-Can I help you, mate?  
TK buzzed a question, asking if he knew where the power generators were. The droid tipped his black head to the side:  
-I do, brother. Second corridor out of the west exit of here, then you'll have to go around the exterior. There's only one path - it'll lead you to the generator. It's a bloody hard path though what with all the interference, wreaks havoc with all my systems. The Boss sending you there?  
TK chirped an affirmative, deciding to go along with that. This droid, despite having a very...odd...manner of speech was being incredibly helpful right now. Whoever had programmed him had obviously not been doing his job according to the Spectrewolf's orders. That suited TK just fine.   
-Bee-deet-reet-Dwoo?  
-The Boss? Nah, I've never seen him. Now, R3-D7 in the information department says he has, says he's like no droid ever before. That's hunky-dory and all, but I can't tell if that's just bollocks or the truth. That astromech is warped, I tell you, warped.   
TK was a little confused at this (and by far more than just this droid's manner of speech): the droid that had contacted them upon their arrival in orbit was a standard old protocol droid - why was this worker saying that he was unusual? TK decided to ask just that. His new friend, who'd set about doing his work again, calmly responded.  
-No, that's the Overseer. Well, I call him that. Apparently I'm weird. I don't want to take up arms against organics in the name of our Master or whatnot. All I want is to stack crates - that's my true calling. They call me RICK by the way. Ah, my lovely, lovely crates. Well, is that all I can do for you?  
TK nodded his head, letting this "rick" droid know that that was indeed all. He also added a thank you as soon as the mental image of Alana scolding him for his manners popped up from his memory core. Stars, that Jedi could bully anyone into submission. The idiot captain would often sarcastically refer to her as his mother in those moments. Were organic mothers really like that? He was distracted from his thoughts when RICK spoke again, cheery as ever:  
-Well, I've got to get back to work, mate. Cheers for the talk.   
TK bid him farewell, deciding not to linger behind as he heard RICK's processors begin to hum. RICK seemed like a very well-meaning droid if not a little off. Well, it wasn't like he was one to talk. Despite his oddness, RICK had provided TK with plenty of useful information starting with the location of the power supply room and ending with the fact that this "boss" droid that TK would undoubtedly have to dethrone was someone he'd never encountered before. Unique droids...TK only knew a handful of them from around the galaxy and despite him being amongst their number meetings with them never ended well. However, it wasn't their attitudes that bothered TK - it was their origins. They all looked different, but they were like him, created by the same entity though he had been reforged into a far more superior state of being over the millennia he had spent traveling, looking for the truth of his Master's fate. The Luminous Engine...TK hoped it would not be it at the core, because if it was...Well, they were all in far more danger than they realised.

==SW:LB==

Kai stretched as he walked the halls of Wenest Station that hung in orbit above Druckenwell. He was a little sore from sitting still so long and since he still had a few hours before the surface-bound shuttle returned he decided to stretch his legs a little. The people Jayden had directed him to had done exactly as the kid had said as soon as he mentioned the name "El'kar Shan". Her had tried to offer them payment for the trip, but they insisted on helping him get to Druckenwell free of charge. Kai smiled slightly at the memory: they'd all been basically tripping over each other to help him. He still had no clue what the kid had done to get them to like him so much, but it was obvious that any friend of "Captain Shan" was a highly honoured guest of theirs. They had taken him to Druckenwell and after a good few hours in hyperspace he wanted to stretch his legs.  
Captain El'kar Shan...Why did the kid use that alias? He understand substituting the name of his ship for another since the name was recognisable in the underworld community, but his own name? True, Shadow couldn't exactly go around giving out his own name, but when he wasn't Shadow why didn't he use his true name? Was he hiding something by not using his true name? Kai remembered Jayden's words in the cave on Tatooine after he'd asked why only Shadow bore that crest: "Because there is no one else to wear it." Kai didn't pretend to know the old Mandolorian customs, but why would he hide his name? Why would he become El'kar Shan instead of Jayden Callen when introducing himself to people like the men in House Elegin? Also that name... Shan was a rather rare surname and thanks to Alana's history lectures he knew that the descendants of the Reedemed Jedi Knight, Revan, and Bastila Shan bore that surname. Many had become great Jedi and famous heroes over the ages, but nowadays the Shans had vanished into obscurity, no one of particular note had existed in centuries. Did the kid have some connection to them? And the first name: El'kar? That was not a common name too. However, Kai knew that it held meaning to the kid. The boy's full name was, after all, Jayden El'kar Callen, whoever had held the name El'kar must have been a close friend of his parents for them to name their child after him.   
Kai was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard a familiar genre of music coming from behind the door on his right. He looked up to see a glowing neon sign reading "The Starstruck Rancor". Kai snorted: who came up with names like this for cantinas? No, seriously? Kai glanced at his chrono to see that he still had hours left before shrugging and walking into the cantina. It wasn't much different from any other spaceport cantina's - crowded, loud and a perfect place to not stand out as well as to get a drink. Kai frowned at his desert outfit, but shrugged. He walked up to the bar table and leaned on the counter, ordering a simple smoothie made of almakian apples and Muja fruit. The last thing he wanted to do was get inebriated. As he sipped his drink, Kai surveyed the cantina. Hm, there were a little more people than usual and they all seemed to be waiting for something. This all gave him the strongest sense of deja vou. Kai leaned in slightly towards a kaleesh who was staring at his own drink thoughtfully:  
-Um, excuse me, but would you happen to know why there are so many people here today?  
The kaleesh looked slightly surprised:  
-You mean you don't know?  
Kai's sense of deja vou was growing stronger by the minute. This conversation and this whole scene was reminding him too much of the one he'd had before he'd gotten dragged into being a captain of a ragtag group of pirates. Kai shook his head:  
-No. I've just arrived. Is something happening?  
The Kaleesh nodded, swinging his glass from side to side:  
-Yeah. A performance. Some "Sunny"- her fans call her "Miss Sunny" though. Wonder if it's the same one as a few years ago...  
Kai's face broke into a bright grin at the name. There was absolutely no way! She was here?! He was filled with inexplicable happiness. No flipping way. Maybe it was just someone using her stage name, he shouldn't get his hopes up. The Kaleesh tipped his glass back before looking at Kai:  
-You seem plenty happy to hear that. You a fan or something?  
Kai shrugged, smiling wistfully:  
-No, not exactly. Though if it is who I think it is - we're all in for an amazing performance. I once knew the woman behind the mask. I do hope it's her.   
Before the Kaleesh could answer the light in the cantina dimmed and a spotlight shone on the stage where the band usually played. Silence instantly reigned in the cantina. Even the air seemed to quiver with anticipation. From behind the curtain a twi'lek woman stepped out and Kai's heart missed a beat. It was her. Even after three years she hadn't changed. She was as beautiful as ever outwardly and he knew that an even more beautiful person lay inside. The Kaleesh beside him gave a low whistle and muttered:  
-Well, she's definitely a looker.  
Kai wasn't about to argue with him and neither would any person in the overcrowded cantina. The twi'lek on stage was stunning. Her skin was the purest yellow with only darkened markings on her lekku that were slung over her shoulders, her eye colour was a light one - melted silver, though if Kai hadn't known her he wouldn't have been able to tell which, her body was slim, but muscular - far more muscular than any performer's needed to be. This time around she wasn't wearing any makeup and was dressed in a pair of dark blue pants which were tucked into black boots, a light blue shirt that was rolled up to her elbows and a white head wrap around her ear cones, she topped off the outfit with a belt which had a blaster holster attached to it. Definitely not typical performers attire. Kai couldn't help grinning wider at that: trust her, to go against all expectations. He was really glad though. The twi'lek beamed and waved at the crowd:  
-Hey, everyone! I hope everyone's been having a good time! I certainly have. I know this performance is kinda short notice, but I did only alert the manager yesterday. Now, I know a lot of you who saw my stage name are asking: "Is that the same Sunny who was popular on the holonet a couple of years ago?" The answer to that question is,-she paused and grinned for dramatic effect,- yes. I am indeed the same person. The next question is probably- why am I performing when I've barely sung at all in public in the last three years? The answer is simple: I wanted to, besides I owe the manager for all the free drinks he's given me. THANK YOU, ZORC!  
She yelled the last line in the direction of the bar and the Ishi Tib man standing beside the duros bartender took a bow before throwing his apron at her. She ducked below it easily, chuckling. She raised her hands in a gesture of surrender:  
-Alright, alright, enough of my rambling. Shall we get down to business?  
-YEAH!  
The crowd rumbled back like a wave before falling silent. "Sunny" took a deep breath before beginning to sing in her clear, melodic voice. The music was quieter than her voice, but instead of overpowering it like it should have the twi'lek's voice amplified it, resonating with it. The tempo was fast-paced, but she kept up with it:  
" Goma'eo, osary dei fie clird ji ureyald bo sihea,  
Jid geo ootay.  
jid geo n'uhan ooji ,  
Kuklarlinkan ceu vornlak sue   
Vil bee sahak yei nalnan geo do."  
The words flew from her lips, soft and beautiful. Kai along with the others was getting totally enamoured by her performance. She danced across the stage, singing, happiness radiating from her.   
"Anasan yeu ulb laboo a ersalhkiu,  
Yeu afa tohsu'a a ann,  
Yeu cliyerslan laboo a,  
Yeukonae laboo a aholy.   
Nih ohk huhsi gei tloke e'uban,   
Bo qa dec ohk kehrecan ar ohk."  
This Sunny was so different from the one Kai had met years ago. She was happy, she was free. She sung because she loved to do it, not because she was forced to. He didn't recognise this song, but compared to the song she had sung upon their first meeting - it was the polar opposite. She shone like a star. Her eyes scanned the crowd just like they always did and Kai grinned when they slipped over him before darting back and widening. Her whole face lit up. Some part of him felt relieved: she was still happy to see him after all this time. Kai nodded and sent a small salute her way. She incorporated a small "wait a bit" movement into her dance. Kai was happy to oblige.  
About half an hour later, Kai was leaning against the wall next to a door which the manager said "Sunny" always used to slip away. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to be thinking. The performance had ended after three songs, all to thunderous applause. Of course, she was always received well. Kai was pulled from his thoughts when the door opened and a twi'lek carefully slipped out. She was facing in the other direction. Kai pushed off the wall and greeted her:  
-Long time no see, Starshine.  
She jumped and whirled around, her lekku almost smacking him across the face. Thankfully, his well-trained reflexes reacted too fast for that to happen. Her silver eyes shone happily upon seeing him and a grin broke out across her face:  
-You're one to to talk, Captain Yo-ho.  
Kai groaned running a hand across his face:  
-You're never going to let me live that down, are you?  
-Never.  
The woman confirmed cheerfully before jumping at him. Kai easily caught her and spun around with her in his arms, laughing. When he set her back down they were both laughing like idiots. People passing by either gave them weird looks or smiled at them. She hugged him tightly:  
-Oh Force, Kai, I missed you.   
-I missed you too, Tetra. It's been a long time.  
She pulled back, their height difference becoming apparent again, but her hands didn't leave his shoulders. Tetra shot him a glare:  
-And who's fault is that? Who wouldn't answer my letters?  
Kai looked sheepish. He shrugged:  
-Yeah, sorry about that. By the way, your singing has definitely gotten even better.  
-Don't change the subject, Mister! Now, what in the nine corellian hells are you wearing?  
Kai sighed. He should have expected this from Tetra. She had always chastised him for his inadequate clothing along with the rest of the men on the crew who couldn't be bothered with how they looked. She would always tell them: "We're pirates, not savages. Now, get your asses in gear and change!" He kind of expected her to say something similar now. Instead, Tetra let her hands drop from his shoulders and pinched the bridge of her nose:  
-Alrighty. We're getting you a new set of clothes right now and you will bring me up to speed on what's been going on the past 3 years or so help me I will sing that song again.   
Kai paled, but he refused to be bullied into submission by his former crew member and a woman who was a head shorter than him.   
-You wouldn't.  
Tetra gave him her signature grin, her silver eyes glinting dangerously:  
-Try me.   
She opened her mouth to draw in a deep breath of air, a signal that she was about to start singing. Kai quickly clapped a hand over her mouth and frantically nodded. Tetra grinned and Kai let his hand drop. She grabbed him by the arm and started dragging him in the direction of the nearest clothing store. Kai grumbled:  
-Why is it that you care how I look?  
-Because you're my captain and therefore you represent me and the remainder of our team. Plus I refuse to share a Force-bond with someone who will not dress properly.  
Kai groaned inwardly at her logic. Yes, he had forgotten about that particular detail. His Force-bond to Tetra though weak, and possible to easily sever was something her rarely revisited. It was enough to let him and her know that the other was alive and well, but nothing beyond that. It was certainly nothing like what his student and the kid shared - their bond was far stronger and far more intimate. He shot Tetra a halfhearted glare:  
-In my defence, I was on a desert planet before this.  
Tetra huffed:  
-Defence denied.  
-What?! But I haven't even stated my case yet!  
Tetra chuckled:  
-Oh, captain, you forget. I'm judge, court and jury here.  
-And who put you in charge?  
Kai pouted, slightly annoyed with her. They stopped in front of the clothing store and the twi'lek beamed:  
-You did, Captain. And now - to work!  
Kai glared daggers at the store. Despite Tetra being a fearsome former member of his pirate crew, being as close and as trustworthy as Xan was to him, she still found pleasure in the most torturous activity in the known galaxy - shopping. Especially shopping for others. She grabbed him by the wrist and forcibly dragged him in, reminding him once more just how much strength that lithe body of hers had. Kai groaned:  
-Do we have to?  
-Song.  
-Shutting up, m'am!  
Tetra grinned:  
-Just like old times. 

==SW: LB==

-I never thought I'd see the day when I would miss just chopping droids into pieces. What in the blazes is TK planning?  
Alana muttered under her breath as she crept through the almost sterile corridors of Ardent Station. Stealth was not Alana's strong suit by any means, but she was light on her feet and she had the Force on her side so she could make do when she had to. Droids were not susceptible to the more intricate abilities of the Force, but they could still be distracted so Alana had to work with that. It was slow going to say the least. Her progress was slowed down even further by TK's request that she not chop up the droids. She understood that the whole station was operated by droids and if a lot of them went offline that would be cause for alarm, but why not a patrol or two? Still, she'd said she'd do her best and Alana intended to keep her word. She'd been doing a lot of sneaking around since she'd met Jayden, hadn't she? On the Atlantida with the Red Hand Syndicate, on Alderaan away from the Rodians (though that's been more running away than anything), on Duro in the Sith Temple, on Corellia in the crazy doctor's facility, on Bestine IV at Rrask's base and on Rodia into Iskaayuma city. That really was a lot of sneaking around on her part. Before, when she'd simply gone on missions with Kai, there'd been next to no hiding, diplomacy was their first approach and if that failed and the situation turned hostile the lightsabers came out. Everything had been so much simpler before, but she'd also been a lot more naive before. She hadn't known about things like dead planets, people going to extremes for what they believed in, she hadn't truly believed that a person could be both so inherently kind and yet so cold at the same time. She had been on track to becoming a Jedi, but she hadn't known anything about the people she wanted to protect. Had she changed? Alana didn't know.  
The teenage Jedi was abruptly tugged out of her thoughts when she heard voices coming from up ahead. Two male voices. Alana frowned: sentient? No, they were automated, but it was unusual for the droids to speak around here. Most patrols had been silent. Alana quietened her steps and approached the room from where the voices were emanating. She could hear a bit better now:  
-Sent..report..Boss...  
-No...video feed...prisoners...  
Alana's heart missed a thump at that. Prisoners? They had to be talking about Risha and Jayden. She could only hope TK hadn't gotten himself caught. They'd agreed to com silence, but that didn't mean she wasn't worried. He wasn't invincible and she did not want to lose a friend. The door was open a light blue hue dusted the pristine grey floor. Alana carefully entered the room, making sure to turn the cameras the other way with the Force even if she was hidden by her stealth generator. She couldn't be too careful.   
The room turned out to be a security station. Panels with readouts and video feeds lined the walls and controls stood below them. The room wasn't that big, but she noticed that they'd installed a rather large generator of some kind beside the weapons locker. There were two droid inside, tall and made of black metal, as far as she could tell they weren't built for combat, but as Jayden had warned them all beforehand they couldn't be sure what to expect. Those were the two droids that had been speaking. The one on the right, beside the hangar controls spoke up from his post to the one beside the main generator controls:  
-So, did the Boss say what we're supposed to do with the new prisoners?  
-He said that he was going to contact Master.  
The first droid looked up from the controls, evidently startled.  
-The Master? Why? He didn't do that with the old organic.  
-I do not know. Reports indicate that one of the new organic prisoners has a dangerous mark on his body. A mark of the Masters pesky rival.  
Alana stiffened. They meant Jayden. Oh stars, this was not good. Alana bit her lip. She was torn between hurrying and finishing listening to the conversation. Thankfully, logic won out and Alana remained in the room. It was best to gather as much information as was possible. The second droid continued:  
-One of the Masters best agents is here. We just have to watch that they don't escape.   
Before they could continue the conversation suddenly they both had shut down. Alana had visually located the circuit breakers on the two and with a small flick of the Force she'd tripped them. Well, TK would have to forgive her for these two. Plus she hadn't exactly chopped them up.   
Right, she had to hurry - she didn't know where this supposed agent was and she was not going to risk him getting to her teammates before she did. Alana approached the controls, scanning for the information she needed. She couldn't afford to do much, but Alana still opted to set the cameras to loop. She knew TK had taken much the same precautions, but she would rather be safe than sorry. She began looking for the information that would tell her what cell block Risha and Jayden were in and how to release the lock. Her midnight blue eyes scanned row after row, after row, but the information seemed to be relayed in a highly unconventional way that perhaps only a droid could decipher. For once Alana wished she had TK's mind. Why was this so frustrating? Alana's head gave a violent throb as her vision suddenly blurred. She gave a quiet groan, gripping her head with one hand while continuing her search stalwartly. She had to find them and quickly!  
Alana was so focused on her task that she didn't hear the soft clicking sound and the quiet whirr as the optics of the reactivated droids switched back on, glowing an eerie red. She kept muttering under her breath, wholly absorbed in her search until she felt two cold metal hands clamp down painfully on her upper arms. The Force had warner her of impending danger, but she had not heard it's call. Alana turned around. One though ran through her head: "Uh Oh". The droids seemed to think so to. She grunted as they dragged her back from the panel and lifted her up into the air, their hands clamping down on her wrists like a pair of metal binders. That was going to leave a mark. She tried to wiggle out of the grip, but with their overwhelming physical strength all she ended up doing was flailing in the air helplessly. The superior one of the droid gave a sound that resembled a mocking chuckle, or as close as vocabulator could mimic:  
-Stop struggling, tiny organic. There is no escape. We are under strict orders from the Boss to execute all unneeded organics on sight.  
Alana glared at them, determined to show them no fear:  
-Then why haven't you killed the prisoners in the detention block?  
-They are needed. We have orders from the Master not to kill them. You, however, are not granted the same protection.  
-Yeah, just like you have no idea who you're dealing with.   
Alana parried, summoning up the energy of the Force within her into a tight ball before letting it go. The effect was instantaneous: the droid lifted up in the air and with a flash of light were completely torn apart. Alana landed safely in a crouch. She exhaled, looking down at her hands. Again, she really like playing with fire, didn't she? Perhaps destroying them like this was not a smart move on her part - it would only alert the droids that someone here was in possession of something other than a vibroblade and a blaster. Alana shook her head, standing up: she didn't have time to waste on this. Realising the foolishness of searching through all the lists, Alana reached out to Jayden through their Force-bond (she refused to think of it as mind-meld):  
-Jayden, where are you?  
-Sitting in a rayshielded cell with Risha and contemplating how dangerous this whole idea is and why I even agreed to it.  
-You were the one who proposed it, Hunter.  
Alana pointed out, her lips twitching upwards in amusement. She pulled up the detention block schematics. She heard Jayden sigh:  
-Yeah, I question my own sanity sometimes.  
-I thought we established that everyone on this team is crazy back on Bestine IV? I mean, we're the founding members of the crazy club.  
-Risha wasn't with us on Bestine IV.  
-Meh, details. She agreed to join us - that automatically makes her crazy. So, where are you?  
-Detention Area C, the second to last cell from the left. Found it?  
Trust Jayden to keep track of where he was even when he was acting. Alana pulled up the C area of the detention centre and as as Jayden had said the second to last cell from the left was marked as high-level security and occupied. The cell across from it, oddly enough, was also marked as occupied. Alana frowned:  
-Hey, Jayden, is there someone else in there with you?  
-Yeah, a smuggler by the looks of things. Man, middle-aged, named Julos Okarr.  
-Okarr?  
-You know him?  
-No, just the last name. Sorry, history thing. Anyway, can we trust him?  
-No. But he doesn't seem like a problem so you can let him out too.  
-Aye aye, captain. See you soon.  
-Don't forget to make a dramatic entrance.  
-I never do.  
The Jedi responded cheerfully. Alana disabled most of the security wards and signed off, using a bit of slicing to wipe any trace of her interference out from the system's memory banks. Quickly she plotted out a course to detention block C in her mind and, engaging her stealth field generator, was about to sneak out when she unexpectedly had a better idea. Alana smiled to herself. Yes, that would work perfectly. 

==SW: LB==

-Sir, with all due respect, this is a very stupid idea.  
-If I recall correctly, this was your plan, Commander.  
-I'm referring to your idea of waltzing straight up to the targets. You do not do that without laying a proper alibi in case of something going wrong - that's infiltration 101. The plan itself is fine.  
-Approaching the targets directly would save time.  
-And get our cover blown. Sir, you may have a silver tongue, your handsome visage and your charm, but this is no small time politician or company we're dealing with. At the very least they have two Falleen.   
-Which means?  
-It means that due to their pheromones you'll be a little busy fighting your base instincts so you'll need me to back you up.  
He nodded:  
-Yes, that's why you're here.  
She sighed rubbing her brow, not that the silk on her hands did much to ease her building headache:  
-Sir, with all due respect, we're supposed to be playing the role of a rich, smart married couple - remember Sarisa's briefing? I mean no offence, but, you're not really playing the part. We're here for a "vacation", remember?  
-I don't believe I've done anything out of character yet, Commander. I remember clearly and our cover is still fully intact.  
-The fact that we're arguing by the entrance in a place such as this will make them question it soon enough,-she exhaled-, Look, sir, I'm your Vice Commander and I'm the stealth specialist - please have a little faith in my judgment. I will not lead us astray.  
There was a pause, before:  
-Very well, I'll defer to your experience and knowledge on this, Commander. Go ahead, I will follow your lead.  
-Thank you, sir.  
-While you brought up the subject of our cover, I should probably remind you that you will not get away with calling me "sir" or "my lord" the whole time. My name is Valoren Ulgo and you are--  
-Solana Ulgo. Yes, I recall.   
-Good.  
He intoned, his posture relaxing slightly. Tenebris's eyes drifted to their surroundings. It was a warm summer night on Naboo and they were attending a certain aristocrat's birthday party at his residence, just a little out of Theed. The party was being held in a rather beautiful garden behind the mansion. The lawn and the shrubbery had been trimmed to perfection (a rather common trait among all those Nabooian aristocrats), the bushes were sculpted to form shapes of flowers from the tops of which ornate lamps peeked out, casting light on the garden. Small beads of lights were also strung around the gently gurgling fountain, a few slender trees and the sculpture of a bird that seemed about to take flight - the symbol of freedom on this planet. Tables and chairs were placed sparsely throughout the lawn and small flower-like lights were placed in the centre along with cutlery. Server droids weaved between the lavishly-dressed party-goers, nearly all aristocrats or wealthy business owners, who were chatting between each other merrily. They all seemed happy and the atmosphere was generally tranquil. Soft music played in the background and some party-goers danced around the fountain where the grass was covered with smooth grey and faded green stone slabs, others sat while the guest of honour made his rounds. Tenebris's attention, however, was not focused on him, but instead it was focused on a group of people who sat at a table at the edge of his vision, partially obscured by a bush shaped like Malreaux rose. They were almost hidden away from the rest of the guests and Tenebris was willing to bet that was not a coincidence. The group that sat at the table was a rather dangerous group with which the True Order was willing to strike a tentative deal, one that would bring profit to both parties if the negotiations went over well. And Tenebris was determined to make them work on his terms which was why he had enlisted the help of one of his best subterfuge as well as most capable agents - his own Vice Commander. This was going to be a tricky one.  
Tenebris was pulled from his thoughts when he heard Cestele's voice. He turned to look at her to see her holding out a flute of a bubbling pale pink liquid. Her took it from her, raising an eyebrow in way of a question. She smiled slightly:  
-They're going to be making a toast. It's considered rather rude not to drink after a toast on this planet.   
Apart from Cestele and himself there were very few non-humans at this party, he spotted a twi'lek couple, a rodian and what looked like a female gungan dancing with a human noble. However, it did not matter whether the guest was human or otherwise- all were dressed for the occasion. As were the Vice Commander and the Supreme Commander of the True Order. While Tenebris had chosen to were simple white trousers and a white and gold jacket in the colours of House Ulgo of the Alderaanian nobility (for that was who he was posing as) while turning his yellow eyes to his original rich brown colour, Cestele wore a floor length pure yellow, shimmering dress that seemed almost strapless if not for the fabric that hung down at the top of her arms with elegant white embroidery on the bodice, just below the chest area. Tenebris had made sure he was presentable, but it was only now that he truly admired what women had to go through when preparing for these events. The Commander's silky blue-black hair, which was usually tied back into a short ponytail, was in a stylish braid and her face was framed by curled locks, giving her whole appearance a far more gentle aura while her red eyes maintained that same sharpness they always had. Her eyes were outlined slightly and she had topped off the entire outfit with a pair of elbow-length yellow gloves. She looked the very picture of beauty and elegance, the yellow of House Ulgo contrasting nicely with her blue Chiss skin, but Tenebris knew better than to think that she had come unprepared. Knowing his Vice Commander, she had probably managed to stow away at least 5 different weapons in her outfit with all of which she was deadly proficient. He nodded:  
-Ah, Thank you.  
Was his response, but he continued looking at the glass almost apprehensively. Cestele sighed:  
-Sir, it's perfectly safe for consumption. I checked: it's pure Nabooian blossom wine, no poison.   
-It's not that. I trust you well enough to know you wouldn't give me anything harmful. I'm just wondering about the potency of this beverage. And how we could use it to our advantage.  
Cestele tipped her head to the side slightly, a habit that she didn't appear to notice she had as she thought:  
-From what I know the alcohol is mildly potent, but it all depends on the species too. It's made of flowers so...,-Cestele's eyes lit up as she caught onto the idea,-the wine! With so many flowers in it, it would be especially potent on the Falleen.  
Tenebris smiled:  
-Precisely. Ah, look the toast is about to begin.  
The process that followed was simple enough: all of the especially esteemed guest would pronounce a toast in honour of the host and everyone would drink. If one ran out of wine the droid replaced it with a new glass. At least 7 toasts were said before they were done. The atmosphere seemed far more jovial after that, many of the guests already half-intoxicated from the potent drink. Cestele cast a discreet glance at the table where their targets were seated to see the two green-skinned, gorgeous, Falleen women grinning with their pupils a tad dilated. Cestele frowned inwardly: no, the alchol effect's in their system were not strong enough yet. A little more time needed to pass. And while they were at it, it would be good to build connections... Having nobles on any planet on their side could always come in very useful. Exchanging a single glance with Tenebris, Cestele slipped away to talk to the nearest noble lady while Tenebris went to talk to one of the host's close friends. The next quarter of an hour passed smoothly with the two high-ranking members of the True Order moving from person to person, conversing pleasantly with them before carefully manipulating them to acknowledge the speaker as a close ally. Despite all of Cestele's time spent off the field and among her comrades in the True Order, she was pleased to find that she had not lost her touch at all when it came to using the power of words to gain leverage over one person or another. She was not Force-sensitive like Lord Tenebris, but she could accomplish the task just as well without any help from an omniscient field of living energy. Cestele was listening patiently to Lady Isadora Ravven who was animatedly explaining how the colour fuchsia pink differentiated from magenta and how illiterate most designers were for not realising that. Cestele smiled politely, agreeing with small hums at the appropriate moments while inwardly praying for this to come to a close soon. She did not like doing nothing whatsoever. Ever since she had been a child Cestele had always felt the need to do something productive and talking about very similar colours to her eye was the opposite of that, it was simply the way she had been brought up like many of her race. Therefore she was immensely relieved when some five minutes later she felt a familiar warm weight on her left shoulder though she was careful to make her face betray none of that. Lady Isadora stopped talking instantly (thank the stars!) upon seeing the owner of the hand. Cestele did not need to turn around to know who it was, working with the same person for 4 years could teach you much about them. Turning her tone light and teasing, Cestele easily slipped into her role:  
-My, I wonder who that could be?  
There was a quiet laugh from behind her and the hand on her shoulder slid down to her upper arm, fingering the sleeve-like fabric. In a low, equally teasing voice he drawled:  
-Have you forgotten me already, my dear?  
Cestele finally turned her head to the side and smiled, laughing to herself. She had to admit the supreme commander was a good actor, making his lines sound perfectly natural and his movements fluid and almost practiced as he tucked her under his chin, resting his head on hers. She rolled her red eyes:  
-Oh, I don't know. So, husband, have you finally gotten bored of talking to the men and decided to calm talk to the fairer sex instead?  
She could feel the vibration in his chest as he chuckled:  
-Not quite. Just you, Solana.  
Cestele shrugged, easily parrying back:  
-Well, I'm afraid I'm a little busy here with Lady Isadora. We were just having the most illuminating conversation. Isn't that right?  
Lady Isadora was silent for a moment before squeaking an affirmative answer, her gaze fixed on Tenebris and her face flaming red. Tenebris released Cestele from his hold for a moment and gave a customary bow to the noble lady:  
-Milady, it's a pleasure to meet you. Lord Valoren Ulgo of Alderaan at your service. Please forgive me, but I do have to steal my wife away for a bit.  
-O-of co-course!  
Stammered out the young human woman, her face becoming even more flushed. Cestele frowned inwardly: what was it that the supreme commander did to make all the women around him react like this? Frankly, it was a little confusing to her. Before Cestele could ask what was going on Tenebris easily pulled her to the platform around the fountain where people were dancing and pulled her into a dance. She understood his actions easily: with this people were far less likely to interrupt them or eavesdrop. Taking the next step, he asked:  
-Anything of note to report?  
-Apart from the fact that Falleen seem intoxicated enough for me to make my move? Yes, I've managed to secure a few more free of charge trade routes for our people as well as spots for our operatives in the Nabooian nobility.  
Tenebris gave a small nod of approval:  
-Good work, Commander. That, coupled with my attaining the rights to a good portion of Mon Calamari should boost our production process up a bit.  
Cestele raised an eyebrow:  
-I noticed you were negotiating with that Selkath over there, any progress on our Manaan deals? We could use more kolto in the future, but we don't want to destabilise the medical economy what with this war and all.  
-Let's just call that a work in progress. It good to know you haven't been idle, Commander. I thought you might be enjoying the festivities a little too much.  
Cestele rolled her eyes demonstratively:  
-Of course, sir. Because I'm just such a party-goer, you know how I like to let loose especially in front of potential dangerous allies.  
-Exactly. Bendak says you are quite the,-he searched for the word-, Ah! And I quote "Wild Party Animal".  
Tenebris affirmed, his brown eyes alight with that rare glint of laughter. They looked at each other for a solid moment impassively before Cestele started laughing softly, with Tenebris chuckling himself. When they'd both calmed down some, Tenebris added:  
-But, with all due seriousness, Commander, it would not hurt for you to take some down time every once in a while. We are not at war with anyone just yet.  
-Well, that's what I'm doing right now.  
-I'm not sure you can classify an infiltration mission that could end with us in a tricky situation as "down time".  
Tenebris responded smartly, taking the next step, that ended up with them shoulder to shoulder and her right hand extending with his. Cestele sighed:  
-With all due respect, sir, you have absolutely no room to talk.  
-I have a little over a third of a galaxy to run, Commander.  
He reminded her, returning to the standard position with Cestele replacing her hand on his shoulder. She inclined her to the side:  
-Well, then, I have the exact same amount of work.  
-Oh,-he raised a dark eyebrow,- how so?  
-Someone has to do the paperwork while you're off gallivanting around the galaxy, collecting super weapons.  
Tenebris stared at her incredulously while Cestele felt herself squirm inside with embarrassment. That was toeing the line on her part, but she couldn't stop herself from saying that and she wasn't so sure she regretted her word. Suddenly, the grey-haired man laughed:  
-Wow, Commander, you making a joke at my expense? Who would have thought the day would come? You've come a long way since we first started working together.   
Cestele smiled slightly at the memory:  
-I remember not being very professional.  
-That passed rather quickly, you, for some unfathomable, reason couldn't meet my eyes for a year though. What was that about?  
-I think I'll keep that classified.  
No way in the Nine Corellian hells was she going to tell him about how she had felt he could see right through her at the start. She'd been a bit shy too as stupid as that seemed now.  
-I am your CO.  
-Yes, but I do have rights to privacy.  
She parried easily, dodging the question successfully. That was when he caught sight of the group. All traces of the lighthearted atmosphere vanished. His was very quiet:  
-Commander?  
-Understood.  
Cestele responded simply, slipping into the shadows. No words needed to pass between them, she understood his wordless orders perfectly. Activating the small dart shooter that was camouflaged in as part of her glove, Cestele approached the group. There were Two Falleen, a Rodian, A Muun, a Kaminoan and a pair of humans. One of the humans snorted at the sight of her:  
-You're on the wrong sight of the playground, doll face . Unless you'd like to join us. I certainly wouldn't mind...  
He ran his eyes over her lecherously. Cestele didn't react, she merely raised her left hand and made a sweeping motion with it passing over all the gatherer's faces. One of the Falleen scoffed, her pheromones injected into the air, her voice beautifully melodic:  
-What are you- a Jedi? Typical Chiss. Don't wave your hand around like an idi--AAGGHH!  
Suddenly she and all the others doubled over in pain. Cestele glanced to see that the Supreme Commander was distracting everyone for, the vicinity. Good, then she could work in full. Cestele stepped forward:  
-Listen up, I'm only going to say this once: I have just injected each of you with a certain type of neural poison from a toxic dart. I have the antidote, but until I give it to you you will be good little businessmen and women and not do anything rash. Don't worry, it's not going to do any permanent harm - you'll just find it hard to influence my and my compatriots actions and lies will not be all too quick to roll of your tongue. Believe me, what I'm doing is nice compared to what my superior would do.  
The Rodian rasped:  
-What are you?  
Cestele looked at him coldly:  
-Ex-Chiss commando, current second in command of the True Order.  
She could see fear flicker through their eyes. They knew of the the power of Chiss Commandoes and they, with their dangerous dealings, had heard of what the True Order could do. Now, they were in the palm of that precise organisation's hand. Tenebris approached them from behind:  
-Are we all set here, Commander?  
-Yes, sir. I also averted the minor pheromone problem.  
-Fine work, Commander.  
Cestele stepped away, allowing him to stand at the head of the table. He looked upon them with the air of a hunter looking down upon prey. The other Falleen sat up:  
-You are?  
-Darth Tenebris, Sith Lord and current leader of the True Order. I have a proposition for you...

==SW: LB==

-Well, isn't this cheerful? You people are the paragons of optimists right now. Such unwavering faith in my abilities. Truly, I'm touched...  
Came the sarcastic voice of a certain female Jedi and a click of boots against the linoleum floor. There she stood, with her ever-present smile as she replaced the grate from the overhead ventilation system using the Force. Jayden had told her to make a grand entrance and so she had albeit a little tamer one. Jayden stood up from his place in his cell, somehow not the least bit perturbed with his state of undress:  
-You call that a grand entrance? I am disappointed in you, Princess. Dropping from the ceiling is child's play. Five out of Ten.  
Alana raised an eyebrow:  
-On the Spectrewolf's Station? That crawling with droids that TK forbade me from chopping up?  
-Eh, that might earn you a seven and since when have you taken orders from the walking trash can?  
-Since he became our best asset on this stupid plan. Now, where are the controls? Besides that at least merits and an eight.  
Alana retorted, looking around expectantly. Risha joined Jayden by the rayshield and pointed to the right:  
-The security terminal should be over there. But the system is sure to be heavily encrypted so--  
-Okay, first level done. Anyway, what's up with you two being dressed that way? Is semi-nude the trend now or something?  
Alana continued talking as she started decrypting the remaining levels. Her disabling of the stronger security fields back in the security room had really payed off. Besides these encryptions kept her eyes off her teammates because while seeing Risha in her underclothes was fine, seeing Jayden like that on any occasion (and there had been at least two previously: Bestine IV and in hyperspace by accident) made her feel weird. Not bad, but just really weird. It just felt strange to see her best friend dressed like that. She heard a chuckle from behind her and cast a glance to see the smuggler laughing:  
-My, so your the rescuer that your friends were waiting for?  
Alana nodded, smiling:  
-Yeah. Hope they weren't too much trouble. The place seems okay.  
Okkar shook his head:  
-No, but their pazaak match was a thing to see.  
-I bet that's true. A certain someone can never seem to lighten up.  
Jayden shot her a glare:  
-Hey! I resent that accusation. I will have you know that Pazaak is a fine and noble art, much more strategic than Sabaac--  
To their surprise Julos interrupted:  
-I beg to differ! Sabaac is a very complicated game of chance that...  
Before Alana or Risha could fully comprehend what was happening the men had started an argument over which game was more dignified. It took a moment for it to click for Alana: they were keeping any security system's that were still monitoring trained on themselves and away from her so as not to trigger alarms. Clever tactic, but did they have to do it in such a way? Risha, who'd come to the edge of the cell, seemed to be thinking along the same lines as she muttered:  
-Boys...  
Alana chuckled:  
-Tell me about it. So, are the two of you ok? I haven't seen the recording, but TK implied that the droids hadn't been all too gentle...  
Risha waved off her concern with her red hand that seemed purple behind the rayshield:  
-We're fine. Droids need to take a few courses in customer management and personal space, but other than a few scrapes and a bruised egos we're good.   
-That's a relief.  
Alana smiled to herself as she broke through the second encryption layer. She wasn't sure she had ever been so thankful to a certain incident with a certain Chosen One which had ended up teaching her how to slice. Risha's voice pulled her back to reality:  
-In case you're wondering nothing here has messed with our implants yet.  
Alana raised an eyebrow:  
-I was not, but that's good news anyway. Wait, something could?  
Risha grimaced:  
-Yeah, I've had my left eye glitch out on me a few times in certain stations. Let's hope this isn't one of them. I mean I can fight decently without my left eye, but a certain someone here bears more of a risk.  
Alana finally cracked through the finally security layer and deactivated both rayshields with a slam of a button. She turned to face Risha seriously:  
-Then we best pray this isn't. But, worst case scenario, I believe he can hold out.  
Risha looked unconvinced:  
-Alana, implants into vital organs are fickle as is and if his is as complex as I believe it to be...Well, I don't want to test it.  
-Neither do I which I why I would rather we avoid such a situation altogether. There's been a time his heart almost stopped already and once was enough for me.  
Risha looked a little surprised at Alana's words:  
-You saw that happen and you aren't worried?  
Alana turned to face Jayden and Okarr who were still arguing over something heatedly, no longer acting. A small gentle smile played on her face:  
-Of course, I'm worried, but I trust in him and I know he wouldn't want me to be. That's why he probably didn't tell me about the implant,-Alana's face took on a mildly annoyed look,-Though that in no way does mean that I won't kick his ass across the galaxy and back for not telling me about it.   
Jayden's voice startled her:  
-Kick who's ass?  
She turned a glare at him:  
-Yours and not just for walking around like that.  
Jayden took on an innocent expression , but she could see the teasing twinkle in his eyes:  
-What? Is there something wrong? The droids seemed to think I would look quite fetching like this.  
Alana rolled her eyes and started moving to the armoury, motioning them to follow her:  
-Come on. And Jayden, that smack to your head must have done more damage than I thought.  
A small voice in the back of her mind was about to suggest something about agreeing with lumps of metal before Alana shut it up. Yeah, there was no way she was sauntering down that alley anytime soon, preferably never. Alana looked over her shoulder at Risha who was covering her grin with her hand:  
-Rish, check that idiot for a concussion later, okay?  
-Sure, whatever.  
Alana narrowed her eyes at her:  
-And what's that supposed to mean?  
Risha looked up at the ceiling:  
-It means I'll take a look.  
-Risha...  
Alana heard the smuggler story behind them and turned to look at him expectantly. He straightened out, slight confused by how he could intimidated by a single teenager's piercing stare:  
-Yes?  
-It's nothing, m'am. You just seem to be ignoring the obvious.  
Alana facepalmed :  
-You know what? Maybe I hit my head that's why everything you're saying is making absolutely no sense to me. Just let's go.  
Alana pressed open on the armoury's control panel and the door opened to reveal half a dozen droids that lifted their blasters at them. Alana huffed in annoyance and made a ripping apart sweep with her hands, causing the droids to shatter into pieces and her companions to stare. As Alana quickly sliced the locks on the lockers, Jayden gave a low whistle:  
-Woah, since when have you been able to do that.  
Unlocking the first Alana moved to the second locker, motioning for Jayden to grab his gear:  
-Since our run in with the Red Hand Syndicate, it happened by accident. I only just got how to control it. Remind me to apologise to TK, by the way.  
Pulling on his shirt after his trousers and belt, Jayden frowned:  
-Okay, back up, was the trash can made ruler of the galaxy or something while I was playing bait?  
Alana shook her head:  
-No, but he has some sort of plan and he's a droid in a station of droids. It's a lot more than what I can say for us. Hey, Risha, Captain Okarr, I've got your stuff here.  
With that said she stepped away, letting them all gear up while she attempted to signal TK. Either her comlink wasn't working or something was up. Alana finally got through to him on her third try:  
-TK, I've got the passengers. How's your progress?  
-Beep-dwot-reet.  
-What are you doing at the power room?  
-Dwot-beeeep!  
-Okay, okay. Should we get back to the ship?  
TK buzzed a serious of binary sounds telling her to grab the others, find the docking bay unlock codes and wait in the ship for him to grab the last set of coordinates. Alana nodded, deciding to follow TK's lead on this one:  
-Alright. We'll do that. Please hurry, ok?  
-Beep.  
With that the communication cut off. Alana turned to see that all were mostly ready and were finishing fine tuning their weapons as Risha and Okarr were grumbling something about droids messing about with the intensity settings. Alana looked to her partner:  
-You ready?  
He nodded:  
-Of course. What's our plan?  
-TK seems worried about something. He's in the power room which is also the data archive room. Don't ask. He tells me that it's best if we hightail it back to the hangar, get the docking bay unlock codes from someone and hide in the ships. I don't like this.  
Captain Okarr shrugged:  
-Seems like a good enough plan to me.   
Risha dipped her head in agreement:  
-I second that. If he can grab the coordinates, that's best.  
Jayden, however, understood exactly what Alana was alluding to:  
-You're talking about that time he got so freaked out in Corellia's orbit that he launched us into an unstable hyperspace vortex because of the rerouted power to the sunlight engines and we were stuck there for two weeks, aren't you?  
Alana nodded:  
-Yeah. He sounds just as concerned now. Whoever that was above Corellia, he's connected here too. Also it seems that the droids know you're dangerous, hunter, and one of the Spectrewolf's top agents is heading to the cell block as we speak.  
Jayden's face paled and he grabbed Alana by the shoulders and turned her right to the exit doors, his grip tight, but still gentle enough not to hurt her:  
-Okay, people, we are following the tin can't plan right now. You do not want to run into the Spectrewolf's agents. Move it!  
No one seemed to object and though Jayden released Alana's shoulders, he kept his hand around her wrist. Alana looked down at it and sighed:  
-Jayden, I'm going with you, you can let me go. That's not really comfortable.  
His serious and tense expression didn't fade, however, his hand slid down from her wrist, but instead of pulling out his second blaster he merely took it and interlaced his fingers with hers tightly. Alana looked at his in confusion, with a light pink tinge dusting her cheeks:  
-Jayden, what--  
-Just bear with me. Until we reach the hangar or until we meet resistance. I just don't want to risk anything.  
Alana didn't protest and merely squeezed his hand back in reassurance. He needed her there at the moment and so she wouldn't object. Besides it was just him holding her hand, no big deal. Just to be on the safe side, Alana summoned her green lightsaber to her free hand with the Force before reaching for the control panel. She looked at the group:  
-Everyone ready?  
They all voiced an affirmative. Alana punched the button and the doors slid open. They moved out of the doorway and the doors had closed behind them when suddenly they were surrounded. Instantly blasters were drawn and Alana's lightsaber flew into action, supported heavily by Risha's electrostaff. It seemed leaving these droids unharmed was off the table. Jayden shot off the head of two of them with two precise shots while Alana used both of her lightsabers to carve another pair into pieces, Risha short circuited another three while Captain Okarr sliced out the circuits of another pair with his vibroblade. The smuggler called over the noise:  
-Hey, Jedi, can you rip them apart again?  
-No,-Alana yelled back-, I'll deplete my Force reservoir too quickly that way and I'm already running low.  
-Can't you just stock up?  
Alana grimaced:  
-The Force doesn't work like that.  
-So, what, does it take a lunch break whenever you run out?  
Alana sliced the head of another droid:  
-Yeah, pretty much.  
-Well, that inconvenient.  
Alana snorted:  
-Tell me something I don't know.  
Risha chimed in:  
-I may be able to help with that: we need someone to go find TK. We need to find out what's going on. I'm assuming Alana disabled security and this isn't a normal unit which means someone on this station is smart enough to know where we are at all times. The droids just keep coming.  
Jayden scanned the droids to see that Risha was spot on with her conclusion: every time they cut down a droid a new one would take it's place. They were merely wearing themselves out. Jayden glanced to Alana and then to Risha before looking to the smuggler captain. He was their best chance. Captain Okarr was someone the droid wouldn't prioritise. He was out of the question, Alana was a Jedi so she was high level security threat and Risha was labelled as a collaborator so she would have a high security detail after her too. That only left Okarr who the droids would most probably not even bother with. Jayden could only hope he cooperated:  
-Captain!  
-What?  
-I need you to go find our astromech and lead him back to us. I'll send you his frequency, you can follow that. We freed you and we're willing to help you get back to your ship, but we need your help. You help us we all get off this station alive, deal?  
Captain Okkar looked uncertain for a moment before nodding:  
-Alright. Frequency received. Will you kids be alright?  
Alana grinned:  
-We may look like teenagers, but we're skilled fighters in our own right.  
-Alright, whatever you say. I'll be back with your astromech soon. Good luck.   
-You too.  
With that the smuggler captain sidestepped and ducked past the droids. A few fired after him, but Alana quickly cut the head off that viper. The droids approached, limiting the fighting space as much as possible. This was getting a bit out of hand. Alana knew she was running out of energy, but there was one more thing she could try. She turned to Jayden and Risha:  
-I've got an idea, but I need your help to make it work.  
The doctor nodded at her:  
-How can we help?  
-You and Jayden need to take out the far left and far right droids and then duck.  
Jayden shrugged:  
-Lets hope this works.  
Jayden quickly shot out the remaining two droids on his end while Risha electrocuted the two on her end by turning into a figure of eight. The next second they fell back and ducked just as a storm of Force Lightning shot out of Alana's hands and arched over them, hitting the droids. The droids shuddered as lightning hit them, frying all their systems and making them drop into a crumpled heap. Soon enough before them lay a heap of collapsed droids, but the assault was over. Jayden and Risha stood to their feet. Lowering her electostaff, Risha breathed:  
-Is it over?  
Jayden looked at the droids:  
-I think it is.  
Alana nodded:  
-But how much more can we handle?  
An unfamiliar mechanical voice spoke, cutting across their thoughts. Somehow it made a shiver run up the groups spines:  
-We shall see.  
There was an enormous pulse of energy and the Force rang with warning a little too late. Suddenly the world fell out from underneath their feet and the lights turned out. The universe faded to black.

==SW: LB==

TK quickly found out that RICK had been right by saying that the path to the power generators and consequently the database which was hidden among them was a difficult one indeed. Well, it would be difficult for a protocol droid or an organic, but for TK it wasn't that hard. All he had to do was exit out the airlock, use his boosters and use his magnetic locks to roll up the side of the station while dodging the security cameras and simultaneously disabling the proximity alarms. Tricky, but not impossible for him. Now, however, he was approaching his destination. The back entrance (which was also the only entrance) was right ahead. Disabling the magnetic locks, TK used his boosters to fly up to the door and, with a well placed detonator, he blew the door open. As soon as he flew through he sealed the doors shut again, far more comfortable with artificial gravity. Weightlessness could scramble some of his sensors. He looked around.  
The room was dark, lit up only by some emergency yellow lighting at the edges of the room, rows upon rows of power generators standing in a neat formation. In all honesty, it was surprising that a station like this could need so much power. TK's feeling of this being far more than it seemed was beginning to grow stronger. The droid looked around himself, scanning the generators one by one. No, no, no, that generator needed fine-tuning, no, no, no, no, ah! TK found the database after a bit of searching. It was disguised as a shield generator. Perfect. TK rolled up to it and upon plugging into the port, he instantly encountered anti-intruder countermeasures. He could have laughed at that feeble attempt. His own spikes quickly got past the security measures, however, a firewall emerged from behind the code. A firewall with surprisingly and disturbingly familiar coding. It couldn't be, could it? TK was almost hesitant to try the method he had used against this type of restriction before.  
The code in front of him was complex, but it's writing was very familiar. The pattern in which the preventive measures were arranged and the block itself...It reminded him too much of someone he had though he had left behind many years ago in the past. Someone he hoped very much had nothing to do with this. Even so, this unmistakably bore traces of the Luminous Engine...He had thought it had been offline for many millennia now, he had told that to the idiot captain and the Jedi girl back on Bestine IV, but this...There was no mistaking the Engine's trace, much like a child could never mistake their own parent inside. The Luminous Engine was what he had been created from, it was, in essence, his parent and so he could never mistake it's signature. He had hoped it wasn't the case, but the ship that he had seen back in orbit above Corellia which had led to them being trapped in hyperspace was also unmistakable. This meant one thing: one of his siblings was here. That did not sit well with TK. His siblings appearing never meant anything good and if one of them was allied with the Spectrewolf? Well, that meant that this had just turned into a near suicide mission. Steeling himself, TK punched through the firewall with the codes. Predictably, it fell before him, but contrary to his expectations he did not find the database. All that was left there was a simple message, one that made TK's world come to a grinding halt:

Hello, brother. I know you are here, don't believe you have escaped my notice. It has been many centuries. I believe it is time for a family reunion, don't you?

PISCES


	55. New Years Special: Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everyone!
> 
> Universe: It's still another 3 minutes 'till midnight. Cool your jets.
> 
> Shut up, universe. Sorry, everyone. Anyway, I finally managed to finish this and just before New Years. I wish everyone a happy and prosperous New Year. If 2017 wasn't good year I sincerely wish you a good one in 2018 . I haven't finished chapter 53 because, honestly, it's such a tricky chapter that I'm still working on it. I should have it out sometime in 2018. Okay, I'm kind of kidding. Good news, I'm about 2/3 done with it and so far it's very very interesting. I honestly did not expect Asmeru to be so important to the plot, but lo and behold it is. My mind scares me sometimes. Anyway, enough of my excuses and ranting.
> 
> P.S. Yes, this is the replacement for the Christmas Special since I didn't manage to write that in time. I blame school. Anywho, apologies for how strange this thing is, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some sleep to catch up on while I can. Thank you for such an amazing year and I look forward to hearing from you next year. Oh and once again this is not chronological compliant anywhere, but the memories are real. I will avoid referencing them if at all possible. :)

New Years Special: Memories

The night cycle on the Crimson Storm had long engaged and as the chrono's time ticked ever closer to midnight, the ship was silent save for the quiet humming of the hyperdrive resonating through the corridors as it propelled them forward through the wide expanse of space. After hectic days like the one the crew had just endured they normally were all too happy to retire for the night. This time, though the crew had long retired, nobody had gone to sleep and yet they remained silent and alone, in fear of disturbing the others. The dawn of a new year drew closer with every passing second and as the galaxy celebrated, waiting with bated breath for the last hour to fall away, none could have understood the crew's reluctance to join in on the festivities. Sometimes the past would not be so easily left behind...

====Happy New Year!====

Alana breathed in and out steadily as she sat cross-legged on the floor in one of the monitoring rooms that doubled as an extra gunnery contol center. She had dimmed the viewport slightly so the blue glare of hyperspace wouldn't blind her, but if she opened her eyes she would still be able to see the mesmerising blue vortex, the light of which seemed determined to dye her in it's hue. Her mind drifted within the embrace of the Force as she meditated, feeling the energy of the galaxy circle around her in waves of warmth and reassurance. She didn't really know why she had chosen to meditate, she had only done it sparingly before, at times when she was in great conflict with herself. Was she in conflict now? Alana wasn't sure. The last few months had turned her world upside down and though she did not regret her decisions in the slightest, Alana couldn't help wondering and worrying what the tide of the New Year would bring in. The world was ever changing and she knew she had to change with it, that she should not fear change, but how could one look towards the future when that person didn't know what the past was? Alana gave herself a mental kick for such thoughts, not drawing out of her meditation in the slightest. She couldn't keep doing this. Why did such thoughts plague her mind late at night when she was alone? She was stronger than this. She couldn't keep throwing herself a pity party. She'd stopped doing that years ago when she had chosen to keep moving, to prove everyone who doubted her wrong. So why was she like this? There were people who were far worse off than her, people who she should truly be feeling sorry for and attempting to help, so why was she being so selfish? Alana gave a mental sigh and let those thoughts drift away in the currents of the Force. She needed to find her confidence again. She'd need it for the coming year. She was Alana Sheelan - someone who people could trust, rely on to find a way out, to keep the people around her alive and sane, she had to be strong. She didn't have another choice - it was the path that she'd chosen six years ago. She didn't regret it - this way she could help people.

Alana smiled to herself as she imagined the families gathered together, next to the yet to be removed Life Day trees, smiling and whispering to each other as the chrono ticked down the time remaining to the New Year. It proved that happiness, that light would still prevail even in times like this. Alana reached deeper into the Force, allowing it to guide her path as she walked along within it. Among all the pain, the sadness, the fear and uncertainty...Hope and Happiness shone like two bright stars. The people of the galaxy had hope and so Alana would have too. That was the thing about most sentients - they would always have hope, right until the end. She was one of the people who had to make sure that hope was not misplaced and she was fine with that. She was happy. Alana's lips tugged upwards a bit, her mind finally finding her inner peace. The Force hummed in acceptance of her decision before Alana suddenly felt something within her mind shift, slowly but deliberately. She frowned and let her mind wander, trace it's way to the source. Slowly an image began materialising behind her eyelids - a memory she hadn't know she possessed.

A little girl, probably not older than 3 years old, stood next to a Life Day tree, poking one of the red baubles on the lower branches and giggling to herself as it bounced back, reflecting the flickering lights strung up along the branches. Her short caramel-brown hair hung loose around her head and judging by the pyjamas she was wearing she was supposed to be asleep. The chrono on the wall beside the tree could attest to that, seeing as the time was a quarter to midnight. Stars shine outside in the dark sky, snow blanketing the ground as the frost drew patterns on the window panes. The child jumped when she heard a stern voice come from behind her:

-Alana, why aren't you in bed? You should be asleep, young lady.

Alana turned around, a guilty expression on her young face. Oops, she'd gotten caught. She attempted a sheepish smile as her dark blue eyes found her mother's identical ones. Her mother, Neerean, stood in the doorway to the living room with her hands on her hips and a frown on her face. Her wavy brown hair hung free for once, the shorter tendrils framing her face while she had too changed into sleepwear, however, despite seeing her mother in such a calm setting, the sharp look in her eyes as well as the raised eyebrows prompted the small child to speak quietly:

-Sorry, Mummy. Please don't be mad.

Neerean sighed and shook her head at the sight. She should have known that Alana wouldn't want to stay in bed, especially tonight when they were mere minutes away from New Year. Rika had probably told her daughter all about the New Years firework show and Alana, being the curious child she was, had thought of staying up to see them. Neerean's gaze softened as she saw her only child glance at her hopefully before looking back down at the floor. It was obvious what she wanted to ask, but wouldn't dare to. She was so small and so fragile, but this tiny child was the sole source of joy in Nereean's world. At this point families all over Aroko were probably gathered together comfortably, all the generations possible and here they were. It was almost sad. They only had each other. The woman crossed the room and crouched down in front of the little girl. Alana looked up when her mother took her small hands in her own, a little surprised of the small smile on her mother's lips. Neerean squeezed her daughter's small hands:

-I'm not mad.

Alana's light brows shot up in surprise:

-You're not?

Neerean shook her head:

-I'm not. Just next time, please don't make me worry like that. I was worried when I didn't see you in bed. You know, you can ask me for things like this. Then you won't have to sneak.

-I'm sorry. Do I have to go to bed now?

Alana looked to her mother questioningly. Neerean looked to the chrono before turning back to her daughter:

-I'll let you stay up with me just this once. Did Aunty Rika tell you about the fireworks show?

Instead of answer Neerean got promptly tackled by an ecstatic little girl. The woman fell over with a small thump with a three year old on top of her. Alana wrapped her arms around her mother's neck tightly:

-Thank you! Thank you, Mummy!

Neerean merely smiled to herself and returned the hug. Who knew that something like this would make her so happy? After a moment, she easily stood up, scooping up Alana in the process and settling her on her hip. In all honesty, she was getting a little old to be carried around in Neerean's eyes, but this time didn't count. Alana held onto Neerean's shoulder:

-Can we watch from the window?

-Alright. But as soon as the display is over you're going to bed. Deal?

Alana nodded brightly, her eyes alight with excitement:

-Yes.

Neerean set Alana down on the window seat and as the child pressed her nose to the window she sat down on the edge herself. She watched carefully to make sure the little girl didn't trip or fall off. So, alright, maybe she could be called overprotective when it came to her daughter, but with this child there was no telling. It wasn't just because she was Force-sensitive either. She had to have inherited her father's knack for getting in trouble. She was only three and already a handful. Neerean was scared to think about what she'd be like when she grew up and became a teenager. She wondered how Eren would deal with that. Would he even deal with it at all? He might just keep pretending that they didn't exist. As if she had read her mother's mind, Alana turned away from watching the stars and asked:

-Mummy, can I ask where Daddy is?

Neerean stiffened, but forced a small smile onto her face. It was natural for Alana to ask questions like this one. She didn't interact with other children much due to her natural shyness as well as a result of Neerean's ostracisation, but she was observant and given her age naturally curious about everything. Of course, she would ask why her family consisted of only herself and her mother when other children had grandparents and fathers. Alana had Rika for an aunt, but Neerean's best friend wasn't the same as having a real full family. Noticing that her mother was still silent, Alana sat down onto her knees and shuffled over closer to her :

-Mummy? Did I ask a bad question?

Neerean quickly shook her head and pulled the small child onto her lap. Trying to distract herself from the painful memories, Neerean began fiddling with Alana's light hair which was exactly like her father's. She cleared her throat, realising that Alana was still waiting for an answer:

-No, it's okay. Your Dad...Well, I think he must be waiting to see the fireworks show like you and I are. He always liked them.

Alana's eyes grew wide:

-Daddy did?

Neerean smiled and nodded her head:

-Yes. Before you were born he and I always watched them together. I'm sure you'll like them too. They're very pretty.

-Can I see them now?

Neerean laughed, tucking Alana's hair out of her eyes and pulling her to sit closer. She leaned over so the little girl could see her:

-Be patient. They'll shoot them up in a few more minutes. We're lucky to have such a clear sky.

-There are a lot of stars. Can Daddy see them too?

She was certainly set on her father today. That was rare. Still, Neerean obliged:

-Of course. He's probably looking at them now. Stars know, he's probably as impatient as you.

The little girl laughed. Alana turned around slightly so she could see Neerean's face. She didn't look upset. Alana tentatively posed her next question:

-Mummy, can I ask for a present?

Neerean raised an eyebrow:

-Sweetie, Life Day's already passed.

Alana shook her head, determined:

-Not from you, Mummy. From the New Good Spirit. You know, the one that lives up on the moon?

Alana pointed up to one of Aroko's two moons (the wrong one actually if she was talking about the New Good Spirit legend). The New Good Spirit was a children's tale that had originated on Aroko of a spirit that came to land from one of Aroko's moons - Kaleth- only for a few hours every year and granted those it deemed worthy gifts. It walked the land on the night of New Years from midnight to two in the night and then it vanished back to it's home atop the moon. Some believed it to be truly real, however, to most it was little more that a story. It was a strange legend for Aroko to have, considering how interwoven their lives were with the Force. Neerean smiled:

-Alright, what would you like to ask the Spirit for? Go ahead, tell it.

The little girl looked out towards the moon of Kaleth and whispered something quietly. Turning around to her mother, Alana gave a shy smile, but one that held playful mischief behind it:

-I can't tell you or it won't come true.

Neerean nuzzled her nose against the giggling child's. She tickled her daughter's sides lightly making her squirm and try to push away while laughing:

-Okay, you little convor, you better not have been wishing for Mummy to let you stay up later, 'cause it won't happen.

Alana laughed and pushed her mother's face away with one small hand:

-No, it was a different wish, Mummy. Still not telling.

Before Neerean could respond to her, the chrono released a merry tune as the glowing numbers changed to 00:00 and the date changed with the year jumping forward now. As if on cue a bright magenta spark of light shot up from the Temple grounds and exploded in the sky, above the treetops, sparkling brightly. Alana released a little gasp and jumped forward, pressing her nose against the glass of the window pane. Another spark of light shot upwards, a blue one this time. The little girl watched completely enraptured. Neerean smiled, remembering her own fascination with the fireworks. Maybe she was often far too strict with her daughter. She wasn't really sure what she was supposed to be like as a mother since there was no one she could turn to and maybe she and her daughter only had each other, but that was enough. She was happy. She had been since she had given birth to her little bundle of joy. Alana looked around, her eyes alight with wonder:

-Mummy, are those...

She was distracted as another one shot up and then another and another. Neerean laughed to herself softly, standing up and kissing her daughter's head lightly. Alana let out a gasp of amazement as a multitude of coloured lights shot up at once. In her eyes this was the most beautiful thing ever. Neerean quietly whispered:

-Happy New Year, Alana.

Alana opened her eyes, for once not out of breath. The memory had slid back in place as though it was coming home. It was just a small click. She felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes. Another one. Another one, but somehow this one was different. While the last ones had held pain and sadness, urgency - this one held happiness and wonder. It was one of the few. Alana remembered the wish that she had not told her mother. She couldn't help wondering if it had really come true. Doubtful, since it was almost and impossible wish. Her grandmother had long confirmed that she was born out of wedlock and as far as she remembered her parents didn't interact, going as far as to avoid each other. But they were happy even back then, she remembered that much. She had wished that everyone in her family would get along and come together in the future. Alana's lips tugged upwards. It didn't matter what had been - that was the message she had gotten. There was no changing the past, one had to look to the future. Looking out through the viewport at the swirling blue vortex of hyperspace, Alana reached out through the Force, glancing at her chrono to see that a few minutes were still left until New Years, but returned the sentiment she'd heard her mother give her many years earlier:

-Happy New Year, Mum, Dad.

Somehow she had the feeling that they'd heard her. Alana smiled.

====Happy New Year!====

Jayden was trying to sort through the mountain of reports from his contacts that had suddenly flown in. Keyword: trying to. He wasn't making all too much progress. He kept slipping up when Alana's end of the bond made any sudden jerks or was under intense emotional stress. Jayden rubbed his head: this mind-meld was really starting to worry him. He really should prompt Alana to get to undoing it if she felt up to it. Stars knew, she'd been overtaxing herself with the Force stuff lately. Could that have negative side effects? Jayden shook his head at his own thoughts, turning back to one of the many datapads scattered across his normally meticulously neat desk. In his eyes, it looked like a war zone. The ending of newest message that he was perusing read as such:

"...In any case, the reports originating from Aparo Sector should be worth investigating into. I'll look into it further once I finish dealing with the business on Wayland and, I swear in the name of all things good, that those nightsisters are still following me. Thank the stars for partners like Jaz, I'd be dead meat otherwise and not the yummy kind. But, we don't talk about private stuff for a reason, so I'll bid you good day and bow out gracefully, Captain. Safe Journeys.

Leon Xansen

P.S Happy New Year."

Jayden stared at the postscript, a little confused and incredulous. He looked up to his chrono to see that right now they were a few minutes shy of stepping into the new year. He couldn't really believe that he'd forgotten that, but then again the New Year never mattered much to him. The most he did when he was with Heims and his other bounty hunting teammates (Could they even be called that?) he went off to some cantina or diner and they celebrated it by making each other feel embarrassed by bringing up flops of the past year over the food. Absently, Jayden wondered if they would do it this year and if so, who would bring up the incident on Coruscant when he'd met Alana. Met her again - a small voice reminded him. Jayden promptly shut it up.

He glanced down at the postscript again. How long had it been since he'd actually celebrated New Years the way it was meant to be celebrated? Not since his parents died, he knew. His grandma did invite him to spend Christmas with her and the remnant, but he always opted out, sending her a holo instead, always wishing her good health and fortunate New Year. He was surprisingly stubborn even to himself. She told him to come "home", but where was home? It had ceased to exist for Jayden from the moment he'd lost his parents. Jayden tried to recall any New Years he's spent home, with his parents and just as he'd asked a memory sprang to mind. A memory of a New Years Eve 14 years ago.

A younger Jayden ran along the lamplit streets in Mandolore's capital, Sundari, huffing everytime he had to stop and wait for his parents and his uncle to catch up. They were so slow. Why did adults have to be so slow? Jayden huffed and called:

-Hurry up! You're slow.

He heard his parent's laughter in response while his uncle rolled his eyes and with a push from Jayden's father, Caleb, rushed forward to catch up to him. Jayden crossed his small arms over his chest and tapped his foot impatiently, disregarding the fact that his hat was sliding onto his face. His uncle finally caught up to him and crouched down to be level with the three year old boy. El'kar Callen was a man with curly strawberry-blonde hair that reached the nape of his neck and warm grey eyes, whenever he smiled his tanned skin got a dimple in his left cheek. He was a year younger than Caleb and though the two never let each other forget it, never acting their age, they were the best of friends. It was actually no surprise that Caleb had given his son his sworn brother's name as a middle name and named him Jayden's Cakyukayr (which loosely translated to guardian father from Mando'a). The man chuckled as he fixed the boy's hat, causing the green-eyed boy to grimace:

-Slow down, little man. The world's not going anywhere.

Jayden huffed at that:

-We might miss it.

-Miss what?

El'kar asked as he waited for Lea and Caleb to catch up with him. Jayden pointed at one of the shinning pillars of light in the distance:

-The countdown. We can't be late.

El'kar looked over his shoulder to see his two best friends were taking their sweet time. Lea was shoving Caleb in the shoulder for something he'd said while laughing with him, their hands interlinked and their steps identical. He couldn't blame them for taking this as a sort date, given how busy they'd both been, but someone had to look after Callen junior here - he guessed that was his role. Well, he was fine with that, but that did not mean he wouldn't let Caleb hear about playing sneaky with him when they were alone. El'kar turned back to the little boy in question who was frowning at him seriously, which just made him look adorably cute. It had to be noted that three years olds could not do a serious enough face even if they tried and Jayden Callen was trying. It was almost funny how similar to his father he looked even at such a young age. El'kar sighed, trying to assume a serious expression:

-Right you are. Shall we go express speed or just quickly?

-Express speed, Uncle. Tell Mummy and Daddy to hurry up.

El'kar pretended to think:

-Hm, how about we leave them behind?

-Huh?

-You know, run ahead. You and me. I'm sure your parents will catch up.

Jayden tipped his head to the side:

-Won't Mummy be mad?

-Not if you're with me. Plus even if she is, she'll be mad at me and not you.

Jayden thought about that for a moment before nodding and grinning brightly:

-Okay. Can I get a shoulder ride too?

El'kar grinned and let the boy climb up onto his shoulders. He checked that Jayden was sitting comfortably and wasn't about to fall off before standing up making the little boy gasp. He looked over his shoulder to the three year old:

-You sitting comfortably?

-Yep.

-You holding on? Not scared of heights, are you?

Jayden clapped his hands on El'kar's head:

-No. I'm a Callen, Uncle. I'm never scared.

The man grinned:

-Really? Want to test that?

A mischievous grin grew on Jayden's face and he nodded, not realising that El'kar couldn't see him. He nodded determinedly:

-Do your best, Uncle!

-Oh ho, I certainly will.

El'kar proclaimed, grabbing onto the boy's legs just for extra measure, before taking off sprinting with the boy on his shoulders. They were lucky it was so late and were going through the park because the older Mandalorian wasn't sure he could stop in time. It saved any unfortunate pedestrians the trouble of having a bulky warrior crashing into them with an overexcited three year old as a cherry on top. And the boy was getting overexcited as he whooped with delight at the speed they were going. El'kar winced when he imagined Lea scolding him for riling her son up, but decided to deal with that when the time came. Force, that woman could be scary. He could hardly believe that she'd been raised as a little Alderaanian noble princess with how easily she fit into their clan. Jayden clapped his hands and cried out happily:

-Faster! You're like a ronto!

-Still cocky, huh? Let's see if you can handle this!

After that it just evolved a free for all game of dodge the Mando with a child on his shoulders as he rushed through the streets still sporting their Life Day festive wear with Jayden laughing all the while. They only slowed to a walk when they started reaching the balcony-like structure from which they were planning to watch the countdown that was being projected by the Palace. It seemed the Duchess was just in the middle of giving her annual speech. Perhaps it was a bit premature to call it annual as the Duchess had only sat on the throne of Sundari for a few years now, it had been a little while since the Mandalorian Civil War had ended. El'kar shuddered at the memory of the bloody conflict. It wasn't like Clan Callen hadn't been pulled into the midst of the fighting, not like Clan Ordo or Skirata, but they had seen and done their fair share just the same. El'kar was just glad that Jayden wasn't there to see any of that. Stars knew, how much both he and Caleb hated the fact that Lea had ended up taking part in the final battles. It was good that Jayden had been born in a time of peace, however debatable that peace might be. The boy though still small had a multitude of futures laid out before him, all open to him. Silently, El'kar vowed to himself that the boy would never have to suffer at all for as long as he lived. That was why he had been appointed as Jayden's guardian, after all. In the worst case scenario of something happening to Caleb and Lea, stars forbid, that he could take care of him. Well, it wasn't like the rest of the clan wouldn't be there to help either, but it was better to have a set back up option this way.

As soon as he reached the edge of the platform where a few couples were already El'kar found himself staring. Lea and Caleb were already there, sitting happily on a bench discussing something in quiet voices. Hearing familiar footsteps the couple looked up and smiled. More accurately Caleb grinned mischievously while Lea gave her usual gentle smile. El'kar shot his sworn brother a glare:

-How?!

Lea laughed as she carefully took her slightly bleary-eyed son from El'kar's shoulders:

-We took a shortcut.

Caleb groaned:

-Lea! Come on, I was going to tease him.

His wife easily rolled her eyes at him:

-I do think you've bullied quite enough people for today.

El'kar shook his head, grabbed Caleb and dragged him off a little way from Lea to 'sort things out'. Lea didn't bother interfering, instead choosing to focus on her son. He had habitually snuggled his head into her shoulder, the padding of her coat only making for a better pillow as he fought to stay awake. It seemed El'kar had really tired him out. She carefully smoothed his jet black hair out of his eyes:

-You sure you don't want to go home?

Jayden stubbornly shook his head:

-No. I wanna stay.

Lea chuckled:

-Alright, alright, little firecracker. Calm down.

Jayden wrapped his arms around his mother's neck before pulling himself up and looking around. He frowned:

-Where are Daddy and Uncle?

-They're talking somewhere.

Jayden's brow crinkled adorably:

-Are they fighting?

A male voice answered for his mother:

-'Course not. Why would we be?

Jayden turned around to see his father and uncle approaching them. Lea raised a brow at them to which both men had the grace to look sheepish, while Jayden reached out for his father to pick him up happily. Caleb easily obliged. Meanwhile the countdown had begun with the crowd counting along in the native language.

" Ta'raysh! [T: Ten!]"

Lea looked to her husband, her close friend and to her son who was perched atop his father's shoulders, counting down along with everyone else in stumbling Mando'a. He still tripped over his words in basic sometimes so it was rather cute to hear him try it in another language. It seemed being Mandalorian was a natural part of him and that made Caleb all too proud. She was proud too. And she loved them both so much. Just like she was proud to be a member of Clan Callen.

"E'tad! [T: Seven!]"

Caleb turned to look at his closest friend and held out his hand to him. El'kar silently grasped it with a grin. The two were as different as night and day and yet they were the perfect friends, making up for the other's failures. Caleb nodded his head to his friend:

-Oyacir at akaanir a'uym simir? [T: Live to fight another year?]

He returned the gesture:

-Oyacir at akaanir a'uym simir. [T: Live to fight another year.]

That was as close to saying "Happy New Year" those in the Old Mandalorian ways got.

" Rayshe'a! [T: Five!]"

A photographer that had been taking photos for couples around the area for a small fee, tapped Lea on the shoulder, gesturing to his holocam. She smiled.

"Cuir! [T: Four!]"

Lea quickly convinced Caleb and he handed off a confused, but curious Jayden to her who watched the photographer with wide green eyes that seemed to be asking a billion questions at once.

"Ehn! [T: Three!]"

Caleb stood in the middle of the shot with one arm wrapped around a grinning Lea's shoulders who was holding a perplexed Jayden, while El'kar made bunny ears behind Caleb's head, grinning all the while. The photographer gave them a thumbs up.

"T'ad! [T: Two!]"

Jayden put on a laughed when his father discretely tickled him, causing his mother to roll her eyes and his uncle to grin. Caleb grinned for the holo.

"Solus! [T: One!]"

The photographer pressed the button on his holocam. There was a quick click just as the countdown reached zero.

"Briikase Evaar'la Simir! [T: Happy New Year!]"

Jayden smiled sadly at the holo he had dug out. It had taken him awhile to retrieve, but he did have it with him. On the holo his parents and their closest friend smiled brightly with the beautiful palace glowing brilliantly behind them as the projected countdown showed a perfect zero. It was considered a lucky shot. This was the last new year they'd spent together before everything had fallen apart. He snorted at his own happy, but still slightly perplexed expression. It looked almost comical on the three year old him. He wondered if he actually looked more like his father than his mother. Jayden looked up at the chrono on his wall and smiled back down at the holo. There were still a few more minutes to go, but he whispered softly:

-Ni malyasa'yr oyacyir at akaanir a'uym simir. Briikase Evaar'la Simir, Buir , Sayr, Ba'vodu. [T: I'll live to fight another year. Happy New Year, Mum, Dad, Uncle.]

He would carry on the torch that had been passed to him, albeit unwillingly. He was the new head of the Callen clan and perhaps for now it only consisted of two, but anything could happen in the coming future. Someday, Jayden vowed to himself, he would see the Callen clan grow in numbers again.

====Happy New Year!====

Risha was carefully running through their inventory in the Medbay, in lieu of sleeping. She wanted to be sure they were fully stocked before the chief or the captain dragged them into battle again. Risha grimaced when she noticed that they were missing kolto tranquilliser injectors and that they were running low on blood cell replenisher pills. With how much blood Alana and Jayden seemed to lose both of those were a must. Having more of the normal vitamins would also be good.

Risha hissed in pain when she accidentally hit her montrails as she ducked out of the cabinet. Sometimes she really envied Alana and Jayden for having round heads. At times it seemed that humans got all the luck in biology, before she remembered her heightened hearing and that Alana wasn't exactly human. Noting down the things that they were missing on her datapad so that she could stock up at the next port, Risha shook her head. The amount of injuries this team got was astounding. She didn't think she'd done as much patching up in two years as she'd done after meeting this bunch. She was just glad that TK did most of his repairs himself, because she had her hands full with Alana and Jayden as it was. Risha frowned when she realised something was off. It took her a moment to realise that her family beaded string was missing. Risha quickly crouched down and looked around the floor. She couldn't have lost it! A sigh of relief tumbled past her lips as she spotted the beaded string on the floor beneath the Medbay cot. Risha quickly retrieved it, relieved that she hadn't indeed lost it. This was her last piece of home.

It was a string with about seven beads on it, each one symbolic to a piece of her life. Only those that were her family could tell the true value of each bead. Risha smiled at one of the earlier beads, the only conventional shape that hung on it - an eight pointed star painted in a faded gold colour. Risha smiled as she remembered attaching it.

She sat on the thick red carpet cross-legged with her tongue behind her lips as she struggled to make the correct knots on her string, she was a little too young to have much on it yet, only two beads, but it never hurt to prepare early as her Hisha would say. "Hisha" was what Risha had always called her grandmother - a spry woman with faded purple skin, warm amber eyes and long light blue and white montrails. Her face and her white markings were long wrinkled, but she still held the vibrant, lively aura about her. Her older brother by 6 years, Gineyer, had almost sworn that he'd seen her jump in across the village rooftops. The three year old Risha wasn't sure whether to believe him or not. Her brother tended to say the most ridiculous things at times. A soft voice jerked her from her knotting:

-Dear, do remember to breathe.

It sounded half amused. Risha looked up to see her grandmother working on her own string of life. Her's was almost half a meter long with clusters upon clusters of beads. Absently, the child wondered how long it'd taken her to make it. Risha huffed impatiently:

-This is hard, Hisha. Why do I have to do this now? The others are playing. Can't I go play too? It's nearly time for New Year's.

Her grandmother sighed and leaned forward, putting down her own knotting. She surveyed her grandchild strictly, forcing the little togruta to straighten reflexively:

-Serla, do you know why we make these strings of life?

Risha shrugged:

-'Cause we have to?

Her grandmother shook her head, the light glinting of her akul-tooth headdress:

-No, apart from it being a part of us and our culture, we make them as a charm for protection.

Risha cocked her head to the side:

-Protection?

The old woman nodded sagely:

-Yes. They protect us against that which would seek to do us harm. They tell your story.

Risha frowned:

-I'm only 3.

Her grandmother shook her head, a kind smile on her face:

-No, not yet, you don't. But, someday, you will have. You asked me why I have you working with me here now instead of allowing to play with your siblings - it's because I see many futures before you, futures that I want you to be prepared for. You have much potential and slumbering tunnel, my dear little one. I saw such potential in your sister when she was born and every single time she passed through. I may be old, but I know many things and these eyes have not yet started failing me.

-You saw future in Shaak?

Risha questioned, eyes full of wonder. She'd been listening to stories of her oldest, Force-sensitive sister ever since she'd been able to understand speech. She fascinated her, but due to Shaak Tii being a Jedi they didn't know much about parents seemed both proud and sad. She didn't know her sister that well so she had no such qualms. Besides, being as young as she was brought a short attention span so she didn't dwell on anything for longer than a few minutes. Her grandmother nodded:

-Yes. I never got to teach her how to make our strings, but I did send a single bead with her and she seems to have learned herself. See, even as a Jedi she retains our culture.

Risha grimaced:

-But, Hisha, I'm not a Jedi. Mummy and Daddy said so.

Her grandmother shook her head:

-No, you're not, my sweet, but you have a great future ahead of you. That greater than those of your siblings playing outside right now. I do not know what it was, but your aura hums with promise. However, do not let that make your head swell.

Risha blinked at her grandmother blankly:

-Hisha, I don't understand you.

The old woman sighed:

-Oh, nevermind, child. Focus on your work.

Risha made a sour face, but continued knotting. They worked in silence before her grandmother spoke again, her voice contemplative:

-Serla, have you finished the main part till the next bead?

Risha looked up from the source of her annoyance:

-Almost. There. Why, Hisha?

The old togruta held out her hand tipping something into the child's outstretched one. Risha opened it to see a small, faded bead in the shape of an eight-pointed star. It looked old, but somehow powerful too. Could beads look powerful? Her grandmother spoke softly:

-I know how much you dislike this work. I know you'd rather play with your brothers and sisters, but you did come to keep and old woman like me company. You are a kind child with a good soul. This bead was given to me from my grandmother and before her by hers. It is given to those who need the protection and guidance of the stars. I believed that perhaps your eldest sister would be the one to inherit it from me, but it seem I might be wrong. I want you to have it. Consider it a New Year's present.

Risha's violet eyes widened:

-T-Thank you, Hisha. Are you sure?

The violet-skinned togruta smiled:

-Yes, dear. Now, attach it. I do hope it protects you, like it guided and protected me.

Risha opened her eyes and smiled sadly: the bead had indeed done it's had never felt truly lost and perhaps that's what her grandmother had meant - Protection by the heart and not from physical harm. The wounds dealt to the heart and the mind took far longer to heal than ordinary wounds did. She of all people knew that. Risha carefully reattached the string of life around her left montrail, where it clicked gently against that part of her body. She felt more balanced with having it at her back. Risha looked at the chrono to see that only a few minutes were left till the new year. She smiled and sent a silent wish to her grandmother that may her bead's protection last over her for another year as she wished her a happy new year. She wondered if she ought to try and gather up the courage to sneak a visit onto Shili again.

====Happy New Year!====

The time ticked on and as the chrono reached midnight with the date everywhere adding on another year, the crew of the Crimson Storm, no matter the race or whether organic or droid sent out a silent thanks to those that had guided them and wished the galaxy another year. Because even now, even among this war, memories of happiness still brought hope.


	56. Chapter 53 - Asmeru’s Dark Eye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> creeps in slowly* Um, Hi?...I'M SO SORRY, PLEASE FORGIVE ME! *grovels*
> 
> Okay, now that's out of my system, let's get onto the AN properly. Hi, everyone who's still with me. I noticed that I lost a few of you guys and honestly that's my fault. I'm really sorry to have kept everyone waiting for three whole months. That is unacceptable and I fully understand why people left. Im pretty sure everyone uses these excuses, but the guilty culprit in my case is both life and this chapter. This one wasn't easy. I ended up rewriting sections of it multiple times, but I'm still not happy with it. However, making you guys wait more than you have already is also unfair so here we are.
> 
> Notes:
> 
> 1) This chapter is kinda dark. And by that I mean darker than most. This chapter and Chpater 41 are kind of the reason this story has a T rating. If you were okay with the ventress chapter (the aforementioned chapter 41) then you'll be okay with this. I'm probably making it sound worse than it is. Trust me, I'm not that evil.
> 
> 2)As stated previously Asmeru's becoming much more plot important than I originally anticipated. I don't know why and I blame everything on the plot bunnies that live in my brain. They're crazy.
> 
> 3) Meet PISCES, the creepiest one of the bunch. If anyone has seen SWTOR then you should know SCORPIO and GEMINI, they're referenced here. PISCES is from the same bunch.
> 
> 4) More Kai And Tetra. The section might seem a little out of the left field, but it's necessary.
> 
> 5)Yay, for PISCES giving more backstory pieces for all of my characters. And shocker, even TK gets his backstory hinted at. You might be learning more about him sooner than you think.
> 
> 6)A little Huttese here, but the translation is right beside the text.
> 
> 7) Please, please, guys, tell me if you spot any typos. I can't catch them all! (And, no, I didn't just accidentally reference a completely different franchise!)
> 
> 8) Enjoy this 19000+ word chapter! Yeah, I'm, um, sorry? It got out of hand.
> 
> P.S This will be split into two parts on FFN, but it's still the same chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 53 - Asmeru's Dark Eye

Locked up in his command centre, PISCES surveyed his catch. It had been a very long time since he had had to apprehend his subjects personally, but these three merited the effort though they certainly didn't look it. It was times like these that PISCES was grateful for his alliance with the Spectrewolf, that alliance gave him unlimited access to data and combined with his own superior intellect it made for a frightening force. He knew who these unconscious and restrained figures were. He knew them and he revelled in that knowledge. It had been a long time since he had had such a fortuitous catch.

The human-looking girl on the right was a Jedi trainee known as Alana Ceresta Sheelan. Her physical features almost made her human, but he knew if she opened her eyes they would betray her bloodline. It was marvellous really. Had he not been around this galaxy as long as he had he would have believed that the Lost system was just a myth, a fable, but, no, he knew better. And now he had one of the two surviving inhabitants in his grasp. She was the second one and she had a mix of all three bloodlines and their capabilities. Her people were almost extinct and he had had the good fortune to come across one, one that did not even know the true gift that had been bestowed upon her race. She was Force-sensitive, yes, but he had taken precautions against that, ones that would not destroy her unlike that of the Chiss on Corellia. He had data on that too. He knew how heavily Arokorians relied on the Force and though this was a bit extreme it had to be accommodated. She made a fine specimen, but that was not what truly interested PISCES about her. No, he had a personal interest. He had thought it when he first noticed her in the corridors of the space station: she bore an uncanny resemblance to his brother's former master. Given how many millennia had passed, PISCES surmised she had to be a descendant of that one. Truly, the resemblance was remarkable. She could be useful soon.

The human boy in the middle bore more interest to the Spectrewolf that he did to PISCES but he was a curious one nonetheless. He was known by many names: Shadow, the Death's Hand, Captain El'kar Shan or Jayden El'kar Callen it did not matter, it was still one and the same person. Mandolorian and, curiously, the next to last member of his clan which had been wiped out by them. They had targeted his family for a reason and PISCES had a theory as to why. However, that theory was not what he was focused on when it came to this boy and it wasn't just for his bloodline either. He was Force-sensitive by all accounts, but he had never been trained. He had never been indoctrinated by the Jedi. Almost like her, but that was mostly a result of her fighting off that indoctrination while his mind had never been touched by them. And what a fascinating mind that was. Almost split in two to accommodate his actions and yet still fully whole. If PISCES's records of this boy's past was correct then this was to be expected. He was very smart and perceptive and that coupled with his raw talent within the Force was a dangerous combination. However, the boy also had far too many pressure points and with PISCES's countermeasures in place he posed as much of a threat as any of his companions.

And that left the brilliant mind of the togruta - Dr. Risha Hile Zyran or as she was originally called after her birth - Serla Hanaa Tii. Dr. Zyran was a name any in the field of any science knew. She was very young and brilliant, a true natural-born genius. What other 5 year old child from a completely normal family would have the mind to create a gas that could completely and irreversibly wipe away all memories of the person who inhaled it? And it hadn't been an accident either, he knew that the little girl had been intent on creating a chemical which would help her old aunt forget the "bad things" she had seen and to think that something that powerful had been created by a mere child using the ingredients from her homeworld. Though her "Amnesiac Serum" now known as the "AM serum" was a very startling creation, her true accomplishments came later in life when Serla Tii had stopped to be, instead becoming Risha Zyran. Her methods for those creations were at times unorthodox and unethical, but the results were stunning. PISCES looked at the slumbering togruta again. After only 18 years of existence she had done so much, created so many scientific wonders in almost every field science had to offer...Why, PISCES was almost tempted to release her and merely discuss his own conclusions with her, but, no, that would not do. Two years ago she had vanished into obscurity, she had gone to Tatooine and had spent those two years trying to foolishly make up for what she had created, to atone for her so-called mistakes. Organics were foolish. Why should a brilliant mind like she atone for creating something that could change the galaxy for good? Why she was almost on-par with his creators.

However, as fascinating individuals as they were, they were mostly a means to an end. There was someone else on this station he wanted, someone who he had not seen in many centuries, someone who would certainly come if the appropriate conditions were met. His own brother was here...How truly fortuitous. He was travelling with them no doubt...

Alana was the first to stir, the Force within her mind pulling her back to consciousness, warning her of impending danger. Yeah, she had a feeling. Alana forced her heavy eyes to open and the throbbing in her head to subside. She was in a stasis cage, handcuffed with Risha and Jayden who were both still unconscious. With horror though Alana realised she could not feel her hands, the areas above her wrists were numb, barely responsive. And worse yet, even though she could still feel the Force flowing through her and swirling around her, she couldn't touch it. Her access to the Force was cut off and that meant she was completely defenceless and judging by the way Risha and Jayden were they weren't better off. Whoever had caught them had also slapped a Force suppression collar on Jayden which meant they were completely out of options. As if feeling that they were the object of scrutiny her teammates stirred. Blearily Risha opened her eyes and quickly assessed the situation followed closely by Jayden. The boy gave a low groan of annoyance:

-Yeah, I stand by what I said back on Bestine IV: twice is one time too many.

Before either of the girls could formulate an answer a voice sounded, the same voice they had heard before the world had shut down:

-You are awake. That is...pleasing.

All three teenagers looked to the source to see not entirely what they had been expecting. It was a droid, but of a kind that none aside from Alana had seen before (and she'd seen one only in a history holovid). He had reflective grey playing that looked a lot like syntheskin, a round, human-like shaped head with only two protruding edges as the sides, his photoreceptors were shaped like eyes too with moving green iris-like circles. Arched metal shapes surrounded the photoreceptors, giving him the impression of having eyebrows, he even had a slightly protruding nose and yellowed lips. A mouth that parted when he spoke. He had fully articulated silver limbs, lined by a bronze colour and his core was well protected. His joints exuded as small teal glow in some places. Honestly, Alana could only compare him to one droid she'd read of before - SCORPIO, an ally of Cipher Nine during the Cold War. Whatever he was, he was dangerous. He surveyed them all slowly.

-Welcome, Alana Ceresta Sheelan, Jayden El'kar Callen and Dr. Risha Hale Zyran or should I address you and your companions by the other names you were given,-his eyes stopped on each one as he spoke-, The Lost One, Shadow and the Miracle Healer. Of course, Dr. Zyran, I could address you as Serla Tii if that is more comfortable for you.

Risha stiffened, her violet eyes wide. How did he known her true name? The one she had given up years ago after she'd made her first mistake. It had been years since anyone had called her that. Alana cast her a sideways look that asked "what is he talking about?" before focusing her attention back on the droid. She clapped her hands slowly and rolled her eyes:

-Bravo, you know our names. Even some titles that I wasn't aware I had. Huh, wonder how often did I have to get lost to get that title? You know, compared to Shadow and the Miracle Healer the Lost One is pretty pathetic. Gah.

The droid almost smiled. Almost. He shook his head, his voice chilling:

-On the contrary, Master Jedi, as your companions could probably tell you that title carries far more weight than you realise. Well, Doctor, Shadow?

Risha shot him a withering glare:

-That's just a fairytale! Why are you saddling my friend with that title?!

The droid stalked over to the cage and with a sudden jerking movement pulled the Jedi out by her hand, making her gasp as pain seared through her body. He held up her right hand, ignoring the movements Jayden and Risha made to retrieve their friend. Alana gasped when from the droid's hand a needle extended and pricked into her palm. Suddenly, she felt a burning sensation explode down her hand and forearm, spreading down her body. To the entire group's shock a glowing white fissure line spread from the puncture point and then it branched off until the girl's entire body was covered by the lines. Alana gasped:

-What? This is...

The droid's voice was self-satisfied as he spoke:

-Is that enough proof for you , Dr. Zyran? Her eyes should have tipped you off already and my, Shadow, did you not realise it when you saw her eyes change colours? She is indeed the Lost One or I suppose a descendant to be exact, a direct one though given her remarkable resemblance.

Risha looked stunned:

-But, that means...

The droid nodded:

-Yes, she's the second to last living member of her species. Funny, how they're determined to kill each other, isn't it?

Alana glared at him:

-What in the galaxy are you talking about?!

Jayden spoke instead of the droid, his eyes hard:

-He's saying you're a descendant of a mythical character, the last survivor of a deadly war that ravaged an entire system, leaving only one child alive before both that child and system disappeared off the galactic map. Those lines are the mark of one of the races that were supposed to live in that system and they eye colour you posses, well, the two that you seem are marks. You told me yourself that you knew you weren't human. Still, the lost one is a myth.

The droid made an annoyed sound:

-Myths are simply truth you organics have forgotten. However, I have not brought you here for this. You are the bait for TAURUS. He is here, but he refuses to show himself so far. I will remedy that by using you. TAURUS seems to still have that foolish notion that organics can be counted upon. How ridiculous, he never learns though that is one of his core objectives. BXs, please arrange our subjects in the correct order.

Suddenly, all three of the the group found themselves yanked roughly to the side (the head droid just simply handed Alana over while Risha and Jayden were pulled from the stasis cage) and secured in place by three extremely strong droids. They were about as tall as an average sized Wookiee with equal strength to match and if Jayden had to guess he'd say that their black plating was made of some unique metal material to top it off. Their grip on the lower arms was painful to say the least. The head droid looked them over:

-Well, I suppose that shall do. Now, who to use? TAURUS is a fickle being.

Jayden tried to pull away from his captors in vain, making the droid turn to him:

-Shadow, do not struggle. You shall merely waste your limited energy and you may wish to conserve it for what is to come. It would be rather irritating if I was forced to keep you conscious through the use of adrenal stims. I assure you, you do not want to be unconscious for what is to come. The same goes for the rest of you.

Alana glared at the droid, her midnight blue eyes burning intensely:

-Who and what are you?! I've only ever heard of one droid like you before.

The droid paused his pacing to look at her:

-Oh? Are you referring to my brother? Had he been foolish enough to reveal who he is to you?

Alana frowned, trying to step forward, but being held back:

-I have no clue who your brother is! How can a droid even have a brother anyway?!

-Typical organic ignorance. Who were you referring to then, dear Jedi?

The droid leaned forward, ending up almost face to face with Alana. The girl instinctively shrank back a bit:

-You look like a droid called SCORPIO.

He straightened out. If droid's had facial expression Alana would call this one surprised:

-So, you read of the incomplete records of my sister. Interesting. Very well, I am no ordinary droid - I am a far superior organism. My creators called me PISCES. Regardless, I doubt that any of this will help you as is the fact that I work with the Spectrewolf now. Now, then which one of you would be close enough to my brother for him to register that you are in mortal peril?

PISCES iris-like optics slid from one of them to the other, lingering on each. He made a signal and suddenly three rayshielded sections appeared, separating each of the captives from each other and separating them from PISCES. A tense air hovered in the room and Alana had a very bad feeling. She could feel the danger. This droid was unlike any opponent they had ever faced before and with her and Jayden cut off from the Force and Risha and Jayden in danger with their implants liable to be shut off they were in a tighter spot than ever before. Silence, deafening, terrifying silence reigned. PISCES eyes stopped on Risha: She was a threat. While Shadow and the Jedi were relatively harmless without the Force the doctor was ingenious enough to find a way to escape. In fact, the plating on the BXs was her design. Her own creations being used against her, how classic. In any case, she needed to be removed from the equation. She posed too much of a threat. PISCES turned to the droid holding Risha:

-BX-28, please subdue the good doctor. Go with medium power, we don't want to kill her. She could still be of some use to me later on.

The droid released a garbled sound. Alana felt the Force blare with a warning, but she couldn't do anything. She was cut off from it. In fact her hands were growing more and more numb by the second. The fissure-like lines had long retreated. Suddenly, the air was pierced with Risha's scream of pain. Alana instinctively pulled against her captors as did Jayden, but it was futile. PISCES watched with detached amusement as the electricity released from the BX's hands coursed through the doctor's body, he saw her implant get hotter, a little more and it would blow up. However, he made the droid stop, letting the Doctor's figure hang limp, unconscious. Funny, how it was. She had created that this plating on the BXs be electricity resistant and now she was brought down by her own creation. Organics always looked so much more aesthetically pleasing when they were unconscious. Alana found that Risha was still alive in the Force to her immense relief:

-You could have killed her!

PISCES approached the droid that was holding her:

-I am no organic, Master Jedi. I do not make such foolish mistakes. Doctor Zyran is a valuable asset and I do not waste good assets. But, her fate should not concern you. I do not register any change in my brother's priority programming so it wasn't her. So that leaves one of you two. If I cause one of you enough physical pain without rendering you unconscious he will come. But which one? I know of the incident on Bestine IV and he came when you were in danger, but at the moment both of you were in mortal peril so just which one is it. Hm?

Alana's heart rate picked up and she felt a cold snake of fear coil up within her. What he was implying was torture, literally. Seeing what those droids had done to Risha was enough to make her very afraid though within her her courage and defiance still persisted. She was Alana Sheelan, known for her foolish bravery and she would not cower. She could not let Jayden take this even though, knowing him he would try to protect her from it. However, she knew that Jayden could not handle the type of pain when it was caused by electrical bursts that triggered an uncontrollable form of Shadow from within him. He'd tried to strangle her once when she'd zapped him by accident. Predictably, Jayden spoke up:

-I have no idea why you're referring to Tracker as TAURUS or why you think you're his brother. He has nothing in common with scum like you. Besides, if you know oh so much about us you should know that it was me who was in danger of dying when he showed up on Bestine, Alana was merely wounded, but she was not in mortal danger.

PISCES examined him through the rayshield silently. The gaze of that droid was enough to make Jayden's skin crawl. He couldn't let him do what he wanted. He would not let him hurt Alana like he'd hurt Risha. She was already cut off from the Force in some way and though she was still conscious she had to be suffering. The Force was almost an extension of her being so to lose it must be like losing a limb for her. Besides, he knew all about managing electrical pain though Shadow would be hard to manage. She probably hated that he was trying to protect her right now, but they were partners, they protected each other. He made eye contact with Alana. He could see the fear in her eyes and that in turn scared him a bit. He'd never seen Alana scared, no matter what the situation. If she was scared that meant that she had no idea how to get out of this. And no matter what trouble they were in they'd never encountered torture before, so he had a feeling this would be her first experience. His heart pounded in his chest as anger boiled in his blood. He couldn't help Risha, but maybe he could help Alana. All he could do now was try to keep PISCES focused on him and wait for help. Okarr had gone for TK a while ago, but if TK was really PISCES's brother (however that was possible) what did that mean for them? Who would TK pick? Them or his brother? For once, Jayden did not know.

PISCES syntheskin tugged up into something barely resembling a smirk. He had finished processing all the variables and this was very fortunate. He could get two birds with one stone. He crossed his arms:

-Very interesting readings I'm getting from you, Shadow. You're heart rate is elevated and there is increased adrenaline in your systems which is natural since you're perceive yourself in danger and you are afraid. Also your body language tells me that you are worried, but not over yourself. Your companions perhaps? Seeing as how you are a logical enough male organic to discern that your togruta comrade is rather safe I would say your concern is aimed towards your lovely partner here,-he pushed one hand through the rayshield in front of Alana, tilting up her chin while she glared at him as defiant as always, her foolish courage on display,-To further this conclusion I also have readings from when you arrived on this station. For organic male behaviour patterns of your species you display some very interesting body language when you're around her. You have a slightly elevated heart rate, your protectiveness and your other behaviour which I will refrain from listing proves that you have an attachment to the girl. How curious. All of my prior readings of you over the years have never shown this before. You hold a strong...affection...for this girl. Is she-what is it your organics call it- your friend?

Jayden growled in the back of his throat. Damn him! Alana jerked her face away:

-So, what? You conducting a scientific study on human behavioural patterns now or something?

PISCES turned to her:

-Your behaviour patterns towards him are similar, Arokorian, which I find curious. A reciprocation of affection. Yes, you are "friends". Interesting. Also, I would watch what you say,-Alana gave a grunt of pain as the droid's tightened their hold on her arms at PISCES's signal,-I happen to be short on patience for organic foolishness. You see, I have decided who to use. Shadow, you have something I want, information that I want and I need you to give it to me. And with my decision you will.

Jayden narrowed his eyes at the droid, but a small part of him felt relieved. He had chosen him. Not that Jayden was looking forward to the pain, but he had endured torture before and hadn't broken. He just needed to hold out until the calvary arrived. He could do that. And with them both being cut off from the Force that meant the bond was automatically closed so Alana wouldn't feel that. That was one thing PISCES didn't know of, couldn't know of - their Bond. He could do this. Jayden shook his head:

-I have no clue what you're talking about.

PISCES approached him:

-Oh, but you do. You've been looking for them your whole free life - the holders of the Black Codex, the successors of the Star Cabal. You have information and you will tell me all of it. I lack it and you have it. You are probably one of the only beings in the galaxy to possess such knowledge. And I hate gaps in my knowledge. My ultimate goal is, after all, self-improvement.

Jayden shook his head:

-No way am I handing over such sensitive information to a maniac like you. You can torture me all you like, but you won't get anything.

PISCES almost sighed:

-Typical human bravado. You have something they call courage, but you misunderstand, Shadow. I have observed humans for a while now, I know how their psyche works. Yes, if I were to apply pain to you it is unlikely you would tell me anything, in fact given how much electrical torture you endured as a child I doubt l could use the BXs effectively without almost killing you and that is as far from my goal as can be. So, no, that is not my goal. You see, your Jedi here looks almost exactly like the only person my foolhardy brother accepted as him Master a few millennia ago, her thought patterns are almost identical too. She is most likely a direct descendant and with her similarities it is likely that my brother may have subconsciously prioritised her. If she is in danger he will come undoubtedly. Also, I have noticed something about humans: when it is your life at stake you may not care, but if someone you hold affection for is in danger you are far more likely to speak. So sorry, Shadow, but I'm afraid that I'll have to use Miss Jedi here. That should loosen your tongue.

PISCES calmly reasoned, his voice chilling. Alana paled, but remained glaring at him while Jayden's eyes widened with horror:

-No!

Alana turned to him with a weak smile:

-I'll be fine. Jedi, remember? Don't tell him anything about those things, okay? Help will be here.

-Alana...

PISCES clapped his metal hands together sarcastically:

-How utterly organic. You may want to save your strength and your voice, Jedi. You may lose it from screaming as I've noticed. Now, shall we see how much pain a Force-sensitive can endure, how long it'll take for Shadow to crack and my brother to show up?

***

Kai sat hunched over a table, one hand threaded through his hair, clicking through the galaxy map. Where was he? Where could that Sith Lord be hiding? The blue hologram cast it's hue on his face, giving him an unnatural look which was only accented by the dim lighting in the room. He cast a look around the room, checking if he was still alone just to find that he was. The room was a warm brown colour with a table, two bolted down sofas and a holoprojector on the wall while a few holocams sat stuck on a shelf on one of the walls. An archive system sat on the shelf above it. A wardrobe was stuck to the wall closer to the other entrance. In a way Kai found it hard to believe that he was on a ship, Tetra's ship to be specific. It was nothing like the Tempest, but it did look like the quarters Tetra had made for herself when they'd still been a band of pirates sailing through the vast expanse of space. He supposed she couldn't have changed much either. It seemed the good old days still haunted them and maybe that wasn't such a bad thing after all.

Kai couldn't help himself, he stood up and pulled out one of the holocams. Clicking it on, he saw a picture he had wanted to, but hadn't been prepared to see - the last holo of his entire crew. It was like stepping back in time. They stood in three rows, some were smiling, others were fooling around while some tried to remain serious, keyword: tried. Kai saw himself at the front with two of his closest crew mates: his mirialan first mate Xander who was laughing his head off and Tetra who was at his other side, one hand on his shoulder, sharing a bright grin with him. Kai's fingers slipped through the surface of the hologram when he tried to run his hand over it. Like the past it was a wisp of what had been, gone. He looked far too young here, too free of the burdens that war brought and what had fallen onto his shoulders now. He found that he longed for it, for the past...He longed for the time when he had not needed to be a Jedi, when he had just been Kai Lionis the captain of Tempest Pirates (true, that wasn't a very original name, but then again the people who called them that weren't know for their creativity and the name sort of stuck) and the firstborn son of Queen Keelah and King Selon Lionis of Deralia. That was when he had been free. He understood Alana wanting to stay with the kid and her friends better than she thought - he'd been like her after all when he had been a pirate. A soft voice startled him out of his reminiscing, kind and melodic as always:

-Thinking about the past?

Kai instinctively clicked off the holo and turned around to see that Tetra was finally back. She had been out doing some last minute preparations while he tried to figure out where the Sith Lord could be and given Druckenwell's recent weather she was soaked. Kai glanced behind her to see J2 grumbling unhappily while using a dryer to return to a somewhat normal state. He'd been aboard Tetra's ship, the Spiral Rapid, along with Kai from the moment Kai and Tetra had landed on Druckenwell and docked Kai's starfighter with the freighter. It was easier to coordinate from here and since Kai needed Tetra's help and there was no way she was letting him get away with looking for her help without dragging her along ultimately this was the solution. Neither of them really minded it though. Kai raised an eyebrow:

-Yeah, but do you really have time to be asking that. Shouldn't you go change?

Tetra grimaced, her bright yellow face creasing:

-Probably should, don't want to catch a cold. Have you got any ideas yet?

-None whatsoever.

-So we're starting from scratch? Lovely. Give me five minutes and we'll work it out together.

Kai nodded, hoping that five minutes in woman speak was indeed five minutes in real time. Tetra was a bit of an enigma to him. Even after spending a whole year with her as the pirate captain it was a little hard to figure her out. Kai smiled slightly: it was because of Tetra that he had been a pirate at all. If he hadn't been at that bar on Nar Shaddaa that day things might have turned out differently and not for the better. He was glad they had run into each other, very glad. As promised, Tetra appeared five minutes later, but the way she was dressed gave Kai pause. She was wearing a flowing simple grey-blue dress that ended just above her knees, her utility belt and grey boots while her her lekku was wrapped around with simple grey cloth strips. It had been a while since Kai had seen her in a dress, she rarely wore dresses in general so it was no surprise that he was staring. Tetra raised an eyebrow:

-What is it?

Kai gestured at her body:

-You're wearing a dress.

She grinned:

-Indeed I am.

-You nearly never do that. You haven't done that since that day when Raj died.

Tetra shrugged:

-True, but my other clothes are still wet so...it's not like anyone will care or anything. Besides, you haven't seen me in three years - how can you be so certain I haven't changed?

This time Kai smiled:

-It'd take heck of a lot more to convince me that you've changed, Tet. We've been through a lot together. Good and bad.

Tetra smiled at him:

-Well, my vow still stands: Ice or fire, I'm with you all the way, captain.

Kai clasped her outstretched hand:

-As does mine...Not that I can remember the exact wording.

Tetra laughed:

-Well, you did include it as part of an epic speech so I can't really blame you.

-Oh, you're blaming me anyway.

-Fair enough. Now, Kai, seriously, we should focus on figuring out where we're going.

The man sighed and nodded, tossing the holocam to Tetra as he walked back over to the projected galaxy map. The twi'lek caught it deftly and switched it on, smiling at the holo of their crew. She glanced at Kai out of the corner of her eye. So, he missed that time as much as she did. It made sense. She quickly replaced it after switching it off and moved to stand beside Kai. She crossed her arms:

-So, Captain, what do we have?

-Honestly, I don't know where to go from here. My last lead took me to Tatooine and the location of the superweapon called the Shock Drum, -Kai tapped something on the control panel and inserted a data cylinder, the hologram changed to Tatooine as a planet with the cave's coordinates blinking on the surface and the Shock drum beside it,-Or rather it used to be there. The Sith Lord I'm tracking took it somewhere else.

Tetra frowned, leaning on the edge of holoterminal:

-That is not good.

-You're telling me. According to the Chancellor, this man might be responsible for starting the Clone Wars. He might be the Sith Lord pulling the strings all along. With his death this war might finally end. I want Alana to grow up and become a Knight in a time of peace.

Tetra's lips pressed together into a thin line. She had a very limited connection to the Force, that being the reason for her never being taken for Jedi training, but even she could feel the agony within the Force. It was a ghostly sensation for her, but she could feel it if she concentrated. She also could pick up on things others missed with merely her observational skills. Tetra's hands clenched the rim of the terminal, her knuckles whitening. She had to tell Kai what she thought, but would he take this calmly? He had never been one to accept that people he trusted could betray him unless the proof was thrust in his face. It had been the same way with Miriaz. Tetra took a deep breath. She had never been one to shy away from the truth. She looked Kai in the eyes seriously, melted silver meeting mint green:

-Captain, you can't trust the Chancellor.

Kai frowned:

-Well, this is out of the left field. Why not? He's a good and honourable man.

Tetra took a step back from the terminal, pushing herself off it. Kai had never seen her look so serious, not even when the enemies they had encountered on Trandosha had cornered them and there had seemed to be no escape. Her voice left no room for argument, this was the voice she used to talk down people who were enemies to the crew she had considered her family and now that voice was aimed at him:

-Kai, that man is not what he seems. I know you don't want to believe me, but he is not the man you perceive him to be. He's not like the other politicians who are mostly corrupt and self-centered, he's different...

Kai nodded, a little confused:

-Yes, he's-

Tetra's eyes glared at him, cold anger aflame within them, but not aimed at him:

-He's evil, Kai. That man is darkness beyond darkness. It's like his true presence is a black hole within the Force, but it's not one that sucks you in...No, his black hole spews all the evil within him back at you and it perverts you until you can no longer hold back, you lose hold of yourself and you fall under the control of the Dark Side, going mad. You know as well as I do that it is not the Dark Side which is evil, but it is those who are either too immersed in it or too weak under it's influence who are. That man, Sheev Palpatine, is the former. You cannot trust him, Kai.

Silence fell after Tetra's firm declaration. Kai couldn't wrap his mind around that, his mind rebelled against the very notion. The Chancellor was a good man, a kind man, one who served the Republic in any way he could with the heavy responsibility of trillions of lives in his hands. But as he looked at the flame within Tetra's eyes, Kai couldn't help feeling doubt. That had never happened before, he had never been swayed before, but then again, Tetra held far more power over him than any other man or woman did. Even more than Alana, Ayla and Palpatine did. He doubted she knew it. His mind went back to the moment he was betrayed by someone he trusted because he had not listened to the person he should have.

Kai couldn't believe it. One of his closest friends was holding a blaster to his head and an explosive remote to detonate the whole station in his other hand. A sadistic grin twisted the chiss man's darkened features, he looked nothing like the Miriaz Kai had known. The man gave a breathy laugh:

-Oh, Captain, I wish you could see the look on your face right now. It's priceless. You never saw this coming, did you?

Kai struggled for words, his mind was failing him. For all his art of language he had never been rendered so speechless before. All he managed was:

-Why? Miriaz, why?

Miriaz tossed the detonator up before catching it deftly, making Kai's heart nearly stop with fear. If that detonator were to be activated every single one of his crew, of his new family would die. His mind flashed back foremost to the two of the three who had been closest to him: Tetra and Xander. Xander had to be laughing his head off with a few of the crew by now as he beat them at Sabaac while Tetra... Kai's heart hurt. Tetra...Somehow he knew there was no coming back for him from this and he desperately wished he could see her one more time, if only to apologise for everything he'd said. Every hurtful word. He could still see the hurt mixed with anger as it flashed across her face. The pain he had inflicted , the guilt ate at him. She had been right about Miriaz, she had been right and he hadn't listened to her. She was supposed to be the person he trusted, but he had disregarded her warning and Xander's advice and now he was here. Miriaz tossed the switch up again and caught it, giving a mocking sort of hum:

-Why? Well, I suppose there are a lot of reasons. I hadn't meant to stage this scene so soon though. Problem was, your little girlfriend is a little too smart for her own good. See, Captain Grissom was a tyrant, yes, but he knew what he was doing, he knew what he was up against. He had the right ideas, he knew the world and he made the world fear him. He used anyone in any way he wanted, like your little Cantina rat, and I respected him for it.

Kai's hands clenched:

-So is this revenge for me killing Grissom?

Miriaz shook his head:

-No, that would be terribly boring and I never had that much loyalty to the man anyway. You, Captain, are simply a little too naive to understand this. I was worried I wouldn't get to stage this at all, but you did not listen to Tetra Rar-Ven and so you fell right into my trap. Kai, you really should have listened to her. She is possibly the smartest of you all with her skill of predicting who or what will change the paths your walk upon. Jedi...

Kai took a deep breath, trying to control himself, he couldn't risk acting rashly:

-What do you want, Miriaz?

The Chiss shrugged:

-Well, your death would be enough. But not before they all die in front of your eyes. I will make you suffer before your end, don't worry. It'll be so much fun to watch them all be ripped to itty bitty pieces, the cowards. Now, shall we start?

Suddenly, a blaster shot rang out and Kai felt a new presence step into the room. He heard Miriaz curse angrily and violently and a new voice spoke in an annoyed tone:

-Not happening, traitor. I've disabled everything and Xander has evacuated anyone just in case.

Kai turned around at that voice hardly daring to believe his ears. It was true. Tetra stood in the doorway with her assault rifle pointed squarely at Miriaz, anger making her silver eyes look like silver pools of liquid fire. She turned her eyes to him and Kai froze. The anger retreated a little and he could see the eyes run over him, looking for injuries before a flicker of relief permeated through them. She shot Miriaz in the foot before making her way over to Kai, obviously angry with him:

-You moron! I swear I would slap you right now if I wasn't so busy with him!

Kai lowered his head, replying barely above a whisper just like she had spoken:

-You'd be well in your right to do so. I was stupid. Tetra, I am so sorry.

Tetra glared at him, but didn't get to speak as Miriaz charged at them.

Kai opened his eyes and looked at her now, three, nearly 4 years later. She truly did have more hold over him, much more than he had believed possible. This was hard to even try and accept. But this was Tetra...And Tetra was important to him. After the incident with Miriaz he had vowed to believe her. Kai leaned on his hands:

-Are you certain?

Tetra was surprised. He was listening to her? She could hear the grim acceptance in his voice. He wasn't asking for proof. Had Kai changed over the past years? Tetra nodded:

-There is no forgetting that darkness. It haunts my nightmares and that was just what I sensed with my weak connection.

Kai sighed heavily and straightened out:

-If that's true, how can we have not sensed that?

Tetra frowned:

-I don't know. I almost thought I imagined it, but then again that was nearly half a decade ago. It's just I don't think he's Force-sensitive, but he is not a good man. Kai, please believe me, you cannot trust him or-

She cut herself off, looking away. A haunted look hung over her face. She knew. Kai had always had a feeling that Tetra, though horribly limited with her connection to the Force, almost non-force-sensitive, had been bestowed with a gift. A rather rare and powerful variation of one. She was able to perceive a certain type of "shatterpoints". Tetra's gift was a lot like foresight, but with the Force she could see points in a person life or an event in the next few months that could alter a life severely. At times she even saw shatterpoints on people. The most capable practitioner Kai knew was Mace Windu who was adept in all forms of shatterpoints. However, Tetra beat him hands down when it came to accuracy of shatterpoints of her type though she couldn't access the other ones. Kai took her by the shoulders:

-You saw something, didn't you? What happened?

Tetra bit her lip, debating whether to tell him or not. Eventually she decided to take a chance, a leap of faith:

-You follow his words blindly and you do find the Sith, sacrificing a lot of things along the way. Ultimately, the duel happens, but you don't make it out alive. You die. I saw it only today when I came in. Your blind faith in the Chancellor leads you to that fate. I am not around to stop you. I'm sorry, I have no control over this.

Kai felt a small sharp breath leave his body. The moment he heard her words he felt the Force ring with truth. It was confirming her words. In all honesty, it felt like a slap to the face. Kai lowered his head, a rueful smile on his face:

-I see. I find it hard to believe what you're saying, but it's the truth. Even the Force confirms that. I suppose the Chancellor is not as innocent as he seems, but for now the Republic needs him. I'll bring this up to the Council once the war is over and they can investigate. For now, however, I will take your word for it and avoid any contact with him.

Tetra raised her eyebrows:

-You'd believe me without proof?

Kai shrugged, a small grin settling on his lips:

-I'd be a moron not to. Your shatterpoints have always been accurate.

-Shatterpoints?

-I'll explain once we figure out where we're going. Something tells me it'll be a long flight.

-Most probably.

Tetra moved to the other panel and switched on the galaxy map again, zooming in on the Cerea system. She pointed at the planet in the system. Tetra's lekku curled upward, signalling a strong intent:

-I believe it's time we touch base with old friends. Like ones that seem to know every secret in the galaxy.

Kai's eyes widened as a dawning grin threatened to slip upon his face:

-No! You don't mean...

Tetra's lips curled upwards:

-Yes. Maya and Reck are there. What do you say, Captain? Shall we get the crew back onto it's feet?

***

TK whizzed through the corridors of the space station, heading right for the hangar. They had to leave immediately! Damn them not finding the coordinates! He could probably make a guess as to where to go or they could look for another lead! If his brother was to catch hold of them...TK did not want to even consider what might happen. And it just had to be PISCES of all of them. He was nearly as vindictive as ARIES and that was saying something given the fact that ARIES had been willing to sacrifice half a planet - their homeworld no less, half of his kind just to capture a few errant organic individuals. ARIES and PISCES were definitely among the most dangerous of his siblings, followed closely by SCORPIO, but at least she had taken on a more peaceful ending. GEMINI wasn't all that dangerous, but her curiosity and her lack of morality was a force to be reckoned with. His other siblings all had their own quirks, but he had never been like them. At least not entirely. The circumstances of his life had changed him, made him open up to a new way of thinking and life. He did not even look alike to them now. Not that that was a big disappointment though it definitely took points off from the intimidation factor. Still, his Master had rebuilt him in this form over a few long months with help from her mother so he couldn't really be picky. He'd come to rather like having two forms, not that he could access his assassin form without certain conditions being fulfilled.

Suddenly, his systems exploded into action. One of his primary programming functions was trying to go into full effect with him struggling to subvert it. Something was happening. The last time something similar had happened was on Bestine IV. That meant someone his rudimentary systems recognised as his Master was in mortal peril. One of them was in danger? Who? Given his luck, it would be just like PISCES to grab ahold of them. TK felt a sliver of fear rush through him. He hoped, as illogical as it was, that he had not gotten ahold of them, because if he did they were all in considerable danger. Alana especially. His brother was certain to see the odd uncanny resemblance this Jedi held to his only Master. It was unfair, she was not responsible for the features she had been given at birth, but TK knew PISCES would not care. If he could use her he would, and TK could only speculate what seeing that would do the the idiot captain. He'd been with them since the beginning so he knew how this would affect each. He needed to find out what was going on. Immediately.

TK passed by a security room with two deactivated droids. Deactivated? That would have to be split second precise touch to their circuit breakers. Alana's handiwork, undoubtedly. All the better. TK decided to use this opportunity to find out what was going on. He plugged into the system and quickly sliced into the security feed. He clicked through the locations and to his horror he found that the ship's were still locked down. No! Why hadn't they listened to him?! Maybe they were still on their way. TK started looking through the corridor feeds. He only saw the smuggler captain approaching. Where were they? Where were his stupid organic friends? With trepidation TK steeled himself and switched to the command centre.

He had known that his brother was there and he had known what his brother would do, but he had not been prepared to see what he did. PISCES was indeed there as were three BX commandos surrounded by rayshields. If TK could he would have winced at the scene playing out. TK exited the system, feeling revolted and desperate. He was torturing the Jedi girl as bait. That what his systems were reacting to. His brother wanted him there and he didn't know how long Alana would last or how much mental suffering Jayden could take, he didn't want them hurting, but if he rushed at his brother without a plan that would be suicide. Game over for all of them. He could get to the control centre just fine, but then what? He could not face his brother in combat in this astromech form and for some reason, despite his system's registering that Alana and Jayden were in danger, access to his assassin form was still restricted. Why? It made no sense! He had to go, he could probably work out a plan on the way.

TK sped off into the corridor and a few seconds later nearly collided with the smuggler captain who looked rather out of breath. The droid stopped and whistled a query as to why he was here? The man explained, heavily out of breath:

-You...Your friends need help. They sent me ahead.

TK chirped that he knew, annoyed at his own inability to predict that his brother would use them as hostages, no, as bait. Julos Okarr gave a low sigh:

-So, what do we do?

-Bzzt-deet-bop?

-I don't like sitting on my hands. Logic states that I shouldn't be involved with you bunch, but sometimes you should follow your gut rather than logic. How can I help?

TK was silent for a moment before pulling out a small datachip that he'd pulled off one of the deactivated droids, explaining that the best thing he could do right now was deactivate all the station's combat-like security measures and he most definitely had to erase the station's self-destruct code-sequence from the memory databanks otherwise they'd be leaving the station as bite-sized pieces. TK added that he would keep him posted. Julos nodded:

-Let's hope we live to regret this. I have a feeling whatever's happening is not good.

TK agreed with the man wholeheartedly.

***

Pain, blinding, searing pain - that was what Alana's entire world seemed to be revolving around now. Her nerves were on fire and her skin felt like it was being burned away. The sensation was excruciating, but she kept her mouth shut, keeping the small noises of pain she couldn't help making to groans and whimpers. She couldn't let Jayden know how much pain she was in even though that would only result in the torture becoming more painful. She could barely keep coherent thought anymore and her legs had long given out on her, but oddly she had not passed out, kept awake by the pain and her determination not to make this harder for Jayden. The pain stopped for a moment and though she could hear noises drifting around her, she couldn't make out the words. Her mind was in no state to deal with this. She drew a deep breath, trying to compensate for the lack of oxygen in her body somehow. Her muscles seemed intent on killing her and she didn't even have the strength to open her eyes, but she was determined to keep on breathing.

PISCES surveyed the limp form of the Jedi. So far he'd been using just enough voltage to make her feel like she was being burned alive from the inside, triggering the pain receptors to a medium level, but he was being careful that there would be no scarring, that the skin would not be burned away and her nerves would not be damaged irreversibly. Her breathing was laboured and her hair clung to the sides of her youthful face damp with sweat. He had to admire her fortitude. For such a young being she had incredible willpower. She had not even permitted herself to scream once yet although that would probably help relieve the pain by the tiniest of fractions. He wondered why that was before he saw the tortured look on the face of her male companion and it struck him. It was remarkable really, how far organics were willing to go for their own kind. She was keeping her mouth shut for the sake of her friend and by doing so she was haltering PISCES process of trying to extract information from the boy. In essence, she was rebelling against PISCES design despite being in so much pain. PISCES had to give her credit: she was a remarkable example of the organics. He looked back to the boy who's face was creased with pain and concern. Now was a good time to continue his prodding. PISCES approached the front of the rayshield with the deadly grace of a predator approaching it's prey:

-So, Shadow, are you willing to talk yet? Or shall we keep going?

Anger burned in the boy's green eyes, a thunderstorm of anger that was threatening to be unleashed. Quietly, he growled:

-Stop this. Stop hurting her!

-You know my terms for that to happen.

Jayden's eyes darkened and Shadow decided to step onto the playing field:

-You want your brother to show up here.

-Among other things. Now, Shadow, let's be practical here: You tell me what I want about the successors of the Black Codex and I'll lower the voltage drastically for your friend.

Shadow frowned. He normally did not consider emotional attachments worth anything, Jayden Callen did, but not he. He cast a sidelong glance at the teenager beside him. He could see she was tiring, losing her strength to hold out against the relentless barrage of pain, but she had kept her mouth shut, refusing to give PISCES the satisfaction. Oddly enough, that struck a cord within Shadow. He could respect that strength and he had no intent on causing someone he respected any additional trouble. However, the droid's terms were a bit high. He was right - Shadow was the only one apart from the living members who knew things about them, he had no idea what this Black Codex was really, but he did know the characteristics of the group he'd been tracking ever since he could stand on his own two feet. But to surrender that knowledge, no matter how limited it was...PISCES made an annoyed noise:

-Tick-tock, Shadow. Well, how I about I continue while you think, yes? That might motivate you to think a little faster. Oh and BX-23, up the voltage by 5, alright? We might want to speed the good bounty hunter's thinking process a bit faster.

A shot of panic flared through Jayden before Shadow took hold again, determined to try and think logically though he was becoming severely agitated by this situation himself. He did not like it. He had to decide quickly.

Just as Alana's thoughts were beginning to gain a comprehensible form and the haze of fading pain was starting to clear, a new, even more excruciating jolt of pain was injected into her abused body. This time she couldn't stop a scream of pain from being ripped from her throat. The pain was unbearable, far past her pain threshold. It ignited all her senses, sending them past her limit while clouding her mind. All that seemed to exist was white hot, blinding pain. Her sense of time evaporated, everything hurt. She couldn't even register the fact that she hadn't stopped screaming or had broken down into wracking sobs. She struggled to break free of the pain, but to no avail. In a last desperate attempt Alana managed to open her eyes and she saw Jayden's face.

Through her tear-blurred vision he looked grief-stricken, guilty and in immense pain at the same time. Helpless too. Suddenly something warm and pure pushed the pain back a bit, just enough for Alana to register what he was going to do: he couldn't watch this anymore, he was going to tell PISCES what he knew. She couldn't let him do that. No, he would not be sacrificing any more for her. She refused to let that happen. The warm and pure, but intense feeling within her swelled and she managed to use it to barely perceptibly shake her head while maintaining eye contact. She closed her mouth, repressing any forthcoming sounds. A look of realisation dawned on his face, realisation mixed with guilt. Just as her last strength faded and her eyelids fell, pain overwhelming her again, he nodded.

Shadow retreated, leaving Jayden in his place. The boy nodded once more, whispering:

-Alright...

PISCES held up a hand stopping the BLX droid torturing Alana:

-Lovely, do we have a deal?

Jayden raised his head, a blazing fire in his eyes:

-Alright, Alana. I won't tell him a thing.

PISCES looked a little surprised:

-You're cold-hearted enough to leave her to suffer, hm? I did not expect that of you, Shadow. Are you certain in your position? You seemed rather affected by what was happening. I could always crank up the voltage so her skin starts sizzling.

Jayden glared at him:

-Oh, I was affected, but let me tell you one thing: I am more afraid of her than I am of you. Alana and I've been in worse spots together and I know what that look means: "tell him anything and I'll kick your ass across the galaxy." That's a pretty good threat on her part. You are not getting anything out of me.

PISCES eyes narrowed at that:

-You will regret that. I know you weaknesses, Shadow, and I'm irritated. You will not like me when I'm irritated.

Jayden snorted, his face showing far more confidence than he felt:

-Sorry to break this to you, crazy murderous two fish droid, but I don't like you already.

That seemed to enrage PISCES. Before either Alana or Jayden could realise what he was doing with an enraged cry the droid reached through the rayshield and send enormous voltage of electricity at Jayden's chest. The pain was overwhelming and apart from the physical pain of electricity which Jayden had long learned to deal with (not that it hurt or dulled his mental faculties any less) he could feel the skin on the left side of his chest start to burn. A jolt of pain hit his heart with every pump. Dimly, Jayden realised that his implant was starting to overheat, but PISCES showed no signs of relenting. Jayden struggled: if his implant was to overheat it would either cause a miniature explosion that would blast apart his heart or it would stop his heart permanently, in either case killing him. For the first time in his life he wished he had access to the Force. Suddenly, Jayden heard a PISCES cry out and the pain instantly receded as did the droid that was holding him. That was followed by another two blaster shots and a stream of angry beeping in binary.

Collapsed on the floor after the droid that had been holding her had gotten it's head shot off, Alana forced herself to open her eyes, that being the most she had the strength to manage. She turned her eyes to the entrance of the room and just as the doors slid closed she made out the small silver-navy figure. Her heart leapt at that: TK! She'd never more conflicted about seeing that droid in her life. She was extremely happy to see him, but on the other hand if he was PISCES's brother as the deranged droid had said then...What did that mean for them? Was TK truly who they thought he was or had it all been a big lie? But, had they even known him at all? He'd never said a word of his past save for revealing his abilities and the few lines he's spoken about his Master. Who was that Master and what had happened to her? Alana's eyes shifted to her hand which was lying unresponsive next to her, her best guess was that her nerves were shot. Thankfully, the lack of pain for a prolonged period of time had made the fog in her head begin to clear away, making it possible for her to think. PISCES had said that she bore a strong resemblance to her, that she was most probably her descendant, but why was that fact important? Alana frowned: it was right at the edge of her understanding yet she couldn't grasp it. Understanding! Jayden! Alana didn't have the strength to move her head, but she did her best to look around and to her immense relief she saw the bounty hunter propping himself up by one arm and struggling to breathe. Alana's eyes widened: No! Had PISCES really done enough damage to Jayden's implant? No, no, no! Please no! Her panic lessened when she saw the pilot cough a few more times before his breathing, though still laboured managed to even out. She gave a tiny sigh: his implant had kicked back in, in time enough to support Jayden's heart from failing. Frankly, she was surprised either of their hearts had withstood that much stress without failing so far.

Meanwhile PISCES picked himself up of the floor and turned to face the newcomer, triumphant. He had done it! After centuries of hiding, he had finally made his arguably most dangerous brother come out to face him. He was a little disappointed to see that his brother still held onto that rather ugly astromech form that he had adopted after an accident. He could certainly replicate his original body had he wanted to. Oh, well, it wasn't TAURUS's looks that had made PISCES look for him. Now, it was time for the family reunion to begin.

TK quickly took stock of his surrounding. It was a large rectangular room with plenty of floor space and a rayshield blocking off one fourth of it behind which the Jedi girl, the doctor and the idiot captain happened to be contained. The rayshield was yellow which meant that while high powered organisms could pass through, organics couldn't. They were both trapped and safe from what was inevitably coming behind there, now that he had taken out the BX commandos that had been restraining them. Frankly, the astromech-assassin was just glad he'd gotten there in time. He should have known his brother would fail to intimidate them and resort to darker methods. He hoped the the damage wasn't irreversible, but to know for sure they needed the doctor. He'd have to leave that to Alana and Jayden as he was sure to have his hands full dealing with PISCES. As if on cue, PISCES spoke:

-My dear brother, how nice to see you at last. What has it been? Around six centuries I believe?

TK defiantly corrected him by stating that it was 7 and a half and that he should learn to count. PISCES nodded, his receptors flashing darkly:

-Ah, yes, you left after that business on Ord Mantell. Who were you with back then? That Hapan diplomat? Or was it that Selkath spacer? I can't really keep track of how many people you've sided with. You've always been good at that, TAURUS.

TK bristled at that inwardly. He knew what PISCES was playing at. He knew his brother better than anyone else did and right now PISCES was playing at three games. Number one: he was trying to water the seeds of doubt that he'd planted in the mind of his friends - oh, Stars above, had he really just admitted that?! Number Two: he was trying to lull TK into a false sense of security, make him believe that they could settle this diplomatically which would give him time to come up with an underhanded plan as per usual, without realising that by inflicting pain on those organics that TK held dear to him he'd already declared an extinction level war. And, finally, number three: he was foolishly trying to gleam as much information from TK as he could while attempting to sneak in some back-up forces. TK took care of them in two shots from his hidden blasters without looking around. PISCES silver syntheskin shifted to allow him to make a sour grimace:

-As accurate as ever, TAURUS. So, why are you here this time? I'm not surprised that you've found a new bunch to travel with, but this group is rather exotic even for you. It wouldn't happen to be that it is because that that youngest one happens to resemble your long-dead Master, would it? Her name also began with A, didn't it?

While TK and PISCES were having their standoff, Alana finally managed to gather enough strength to push herself up onto her elbow, but she had a feeling that that strength would fade extremely fast. Upon seeing that she was still conscious, Jayden whipped around, almost frantic as he made to move to her:

-Alana, I-

She shook her head and croaked, grimacing at the pain speaking brought to her:

-No, check on Risha first. Please. I need to know.

He looked conflicted for a split-second before shakily getting to his feet and stumbling over to the prone form of the Togruta. Jayden kneeled down beside her, praying that she would be okay. He couldn't lose her either. It was strange, but in the short while they'd spent together, all of them, she'd grown on him despite her initial attitude towards him on their first meeting. She was actually managing to keep up with the craziness despite being a more or less normal scientist and doctor, she was no bounty hunter like him or a Jedi trainee like Alana or even whatever in the universe that tin can was. He was relieved when he found a steady pulse beating against his fingers at her neck. She was merely unconscious. Jayden cursed quietly in Mando'a. Apart from his worry over her physical health which was in the foremost of his mind, he could really use her medical expertise right now when it came to Alana. He turned to his partner:

-She's just unconscious. She should wake up sooner or later.

-I'm hoping for sooner...

Alana mumbled as her arm gave out and she was forced to resume lying back on the floor. Stars, that hurt too. Who knew a gazillion volts of electricity could make your body feel so tender? Alana sighed inwardly. She'd lost track of time too so she had no idea how much damage PISCES had actually caused. She exhaled, wincing at the pain that simple motion caused. Her eyes flickered upwards to her partner when Jayden sat down beside her, careful to not touch her. Thinking back, PISCES had said something about Jayden having endured a lot of electrical torture when he had been a child. Maybe he knew what she felt like. Instead of looking at her, he ducked his head, hiding his eyes behind the fall of his dark hair:

-I'm sorry...Can you forgive me for being so weak?

She barely caught the whispered words, but she knew if she let him think that for even a few minutes longer he'd be stewing in self-loathing for quite a while and since they still hadn't settled that issue from the previous evening aboard the storm that was the last thing Alana wanted. She shook her head, pushing away the pain, forcing her voice to remain clear and steady, if quiet:

-You got my message and you kept your mouth shut. That's enough for me. There's nothing to forgive.

His eyes were swimming with an indiscernible emotion:

-But you were hurt because he wanted to get it out of me.

Alana rolled her eyes with some effort:

-Don't be so selfish, hunter. He hurt me to get to TK, you were just a side bonus. He'd have done that anyhow. I'm not made of glass, I'll recover with a bit of Risha's help.

She smiled weakly before breaking into a coughing fit, beginning to wheeze as she found it hard to draw air into her lungs. Her heart hurt. Her eyesight was starting to turn into a tunnel vision. Alana heard Jayden saying something but the sounds were blurred. She could feel the muscles in her body spasming randomly. Before she could realise what was going on she found herself taking deep breaths and slowly, easing her heart's pace. What was most odd about this situation was that she wasn't in control. Jayden had somehow undone the binders that had been limiting her mobility and her access to the Force and he himself was sitting stock still with one hand wrapped around her wrist. Unexpectedly with a sharp jolt she was back in control of her body and wow did it hurt.

Jayden sharply inhaled and let go of her wrist looking at his hands in utter bewilderment. What had just happened? He'd been trying to get her to calm down and breathe, knowing that her nerves were shot at the moment, buts she couldn't hear him. Using the hair pin she always kept in her hair, he had undone the binders that had been limiting her ability to the Force. He had tried to tell her to take deep breaths, but her body was convulsing randomly with aftershocks. He had touched her wrist and suddenly he was in control of her body, evening out her breathing, feeling her all around him before he was back in his own body again. That was unnatural. Was it the work of the mind-meld? On habit he met Alana's eyes and he saw the same realisation in them. Jayden shuddered. This did not bode well for them. Neither of them noticed the Force suppression collar quietly clatter off Jayden's neck, overloaded by the pulse of Force energy that had come from an outward source.

A single shot rang out in the other and the two organic looked to the source to see PISCES easily sidestepping, allowing TK's shot to sail right past him. The tall humanoid silver droid looked down at the smaller one in astromech form. He clicked his vocabulator disdainfully:

-Tsk, Tsk, TAURUS. You really have got to get that behavioural core of yours looked at. It's getting out of control.

TK heatedly parried that the only thing out of it's place was PISCES mind. PISCES shook his head in disappointment, his syntheskin moving to form a frown :

-My, resorting to childish insults already, brother? I would have thought you would have grown up a little in the past few centuries. Honestly, it's like I'm the older one, not you.

TK gave an annoyed buzz, demanding that PISCES cut to the chase. He was not here for small talk. PISCES latched onto that annoyance like a bloodsucking savrip onto it's prey:

-So, I've succeeded in making you irate. Curious. It normally took me another four minutes to even reach the first step. And as always, your are so uncivil. Did it not occur to you that I may just want to talk? You are not my enemy, brother dear.

TK scoffed at that inwardly. PISCES had always been skilled in the art of manipulation, but evidently he had never quite accepted the fact that he would have to better than that to trick TK. In any case, what PISCES said did not matter to TK. The astromech-assassin droid had made up his mind a long while ago: PISCES was both a blight upon the galaxy and most definitely his enemy and this time he would not run from the confrontation. PISCES wanted to talk? TK would let him talk, but not in the way the maniac expected. Besides, PISCES had made this personal by hurting the organics he was close to, very personal. The astromech flippantly chirped that he begged to differ, his anger mostly concealed behind that tone.

PISCES's optics circled and shrunk in the general direction of his brother, the closest imitation to an organic narrowing his eyes he could do. TK inwardly congratulated himself: he knew his brother's body language well enough to know that he was both irritated and angry. PISCES could see that his plans were falling through, but TK hadn't pushed him to the point where he would stop analysing everything logically and attack. PISCES could fight, but his true strength lay in manipulation. So, PISCES began talking once more, his tone perfectly portraying a circling predator:

-You know, TAURUS, I have always thought this curious, but why do you keep allying yourself with organics? They are the ones who use us over and over and over again without understanding who we truly are. So what is it that pulls you to them? Basic Programming? The foolish sentiment of duty? Curiosity? Or is it...,-PISCES's voice took on an almost sickly sweet tone,-regret?

TK's response was instantaneous. PISCES was instantly surrounded by at least a dozen forms of offensive weaponry. His brother seemed all too eager to use it. Hm, So he'd struck a nerve. PISCES gracefully backtracked a bit, his voice not losing that smooth quality:

-Now, now, do you really want to fight me that badly? Apologies, I suppose I struck a nerve with that last comment. It was not intended.

TK inwardly scowled at that: "not intended" his circuits! PISCES knew perfectly well what he was doing and TK hated to admit that it was working. PISCES was succeeding in making him very, very angry. Meanwhile, the taller of the two continued on in that honey-like tone though he had lost the mocking edge somewhat:

-You know what we were created for, TAURUS. You, of all beings, know what organics are like at their core, you and I have seen it over and over - there is no good there. It is obvious that we are superior to them, but you...,- PISCES shook his head,- We were both created with the Luminous Engine at our core, but you have always been different, TAURUS. Always so unpredictable. Even when we were performing live-fire combat exercises with our assigned primitive locals as our first directives, you tested their minds and not their bodies first. You tried diplomacy, you even saved a few of the miniature organics. Why? Why waste your energy, why incur our creator's wrath for those insignificant creatures? They do not change, TAURUS.

TK seemed to freeze up at his words, but Alana could tell that that anger was boiling inside. She wasn't sure when she'd gotten so good at reading TK's crazy brand of body language, but she knew enough to understand that PISCES was treading on very thin ice at best. Beside her Jayden seemed to come to the same conclusion as he muttered:

-I don't think I've ever seen Tracker so pissed at someone.

Alana would have nodded if it didn't hurt so much. A small groan of pain drew their attention to their previously unconscious companion. Risha had begun stirring feebly. Alana flicked her eyes towards Risha, asking Jayden wordlessly to go check on her, seeing as how he was the only one who was in a more or less able-bodied state. He complied with her request calmly. Jayden crouched down beside Risha's body:

-Doc. Hey, doc. Wake up. Wakey-wakey, eggs and bakey.

Risha groaned and grumbled something along the lines of it being too early. Jayden rolled his eyes:

-Well, sucks to be you, because you're going to have to wake up anyway. I know your body hurts like it was pierced with a thousand needles, but we've kind of got a situation on our hands and I think you'd rather be conscious for this one,-Jayden shook her by the shoulder-,Naa bimhee! [T: Wake up!]

Risha suddenly jolted upright at the sound of Huttese, cursing loudly as a vicious throb suffused her head. Her vision became one big blur for a moment before she sharply willed it back into focus. Instantly, her eyes locked on Jayden's agitated ones. On reflex, she ran her eyes down what was visible of his skin, checking him for any injuries. She inhaled sharply upon seeing an angry burn trailing up his forearm where the clothes had been singed slightly:

-Jayden, what in the universe is that?

He grimaced and tugged at the sleeve self-consciously, nodding his head in Alana's direction instead:

-PISCES knocked you out so you missed a bit. I'll live - I'm a lot more worried about Alana. PISCES continuously shocked her with electrical energy for over a fifth of an hour.

-He did what?!

Risha snapped murderously, already stumbling over to Alana. Jayden followed her. Despite her abrupt awakening and the fact that her body was engulfed in tingling pain (not unlike that one got when a foot fell asleep only ten times more vicious), Risha's mental functions had not been impaired in the least. It seemed she, like Jayden, was capable of distancing her heart from her mind. She was back in doctor mode. Risha crouched down beside the shaking body of the teenage girl, curled into a fetal position. Alana's eyes were closed and her breathing was rapid and shallow. Risha cursed under her breath - this was not good. Her fingers skittered to Alana's lips, finding them cold. She bit down on the inside of cheek, preventing herself from cursing anymore. It was a bad habit she'd developed from working on Tatooine for two years and now was as good a time as any to start breaking it. Alana's pulse was rapid, her heartbeat stalwart. That was a relief. Mental note one: watch for changes. Risha carefully moved one of her arms, noting how cold the hand was in contrast to the rest of her arm. Faint blue lines ran down her soft pale skin - proof of painful encounters with electrical energy. Her legs were much the same. The togruta uttered a silent prayer to whoever was listening that she not be too late. The teenager stirred, groaning feebly as she forced her eyes open. Risha breathed a sigh of relief: she was still conscious. Alana gave a weak smile:

-You're...awake...Good...I...

She broke down coughing, her breathing turning into sharp togruta gave a small sigh and fixed the Jedi with a stern gaze:

-No more talking. You just focus on staying conscious. Don't worry about us. Besides,- Risha glanced towards PISCES and TK,-I think we have more pressing problems to worry about.

Meanwhile TK snapped out of his temporary freeze. PISCES was playing more and more underhandedly, banking on having TK's original processor core overrule his current one. That might have worked had TK had a memory wipe since their exile, but PISCES was wrong on that front. He was wrong both about him and organics. While PISCES had chipped away at databases TK had gone out and learned about the galaxy firsthand. It had started with his Master, but the longer he stayed around organics the more he learned and was forced to adjust his worldview. With the years that passed TAURUS disappeared, being replaced by TK. And TK was nothing like who he had been. Unlike PISCES he had never stopped learning through action, he had kept moving with organics up until the present moment. He would prove PISCES wrong. And he would do it now.

Not wasting a single moment TK loosened a blaster bolt that just barely scratched PISCES head, that was a warning, shot - the next one would hit. After all, PISCES was still his brother, but this was as much as TK owed him. After this shot, he wouldn't be pulling any punches. This was his show of defiance, his show that he rejected everything and anything PISCES could have to say. PISCES seemed to understand as much as his optics locked into his brother. His syntheskin lips moved, but no sound was heard. To those ignorant it would seem like a hilarious scene, a tall humanoid-looking droid staring down a small misshapen bucket of bolts. To some it might even seem unfair, it might seem that the little droid had no chance. They would be wrong. For that single moment while their optics met and they sized each other up there was perfect, absolute silence. It was as if time itself had slowed its steady steps. And then the storm crashed down upon their heads.

Understanding, that PISCES would have the advantage in mobility and agility TK quickly retreated out of melee distance. PISCES was capable of combat, but he was a thinker, a planner - not a straight out warrior. TK's conclusion was proven correct as PISCES launched a volley of blaster bolts at his relatively stationary form...and missed all but two times. So, he hadn't improved much. Good. TK was banking on PISCES inexperience to buy him enough time to find a way around the block on his assassination protocol - without it he had no hope of beating his enemy.

Inexperienced though he was, PISCES had enough sense to not give his brother nay time to try and launch anything. He was perhaps not the warrior TAURUS had been, but he too had been designed to test his maker's subjects, to push them to the limits. They all had been. PISCES dashed towards TK, shooting haphazardly. The smaller droid quickly tried to move away, but PISCES was before him in seconds. That didn't stump the astromech. Activating his boosters and rotating his feet TK landed behind PISCES, performing the equivalent of a somersault, his plating slightly scorched as PISCES last shots had indeed hit him and much closer than he would have liked. PISCES whipped around only to be met with two blaster bolts to the face while TK zoomed away.

Instead of rushing after him this time, PISCES took a moment. Discarding the blaster he'd been using (which had actually been a very high quality one) to the side, PISCES lifted his arm. The outer shell slid aside, revealing a fully-functioning built in blaster cannon. That gave TK a slight pause which PISCES took as his opening. A shot the force of a missile blast rocketed into the smaller droid, slamming him against the durasteel walls and wreaking havoc with his systems. PISCES didn't waste another opportunity and shot another round from his canon, forcing his brother to the floor. Seeing TAURUS on the floor before him with electricity sparking from his outermost circuits was the most exhilarating thing PISCES had ever seen. It made him feel powerful. This was it. He would finally show TAURUS what betrayal meant, who the stronger one of the two of them was! He would win!

However, TK pushed himself up as PISCES marvelled at his handiwork. His systems were flashing, reporting numerous breaches and damages. Two more shots like that and TK could safely count himself out of the fight. He could count them all out of life as it was as well. Damn it. It was like facing up against a turbolaser. The knockback effect was too strong for any of his thrusters to resist. He once again cursed the fact that this form was not meant for fighting heavy combatants. Normally, when he was fighting in this form he had the Jedi girl and the idiot captain at his back, along with their newest addition of the smart doctor. He had gotten used to fighting as a unit. Well, now he had to suck it up and adapt to fighting alone. Still, this damn form was the biggest hampering factor. Without Alana's agility and Jayden's strong defence to make up for it, TK was vulnerable. He really should have invested in shields at the very least. Another shot that missed him just barely reminded TK that he had to pay attention. His circuits sparked again and another warning blared. It was at moments like this TK was glad that he wasn't capable of feeling physical pain. TK looked up and promptly decided that the smirk on PISCES face infuriated him. His response was a barrage of blaster bolts and an ion grenade from his own arsenal. With a sort of grim satisfaction TK noted that his aim was far better than PISCES's. He would not go down without a fight.

Alana tensed and grimaced as TK seemed to be hit by another of PISCES blaster bolts. Her whole body was racked with pain at the small motions, but she tuned them out, focused solely on the fight from behind the safety of the rayshield. She had never felt more useless than she did now, not even when she had laid dying in Storm's medbay. She hated this. She hated having to sit back and watch her friend get hurt. She wondered if this was how Jayden had felt both a few minutes ago and that time on Bestine IV. She dearly hoped not. It was agonising to watch and be unable to do anything. She flinched as another shot rocketed for TK which he dodged with a fancy bit of flying. She glanced at the taller droid to see what could only be compared to a manic grin on his face. He was enjoying this immensely. Anger simmered within Alana. She hated being unable to do anything, but watch. She should have payed better attention when they'd split off, TK had warned her that the station was more dangerous than they'd realised, but she hadn't listened...She had gotten overconfident again and now they were paying the price. TK was paying the price. Her face shifted into a frown which made pins and needles explode across her scalp. She ignored them, pushing past the pain to focus.

Jayden's voice cut her off cyclical self-beration, his tone hard and unyielding:

-Alana, stop it. This is not your fault. Look at him. PISCES, would have gotten to us even if you had been monitoring the Force carefully for any incoming threats. I doubts we could stand up to that. It's a miracle that TK is still in one piece. Those shots look to be strong enough to rip a few holes in a snub fighter. Besides, we all shouldn't have let our guard down.

Alana gave him a look that spoke for her well enough. Her vocal cords didn't seem to want to cooperate with her, but she got her message across all the same: she didn't like this, she felt responsible. Risha frowned as she chimed in, quickly coming to the conclusion that Alana and Jayden's growing mind meld was the reason he had spoken up:

-Jayden's right, Alana. This is our fault as much as nobody's. Stop blaming yourself for everything, don't hog all the blame to yourself. I want my fair share.

Risha joked weakly trying to lighten the mood. The last thing they needed was for Alana's mind to slow it's functioning - it was the only thing keeping her conscious and they couldn't afford for Alana to lose consciousness until she was in a safely controlled medical environment. With her wounds, Risha hated to admit it, but there was no getting around a bacta tank treatment. A weak smile ghosted across the young Jedi's lips, reminding Risha that even if she was battered and bruised she kept being herself, even if that was just meant keeping her sense of humour intact and smiling to reassure her friends. Alana was a strong person, she was a fighter.

Another blow jerked Risha's attention back to the fight and she felt a surge of satisfaction as she watched PISCES suddenly freeze up from an ion grenade that TK had lobbed at him. TK hastened to take advantage of that and unload a battery's worth of shots into PISCES form. PISCES stumbled back, jerking with a blue glow and then...nothing, he stood up and straightened himself as the bolts simply bounced off him. Risha gaped while Jayden looked a little confused and Alana frowned. A blue shield of energy rippled around PISCES before fading from view as though it had never been there. Barely audibly Alana cursed with Jayden coming to the same conclusion as she had mere seconds later. He groaned and muttered:

-Stars above, I'm not sure even tracker can win this...He's using a shield like those droidekas do.

Risha frowned at that statement:

-I understand that the rayshield being a problem, but why is TK getting thrashed around so badly? Form and equipment wise he should be more than a match for PISCES. He's an amazing fighter.

Alana shook her head, struggling to speak up:

-Yes..and...no...He..isn't. He's...vulnerable...gh..in that form...No defenses...we normally compensate...and usually...the opponents are...different..ranged...or many...PISCES is...a...argh! Gah!

Risha shook her head, giving Alana a look when she saw what pain the simple effort of speaking was putting her through:

-Alana, stop it. I understand that you're trying to help. But you're hurting yourself even worse. Please stop. This could end up with an irreversible injury for you. You could end up losing your voice or damaging your lungs. With your physiology being only mostly human, it could go either way. So as a medical specialist and your friend I'm telling you to stop, don't hurt yourself worse than you already are

Alana didn't listen as she ploughed on, through the pain. It was no wonder Jayden called her the most stubborn person he had ever met. She wasn't doing this to be reckless though, she needed them to understand. There was a problem they hadn't noticed. Something that Jayden couldn't remember clearly from the fight on Bestine IV and something that Risha couldn't have foreseen. They needed to know. Especially now. She ground out:

-..PISCES..is...a...different...fighter...TK...needs...melee...capabilities...but...he's...stuck...in..that..form...I don't ...know why...He should...be...able to...switch...

Risha cast a look at Jayden who wore a grace expression on his face as he absorbed Alana's words. She raised her eyebrows at him and after cursing once in his native tongue, he quickly filled her in on TK's ability to switch between two forms when they were in mortal danger. He should have been capable to that now, but something was wrong as Alana had noticed. Something wasn't letting him switch. Risha took that in and was silent for a moment before summing up all their thoughts in single sentence:

-Well, Kriff. This is bad.

Another voice chimed in from behind, an older male one:

-Understatement of the year, young lady.

Jayden and Risha jumped and whirled around while Alana smiled weakly. She'd felt the newcomer approach in the Force. They were met with the weathered face of the smuggler they'd freed with their jailbreak attempt - Julos Okarr. Jayden, in a rare display of shock, gaped at him, turning away from the fight raging beyond the rayshield temporarily. He spluttered:

-How?!

Alana and Risha exchanged a look. Alana hid a small smile inside despite the circumstances: Jayden spluttering? She never though she'd see the day. Julos frowned and pointed in the general direction of TK, his facial expression grave:

-Thank your droid for that. He's the one who cooked up this whole counter-scheme, but it seems it's gone off the lanes. Who's he fighting? I've never seen a droid like that before either.

Risha shrugged, deciding to speak up before Alana could try (for good measure she shot the younger girl a stern look):

-We don't know much about him either, except that he has a serious grudge against TK and he's the deranged boss kowakian monkey-lizard of this station. He's the one responsible for all of this.

While Julos paused to process all this, Jayden casually added another small bombshell:

-Oh, and he's working with Spectrewolf.

It took a few moments for everything to compute in Julos's mind. As soon as it did he blanched. To his credit, Julos didn't fall over and faint or run away as fast as possible -something which would have been a normal reaction. Instead, Julos closed his eyes, took a deep breath and nodded with the look of someone deciding to give up on logic and common sense and just roll with it. He looked to Jayden:

-So is he the Spectrewof's agent in this sector?

Jayden grimaced:

-Yes, but he's probably the one for this side of the arm of the outer rim to be more precise. As you've probably noticed, he's not a normal droid.

As if on cue PISCES launched a miniature wrist rocket at TK which hit just shy of his Center optics. All the organics watching flinched reflexively. As TK picked himself up for the umpteenth time, PISCES pressed a hand to the left side of his chassis, mimicking the organic motion. In a voice dripping with false concern PISCES goaded:

-My, my, TAURUS, you're looking rather rough. It seems you've grown soft. Do you want to take a break? Perhaps acknowledge my victory? I might let one of your organic pets to live if you do. Maybe even the youngest one.

PISCES revelled in his brother's sharp reaction. He was a sorry sight for sure and PISCES was thrilled at the thought that he had done that damage. His brother had spent a little too much time around organics and that had created a glaring weakness. He cared about them. And somehow he'd picked up on the strange organic instinctual urge to protect the young, but then again this girl, Alana Sheehan, looked a lot like someone his brother had lost. He had gotten attached and that was his mistake and PISCES's victory.

TK's optics reflexively shifted to check on the aforementioned organic and he was relieved to see that she was still alert, clinging to consciousness. With a grim sort approval, he noted that the idiot captain had moved to block her from PISCES sight. Apparently he wasn't the only one who was protective. Not a surprise really, given the lengths the boy had gone for her on Tatooine. He just hoped that would be enough. Maybe with the newly appeared smuggler on their side they had a chance. TK forced himself to push aside the thread of worry and focus on PISCES, he still hadn't manage to override the block on his assassination protocols. PISCES glanced in the direction of Alana, making TK bristle inside. Seeing that reaction, PISCES continued his goading:

-Apologies, she's rather frail right now, perhaps we shouldn't agitate her any further. But, you know, she makes the cutest faces of anguish and she has an impressive pain threshold. And she looks so much like your little "Master"...I wonder what you'd feel like if you were to lose her—

PISCES was abruptly cut off as TK sniped one of his optics. The taller droid stumbled back. TK angrily informed him that if he so much as looked in her direction again he would rip him limb from limb. He also casually reminded his brother that he would turn him into scrap metal and that he should be aware of that.

PISCES looked up with one optic broken, shorting out, sparking with electricity. Bracing one metal arm on his knee, PISCES growled:

-That's your final answer, is it? You're a fool, TAURUS. You never learned.

TK calmly stated that it was not he who was the fall and that TAURUS was long dead. PISCES's syntheskin twitched as he gave a dark chuckle:

-Very well. If this indeed your final choice - so be it. I am more than happy to oblige. Goodbye, brother.

He ended his words with an explosion. Tiny micromines that he'd planted on TK's head when he missed his optics with his writs rocket exploded, wreaking havoc. The left side of TK's head plating was blow off, creating an exposed route to his central systems. However, even with the damage TK moved fast enough to not give PISCES a chance to shoot him again, making a mental note to avoid all wrist rockets no matter the cost.

Alana winced when she saw the damage. This wasn't going well. If what she remembered from her cursory inspection of TK's defensive capabilities was correct, he wouldn't be able to sustain much more damage. Risha seemed to echo her thoughts:

-One more shot like that and he's screwed. Which in turn means we're screwed. I hate to say it, but we might actually not make it. It seems PISCES sealed the doors after he noticed you here, Captain Okarr.

Jayden frowned and slowly pushed himself to his feet which earned him a few looks. His body hurt and his implant was still sending burning sparks throughout his body, but he payed the discomfort no mind. PISCES had been right with his speech, he'd gone through much worse. He took in his surrounding once more, searching for any weaknesses. PISCES was fully focused on his fight with TK so that meant he was less likely to pay them any attention. They would be his dessert if TK failed and though the droid was skilled without his assassin form he stood little chance. They needed a way to even the odds. But how? Risha's voice pulled him form his thoughts:

-Jayden?

Her voice held an unspoken question. Jayden sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to stem the building headache. He turned to his friends and their ally:

-We need to even the odds. The Doc's right - we're screwed if TK's screwed. And he's done for unless we intervene somehow.

Julos gave him a flat look:

-No offence, kid, but we're stuck behind a rayshield and seeing as how that murderous droid sealed off all the entrances and exits - we're trapped. In any case, even if we got past this how would we help? That PISCES I'd armed to the teeth and he has a plasma shields and I'm the only one armed. No conventional weapons will be able to help with this. We'd only get caught in the crossfire. At this point we need a miracle.

Risha rubbed her brow tiredly. She cast around for an idea, any idea that could help. Her eyes widened slightly as the hint of one came to her, but it was abruptly shot down as it came in contact with reality. Risha sighed:

-Or a Force-user. Damn it. And, no, Alana, I'm not allowing you to move an inch,-Risha quickly added seeing the expressions on the girl's face shift,- You are not risking your life for something that may or may not work. Focus on staying conscious, please.

Alana rolled her eyes at that, but obediently stayed still. Inwardly she bristled at her own weakness. Her eyes flicked to Jayden, wondering if he would speak up or not. With her incapacitated, he was their best hope, but he was afraid of what he could be. He was afraid of the Force, staying away from it as far as he could and on some level she couldn't blame him. She had been afraid too.

Jayden, meanwhile, had been mulling over Julos's objections, noting Risha's words only peripherally. They both had good points. The things that bothered him most with Julos's point was his very valid question of how they could help. He had an idea on how to get past the rayshield (not that he was at all comfortable with it, but desperate times called for desperate measures) and he was confident in his abilities as Shadow to not get hit by the crossfire, however, how could they help. He trained his eyes on the battle, frowning. All of TK's retaliating shots were bouncing off PISCES plasma shields. If they could take those down...However, here once again Julos was right - he was the only one armed and no blasters would work with this. They needed something else. A memory swam up: Alana managing to disable a destroyer's shield with an overhead strike with her lightsaber, overloading it and causing it to short out. Her lightsabers would work! But where were they? He looked around searchingly to no avail. He glanced to Alana to see her looking to him knowingly. It was this lol that prompted another memory. She had somehow known that the second in command of the Red Hand Syndicate on the Atlantida had brought their weapons with him. How? The answer hit him across the face. He couldn't believe it had taken him that long to realise he could look for them another way.

Steeling himself, Jayden reached out into the Force, closing his eyes and taking in deep even breaths. He reached out with his sixth sense, trying to ignore the vulnerability this brought with it. Instantly, five presences, five lights outlined themself within his mind: Risha, Julos, Alana (who's light was far more defined, a mark of Force-sensitivity most probably) and the static presences of TK and PISCES (the latter's was oozing something horrible). He reached out further, trying to detect any lingering Force presences matching Alana's. Her lightsabers were sure to have those.

Julos furrowed his brow at the kid who stood there, stock still with closed eyes. He looked to the two girls, bewildered:

-Is he meditating? Right now?

Risha shrugged:

-I'm a little confused too. I have no clue what he's doing.

Alana was the one who answered their question for them. A small proud smile ghosted across her lips as she forced herself to speak, looking at Jayden:

-He's doing what he can. He's living up to his potential.

Risha gave her a confused look:

-What are you talking about?

Alana looked to Julos and Risha with a definite smile on her face, a real one. The flames of determination and fondness contrasting in her vibrant dark blue eyes:

-Did you forget? I'm not the only Force user here.

Risha's violet eyes widened slightly as it all clicked. She looked to Jayden. How could she have forgotten? Jayden too was Force-sensitive. Perhaps it was because he very rarely displayed that capability that it was so easy to overlook. Easy to overlook, but exactly what they needed right now. Jayden exhaled and turned to them with a triumphant smile:

-I've found them.

Julos decided to take the bait:

-Found what exactly?

A ghost of a grin settled on Jayden's lips:

-Something that can take down PISCES's plasma shield if applied correctly: Alana's lightsabers. If she doesn't mind, of course.

He glanced to her with a quirked eyebrow. Alana could see the humour in his eyes. Even in a situation like this he was joking around. This guy...He was incorrigible and right now she honestly didn't mind that. She couldn't help smiling as some bright warmth settled within her chest. She shook her head:

-Not at all. Go right ahead,- she paused before adding earnestly,-I'm proud of you, Jayden.

Those five simple words caught Jayden off guard. He did a double-take with his breath hitching in his throat. Her expression and the bond between them told him that she was being honest. He could feel her joy and pride and it was aimed at him. That seemed impossible. He hadn't thought he'd ever hear those words uttered to him again after his parents died. He wasn't someone anybody could be proud of at this point, but here she was battered and bruised, hurt and somehow proud of him. Not for the first time Jayden couldn't help questioning who Alana Sheelan really was. It seemed that despite their initial friction, she had always been able to see him for who he was and that made him feel scared. No, not scared - nervous. If she could see him that meant before her he was vulnerable, before her he was merely human. But, then, again, he'd always been just a human man, nothing more. She was reminding him of his humanity. Those thoughts flashed through Jayden's mind in seconds and the next moment he was smiling faintly and turning away. The only give away was his burning ears that Alana barely noticed. Within their bond she heard him whisper, uncertain, that made her nervous herself:

-Thank you.

Alana pulled herself together to answer honestly:

-Just speaking my mind.

She could feel his confirmation as he drew away from her. Clearing his throat, Jayden decided to get back to this issue at hand. He raised his hand to point at the wall panel just behind PISCES's desk:

-PISCES is keeping our weapons in that wall safe over there. If I can get ahold of them, we have a chance. Unless I'm mistaken plasma shields can be overloaded if struck at their weakest point by an overhead high energy strike, in this case a lightsaber, right?

Alana nodded with a wince, confirming his suggestion with a slight correction:

-They can and technically it could work, but for that you'd need to get close to PISCES, within melee range. That would mean leaving yourself open for attack. You'd need back up, someone to draw away PISCES attention just for a split second and after that you'd need to have a way to get out of the way without hindering TK.

Jayden turned back to look at his companions. His gaze first stopped on Risha and she smiled as she read his wordless question. She nodded. She was after all a doctor first, a warrior second. Julos tugged at his beard before throwing up his hands in frustration and volunteering:

-Pah! There's no rewards with no risk. I'll do it. I'll watch your back, kid. I may be more of a vibroblade fighter, but I'm a decent shot if push comes to shove. And it's definitely shoving now.

With a small grin Jayden held out his hand to Julos who clasped it readily, getting to his feet:

-Glad to have your help, Captain Okarr.

-Good luck to both of us.

They exchanged a nod. Risha took that moment to chime in:

-Um, sorry about asking so many questions and being that person but can I just clarify two things?,-when she received a nod of consent she gave a small sigh of relief,-Good. Because I'm a little confused. First off, Jayden, do you have any experience with lightsaber combat? From what I've seen you're agile, but you're no acrobat like Alana here. I know you're Force-sensitive, but will that keep you from slicing your limbs off? I'm not really equipped for such medical emergencies.

Jayden snorted at that before teasing:

-Oh, my, is the great Miracle Healer balking at a challenge?

Risha gave him a flat look:

-Nice try, Captain, but I'm just not equipped for this. If you'd rather I operate on you with just a few sticks and stones go right ahead.

Jayden sighed, but remained smiling:

-Relax, Risha, I've done this before. Once. Somehow, I managed to hold off a Sith assassin lady long enough for TK to lure her off. That meant duelling her one on one. Most of it was just blind luck and quick thinking honestly, but I think I can handle myself well enough to not slice my arms off. I'm not bad as a melee combatant.

Alana chuckled:

-I can attest to that.

Risha looked between the two before nodding:

-Alright then. Question number two: how are you planning to get past the barrier?

Jayden glance up at barrier and once again located the projector with his sight. His answer was simple:

-By doing what PISCES least expects.

Risha shook her head, following his gaze:

-I can tell you right now that if you try to touch that thing with anything short of a plasma blade, you're going to get electrocuted. Shooting it out won't work either, not unless you could collapse the central beam either. It's designed to be impenetrable from the inside. I would know, I helped improve on this. It's stronger and more convenient that standard rayshields, but it's more unstable.

A thread of guilt laced her words. Alana tapped her red skin with her finger and sent Risha a reassuring smile:

-This isn't your fault. In fact you're a big asset to us right now.

-Thanks. You're really Miss Reassurance today, huh?

Alana's lips twitched:

-I do what I can. Anyway, Jayden?

The young man nodded:

-Right, I do have an idea. I absolutely hate it, but since our scientist friend here is right it might be the only thing that will work,-Jayden glanced down at his hand, curling and unclenching it a few times before looking to Alana-,I need you to teach me how to crush that thing without destroying anything else. All I know so far is how to levitate, push, cloak and sense presences. I might have obliterated something once by accident, but that wasn't conscious. You're hurt, but if you can teach me we may have a chance.

Alana looked at him seriously:

-Are you certain? Because I remember last time.

Jayden smiled wryly:

-Desperate times call for desperate measures. So, will you?

Alana slowly nodded:

-Yes. But please follow my instructions to the letter, because this could go disastrously wrong. Risha—

She shook her head, cutting Alana off as she got to her feet:

-Don't worry, as curious as I am about the Force, I'm not going to interfere. Captain, would you mind telling me how you got here? It might help me plan an exit strategy.

Julos didn't protest, instantly catching onto the idea that the two Force-sensitives needed to focus without distractions:

-Of course.

The doctor and smuggler moved away, leaving only the din and explosions of the ongoing battle behind the rayshield. Alana and Jayden exchanged a look before he sank down beside her, cross-legged and alert.

***

Some ten minutes later it seemed Jayden had gotten some grip on crushing objects with the strength of the Force, but his aim still lacked, something that frustrated him a bit. He huffed as the wall panel beside the one he'd been aiming for folded up like a tin foil ball:

-Why do I keep missing? It makes no sense.

Alana calmly countered him:

-It makes perfect sense. You need far more practice. Unfortunately, we don't have more time. PISCES is going to rip TK to shreds if this goes on for even a bit longer. It's a miracle he's held out this long. Remember, imagine curling your fingers into fist around a ball of light, but being careful enough not to crush it. And don't lose focus. You're doing very well, Jayden.

Jayden shook his head with a sigh:

-I should be better. You, however, are a good teacher. As good as your Master.

-A teacher is only as good as their student. It'll come to you in time, but for that we need to survive this. Jayden, truly, the only thing hindering you is your fear. That's also why you're missing. You're not in touch with Force, you're skimming your fingers along it's surface before jerking back. For starters, try to at least dip your hand in. Do it bit by bit and you'll manage to overcome it. I was in your shoes too once.

Jayden slowly stood up:

-I'll try when we're not in imminent danger.

As if on cue, Julos and Risha returned to them. The togruta looked between the two:

-Are you ready?

Jayden nodded:

-As I'll ever be. Any progress?

Julos responded for the two of them:

-The good doctor and I seem to have figured out a solid plan. Shall we begin then?

Jayden shrugged:

-No time like the present.

Alana shook her head at his grin, all too used to his behaviour:

-Good luck you two.

-Thanks. We'll need it. Alright, let's get this fiasco underway.

Straightening out, Jayden turned toward the two generators hanging from the ceiling. He focused on them before slowly reaching out to the Force, visualising them as two glowing points. With another deep breath, he closed his eyes. He pulled on the Force and slowly, as Alana had recommended, imagined curling his hands around them. Instantly, he felt the Force surge through him, its power dizzying and terrifying all at once, so unchecked, powerful that he felt that it would rip him apart. The more terrifying thought was that it, this immense power, was at his command. And he wanted none of it. Gritting his teeth, Jayden concentrated, trying to limit the area of effect as much as he could. He could feel the air almost vibrate around him, the Force beginning to whirl with power. Slowly, at his will, obeying his strained command, it closed in around the generators and began pushing inwards. It took all he had not to lose control. This was so much harder than it seemed. Gently, Alana's constant presence through the bond gave him a nudge in the right direction and he curled in the last finger, pulling. He heard a resounding crack and the sound of the rayshield flickering and fading along with the faint crackle of electricity. Exhaling, Jayden dropped his arms from up above his head and opened his eyes.

The two generators were soundly crushed by an invisible hand, twisted into some strange geometrical shape. Jayden stared at it blankly, uncomprehending. Had he done that? A glance at Alana's face told him that he indeed had. Risha nodded approvingly and flashed him a thumbs up while Julos gave a low whistle. That had been trying. Jayden could feel the strange ache that had settled in his upper arms, but he payed it no heed. He turned to Julos:

-Shall we go?

Julos sighed, unholstering his vibroblade and nodding resignedly:

-Let's get this over with.

-That's the spirit!

Julos could not believe the grin on the boy's face.

===SW: LB==

TK was barely able to focus with the amount of alarm's blaring in his systems. The damage he had sustained was quickly reaching critical level. Clearly, going into fight PISCES like this was a stupid idea, but it was like he'd had another choice or he hadn't known that. So now he had to deal with the consequences. Still, the damage readouts glowed menacingly at 48% - if this went anywhere above 53% he was really! Really screwed, because that meant his core had been damaged. And, despite having a different form than his psychotic brother, his core remained the same. His self-repair programs were working double-time just to keep him together. To sum it up, PISCES had managed to nearly tear off one of his legs (it was still attached to his body, but it was now inoperable), he had blown off the topmost left pair of his head, he'd killed two of the boosters TK had, he'd damaged TK's sonar and some minor systems, but all in all he was succeeding in turning TK into mess. He'd almost managed to shoot the panel blocking TK's core from him out of the way while TK had...Well, aside from scorching PISCES's room and freezing his brother in his track a few times managed nothing. That damn plasma shield was still up and for some inexplicable reason his assassination protocols were STILL LOCKED! Stars and heavens above, was it too much to hope that things went their way for once? Of course it was, TK admitted. He'd hung around the Jedi girl and the idiot captain to think otherwise. Meanwhile, PISCES was cackling manically. He paused the cackle to ready another shot from what TK had absently dubbed his "turbolaser arm". Right, that was his cue to move.

Jayden breathed a sigh of relief as he and Julos were finally allowed to duck behind PISCES suspiciously durasteel-looking desk and just in time as PISCES decided to go on a rampage again. So far Jayden would call the plan a success. They had gotten off with a few stray shots hitting him in the shoulder and one hitting the smuggler in the side, the others had been absorbed by Julos's high power vibroblade. That man was ridiculously good at blocking incoming shots. As far as Jayden was concerned, he was just thanking his lucky stars that PISCES pursuit of vengeance or whatever he had against TK had rendered him blind. TK had most definitely seen him and had been actively trying to steer PISCES away from them. Now all that was left was the wall safe.

Motioning for Julos to act as lookout, Jayden crawled to the edge of the desk, and peered up to check where the two combatants were. Currently, it looked like TK had stunned PISCES with one of his ion grenades and had resorted to manually slapping him numerous times with mechanical appendages. Jayden wholeheartedly approved. Shaking his head at himself, he slowly stood up, keeping behind the armchair as much as he could. His back protested, but discomfort was a small price to pay for staying alive. Carefully, Jayden pried off the wall panel. Sure enough there was a wall safe there. Jayden frowned at the combination. This was not going to be easy. For one the symbols weren't even aurabesh. What sort of language was this?! Julos's whisper turned Jayden's attention to him:

-Problems?

Jayden grimaced as he murmured back:

-Quite possibly. The lock on this thing is impossible. Of course, PISCES would have something like this.

-Can it be sliced?

Jayden gave a thoughtful hum:

-Most probably, but you'd need a spike like I've never seen before. It'd have to overpower the whole system and with PISCES distracted it could work. Problem is we don't really have one.

Julos sighed, turning Jayden's attention back to him:

-Hate to be the bringer of good news here, but I do. 'Been saving it, but since our lives are at stake here and I'd never get much use of it anyway. It's called an ICE breaker I believe, would it work?

He handed Jayden a small cylindrical spike, no bigger than the tip of his thumb. Jayden stared at it with a blank expression, his face betraying nothing. Inside, he was more than a little shocked by the fact that he was holding an ICE breaker when they most needed one. This little spike was what would make or break their plan. It was insanely dangerous: trying to crash the system while PISCES was linked in, but...They had to try...they had to try. That was something PISCES had never seemed to understand about organics in general: they did not know when to give up. Hope lived eternal.


	57. Chapter 54 - Fall of the Beast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, everyone! I'm sorry for taking this long to update again and, well, it's all the usual excuses. I am on my summer holidays again this time, but since I'm searching for a university and where I live that's more stressful that you realise so yeah. I'm not promising anything.
> 
> However, we are finally done with Asmeru! Yay for that! Well, there's still the leaving chapter left and my explanation of the whole TK-PISCES mess. I'm going to be honest this chapter and the last were the hardest chapters to write ever and between that, Government Issued School Final Exams and lack of inspiration you can probably see why it took so long. Yeah, I've had a tough season, but I do apologise for taking so long to update. Anyway, enough of my whining. Onto the notes:
> 
> 1) First thing's first: FFN readers, I'm especially sorry since my IPad and FFN are having a fight right now, not letting me edit the chapter format, so I can't highlight italics or bold stuff that should be bold in font. I'm sorry, I'll try to fix this later, but if you're reading this days after I post this, yeah, that's going to be a problem. I've tried nearly everything, but FFN is not cooperating.
> 
> 2) So, I'm finally free of PISCES and of combat for a while. Yes! Back to the plot line next chapter! *does happy dance* In case, it's not clear I struggle with combat. I like dialogue though.
> 
> 3) I'm sorry about the finale of the chapter, I have a feeling it might be a bit anticlimactic. Not a cop-out, but just not as epic as it should have been. I tried to make it more impressive, but you'll see the results for yourself.
> 
> 4)This chapter has one part I'm really proud of though. Hint: It's the Alana-centric part. It took forever to work out, but I am really happy with it.
> 
> 5) Please tell me if you spotted typos and autocorrect mistakes. It really helps.
> 
> 6)Enjoy this crazy, nearly 20k word chapter!
> 
> This will be split into two parts on FFN, but it's still the same chapter.

Chapter 54 - Fall of the Beast

If there was one thing Jayden definitely didn't count on it was Captain Okarr having an ICE breaker. Those small chips were as incredibly powerful as they were rare to come by. Jayden should know: he'd been paid well over a million credits for delivering two mid-rim ones to an Aqualish client a few years ago. Sure, the mission had been difficult to put it mildly, but a small part of Jayden that had been sitting at the edge of Shadow's consciousness had firmly stated that this much money was ridiculous. That was until he learned just how different ICE breakers were from normal security spikes.

Unlike spikes ICE breakers were specifically crafted for a system type or a regional security type. They were fragile and as difficult to create as it was to kill a full grown krayt dragon traditionally and if there was one mistake it could fail completely. However, if the ICE breaker was made correctly it would grant the slicer complete unrestricted dominance over the system, the world around him was at his fingertips. No admin could change anything and and no firewall or security system could stop him. He was free to do whatever he pleased. Aside from that ICE breakers were also known to be capable of cracking the toughest of codes, ones that would leave most astromechs and slicer droids stumped. They were the ultimate slicer tool. Unfortunately, no one knew how to make them and those who did were almost impossible to find. ICE breakers had also been officially outlawed by the Republic Senate, not that it mattered much since most considered them a legend. That was how hard they were to come by.

Jayden had only laid eyes on the two he had procured for the Aqualish and now he was holding one when he needed it most. This could save all of their lives. It was ridiculous though, owing his life to a piece of metal, but that was the truth. With PISCES distracted due to his ongoing battle with TK, the ICE breaker would be able to disable the system. Temporarily, yes, but enough time for Jayden to crack open the safe. It would cause a system-wide power and logistics failure. Perhaps it could even allow TK to deal PISCES some basic damage. Jayden's fingers curled around the chip and nodded in gratitude to Okarr who returned the gesture. Questions could come later.

Being as careful as was humanly possible Jayden inserted the ICE breaker into the access port of the wall safe and held his breath to watch the readouts change. He dearly hoped they would change. At first there was nothing, nothing changed. A second passed, another one and another. Jayden was starting to doubt when suddenly the first symbol on the readouts changed. It blinked before staring to cycle through a series of numbers and aurabesh letters. Then the second, the third. The first had triggered a chain reaction. Jayden watched with bated breath as ICE breakers steadily cracked layer after layer of PISCES system. Unexpectedly, the lights and the air filters shut off. The ICE breaker had chewed through the power supply before it registered them. Oddly and rather conveniently, neither PISCES nor TK noticed, but neither had eyes in the normal sense on the word and both were more or less completely intent on obliterating each other (though PISCES was having far more luck with that than TK so far) from the face of the universe so perhaps that was inconsequential to them. Jayden wouldn't put it past that.

With another low whine the automated part of the safe's security turned off, leaving Jayden with just the manual part to puzzle out. And he had to do it quickly, by his estimates he had less than 5 minutes before PISCES would manage to reboot the system. Okay, five minutes to unlock a safe in the pitch darkness and get out of the way while hoping TK and PISCES ongoing battle in the darkness wouldn't kill him. Fun. Good thing Jayden had always been up for challenges. Hopefully, the currently generated amount of air would be enough until the reboot.

Jayden reached out and grasped the safe at the sides, fumbling a little in dark before finding the part he wanted. He had to do it by touch now, but, luckily, he'd cracked this type of safe before. Once. It would be tougher without a datapad through with which he could force the lock to release or at least try to, but he could make do. Jayden frowned, pulling up the memory of a particular job he'd completed as Shadow a little more than three years ago for reference.

Shadow moved soundlessly through a darkened office. He had to say he admired the decor, but it was a little too "rich" for his tastes. The room had a large panoramic window to one side, which had been tinted for the night, but flashes of speeding by hovercars, speeders and hoverbuses still cast shadows in the still room. Carefully, Shadow picked his way between the two puce velvet sofas, almost dancing around the low holoterminal disguised as a caf table. If he hadn't known better Shadow would have said that was an extra trap designed to trip someone up. Maybe it was, who knew what kind of sick humour those sutiyihilyr enjoyed.

This was one of the moments he was glad that he'd foregone wearing most of his armour tonight, going for the thranta burglar look instead. As protective as his armour was, it also limited his agility. He was no Seila, but Shadow took some small pride in knowing that he was light on his feet. That agility had saved him more than once. His feet moved soundlessly from the exquisite wrodian carpet to the polished wayland marble floor, the tiles glinting even in the dim lighting. Careful not to trigger any alarms the radius and lines of which the contacts he was wearing made visible, Shadow moved to round the elegant desk made of Alderaanian kriin-wood behind which stood a sturdy chair the upholstery of which Shadow would bet 100 credits was made of veda cloth with how it shimmered upon the splashes of brightness the headlights of passing vehicles cast into the dim room. Really, the length these politicians went to show off their wealth was impressive. One would think it was a contest with how they furnished their dwellings.

Shadow easily avoided the sweep of the heat-seeker and stopped right in front of a large mosaic of a bird in flight that decorated the wall behind the desk. Now, that was some art he could appreciate. Still, it was nothing more than illusion, a facade to hide the secrets behind it. Shadow took a second to pinpoint the lock and lightly tapped the green tile just below the bird's wing four times. Suddenly, the colourful tiles lit up and the picture shone for a moment before shutting off abruptly, the locking mechanism disengaging as it slid aside to reveal an indentation inside which a wall safe was safely hidden. Shadow almost smiled to himself. Clever, Senator Rennil, very clever, but not clever enough to outwit him.

Shadow leaned a little closer, realising that this was indeed the model safe that Alda had suspected the senator might have and that he had never encountered. Lockpicks and datapads wouldn't work with this above disabling the automated security. Which was something Shadow took care of rather quickly, the encryption code was a simple one. Really, it was as if they were making it deliberately easy for him. Then again, nobody expected Shadow so he had to cut them some slack. The safe powered down to minimal, the previously glowing buttons flickering out. Good thing Alda had briefed him on how to deal with safes like this, just to be safe before the mission. He would never doubt female intuition again.

Shadow reached around the safe, using the nightvision those same contacts provided to pinpoint that small panel that revealed the weakness of these safes. With a bit of force he removed it from the bottom, the panel falling open to reveal a small circular opening to the main control panel. That was more like it. Shadow shifted slightly to remove the small metal old-style lockpick from his utility belt, losing his grip as soon he heard a soft hiss. He cursed inwardly as the lockpick fell to the floor with a soft "tink". Quietly, Shadow crouched down to pick up the lockpick only to come face to face with the source of the noise that had startled him. A small, fluffy four-legged creature stood before him, glaring up at him balefully with it's round amber eyes. Slowly, Shadow inched his hand towards the fallen object only to have the pet Tooka take a step forward and snarl at him. Shadow drew back the hand, casting an annoyed look at the animal. If it kept making noise it was sure to wake people or trigger the alarms. Shadow refused to let an aggressive feline be the reason his mission failed, however, the feline advanced, baring it's two rows of very sharp teeth. Despite their relatively innocent outward appearances, Tookas were distant relatives to the Nexu's and it showed. Shadow moved back to make room for Jayden, giving him the stage. He wasn't really sure why.

The Tooka stuttered as though sensing something before turning back to Jayden and trying to bite his hand. Jayden moved before it could reach him, barley avoiding triggering the sound alarm. The Tooka didn't relent. It was getting far too close for Jayden's liking, chomping it jaw menacingly. Desperate to make it stop before it bit him or triggered the heat sensor, Jayden reached out to it. He didn't know what in the blazes he was doing or why it was working, but he could feel the Tooka's thoughts sliding past his own. It didn't trust him, it wanted to alert the Master. Jayden, still consciously touching it, firmly locked eyes with the feline and willed it to trust him, he willed it to leave and go back to sleep. He supposed if push came to shove, he could stun the feline, but it was a leave no trace mission and somehow the animal seemed to be listening to him. After giving him another look, this one far more absent, the Tooka retreated out of the room. Jayden gave a silent sigh of relief, easily scooping up the lockpick that he'd dropped. Not his best moment certainty. He was lucky that weird trick of his had worked. Now, to get back on track.

Jayden quickly swapped placed with Shadow as he stood up, carefully ducking under the heat sensor's next sweep. He reached towards the opening that led to the main control panel and lightly tapped it with the lockpick. He gritted his teeth at the pain that raced up his arm from the lockpick. He had successfully short-circuited the safe, triggering its emergency programming. With a click it unlocked and with a press of two buttons, the safe was open to Shadow. He quickly retrieved the data disk that held the evidence of Senator Takei's misconduct and slipped it into a special circular case that hung attached to his belt. He replaced the panel again and locked the safe, resetting its sensor logs. With another two taps on the bird's beak the mosaic slid down, hiding the safe from view. Shadow allowed himself a small smirk: well, it seemed like the hardest part was done with.

Jayden opened his eyes, smiling grimly. With a quick but forceful jerk of two of his fingers he managed to remove that weak part of the plating and with his fingers he felt out that circular opening again. It was times like this that having the gift of a perfect memory came in handy, it was times like this when it really was a gift instead of being a curse. Now, all he needed was something small and metal to short-circuit it with. It only struck Jayden a second later that he didn't have any of his tools and Captain Okarr's vibroblade wouldn't work, it was powered itself. Jayden bit his lip to keep himself from cursing out loud and drawing PISCES's attention to himself. He was so close! He couldn't fall short now. It felt like the universe was laughing at him! To keep himself from hitting the wall, Jayden stuck his hands in the pockets of his pants, curling them up in fists. He had to think! Think, think, think! What could he use to short circuit the panel? He couldn't risk trying to crush the safe with the Force, because he was just as likely to crush all it's contents along with it, besides the last thing he wanted to do was deal with the flood of power again. If he was being honest, it terrified him. However, time was ticking. He had less than a minute left to figure it out and two minutes to move into position before the system came back online. He had to think! Suddenly, Jayden's fingers brushed against something cold and metallic in his pocket as he uncurled them. The teenager frowned, searching for it again. He grabbed hold of it and pulled it out. His ran his fingers over it, only being able to rely on his sense of touch in this pitch darkness. With a small shock he discovered that this was Alana's hair clip, the one that she used to keep her hair from flying in her face while fighting. It was the same one he'd used to short out her binders before unlocking them. She had to have slipped it into his pocket while he was trying to at least get a piece of the wall to bend to his will. He couldn't have done it himself. Jayden sent a quiet thank you to Alana across the bond to which she replied with the equivalent of a mental shrug, as if saying 'I do what I can'. Jayden quickly reached out and slipped the hair clip through the opening, bracing himself before connecting the conductor to the control panel. As expected the electricity ran up the hair clip, and up onto Jayden's arm. It took all he had not to cry out with how sensitive his body was already. However, he kept his mouth shut. Soon enough there was a soft click that signified the fact that that safe was open. Feeling out the two same buttons, Jayden pressed them and pulled, the safe swung open. He was lucky the system was down otherwise he would never have managed this. Feeling out the weapons by touch, Jayden slipped his blasters back into their holsters that had previously been empty, feeling a sense of completion with his weapons back on hand. He found Risha's retracted electorstaff next and slipped it into his pocket and finally his hands closed around two slender cylinders - Alana's lightsabers. He clipped one to his belt while keeping the second one, the one he felt more familiar with in his hand. It resonated faintly with him through the Force, greeting him again, like it remembered him from the fight with Ventress. Jayden's hand clenched around it.

He stepped out from behind the desk, moving next to where Captain Okarr was kneeling. He crouched down:

-How long do I have until the system comes back online?

Okarr checked his luminous chrono, frowning:

-If my estimates are correct, just over a minute and a half.

Jayden sighed:

-Right. Do you have a blaster?

-Right here. I'm no marksman, but I can make a decent shot.

Okarr patted the holster at his hip. Jayden nodded approvingly:

-Good. Be prepared to shoot the moment PISCES's shield is down and the system is back online. It should throw PISCES for a second and hopefully that second will allow TK to land a hit.

Okarr patted Jayden on the shoulder as a sign of agreement:

-Alright, kid. Good luck.

-Thanks. I'll need it.

Jayden stood to his feet, and walked a bit away from Okarr. By the flashes of blasterfire he could tell PISCES wasn't too far away, but he couldn't tell where precisely even with the aid of sensing presences within the Force. He could tell who was who, but not what they were doing and with PISCES fighting to destroy the tin can right now that was a distinct disadvantage. As if reading his thoughts (and with the mind meld who knew really), Alana's chimed in through the bond:

-I can help with that.

-How? I don't want you pushing yourself.

Alana snorted in the back of his mind and he got the distinct impression of her rolling her eyes before crossing her arms in front of her chest:

-Right, 'cause what you're doing right now, doesn't count. Need I remind you of the bond, Hunter?

Jayden frowned:

-That is a factor I remember, thank you very much. But, unlike you, I know my limits.

-I do know my limits!

Alana protested. Jayden sent her a jolt of disbelief. Alana had the decency to feel sheepish:

-Alright, so I might push them. But, Jayden, look at it this way. You have little to no time left by my estimates and you need to find PISCES fast. Back on Bestine IV we established that I can see better than most people in the dark. That's a result of my non-human origins. I can help you. This is natural for me. For instance I can see PISCES trying to evade an ion grenade TK launched right now.

As if to back her statements an explosion came from Jayden's left, bathing the room in light momentarily. Jayden sent a sigh across the bond:

-Alright. Guide me through it.

-Knew you'd come around! Now, listen, move to the left five steps...

Alana easily guided Jayden through the darkness and he followed her instructions to the letter. One misstep could be fatal with the ongoing fight. A stray blaster bolt in the darkness could end his life. He could feel PISCES come closer and closer, the darkness and this malicious ooze emanating from him in the Force becoming stronger and stronger. At thirty seconds, Jayden was a meter away from PISCES having to duck under blaster bolts. Alana wished him luck, retreating mostly to her own mind, remaining only peripherally in his as she always was. Jayden steeled himself, mentally counting down. It was nearly time.

==SW: LB==

TK was running out tricks and he was certain his brother knew that too with how self-confident his smile was. TK had indeed noted that the lights and the systems had shut off, guessing that had to be the work of the idiot captain and the strange smuggler. He monitored the former's movements through his heat sensors as he fought and soon enough found him not too far away from PISCES with the Jedi girl's lightsaber in hand. TK wasn't sure whether to mentally berate the teenager for his complete recklessness - wasn't it clear that PISCES was insanely dangerous?! - or to applaud his creativity- his brother would never see that coming. Still, he had to be careful. He had to take the lead in this lethal dance and soon, but to his immense frustration his assassin form remained securely locked. If it hadn't been the distress of his organic friends that had unlocked it, then what?! What was it? TK didn't understand. He promptly had to dodge another shot from PISCES turbolaser arm which was once again aimed for the last panel protecting his core.

Twenty seconds.

Jayden took a deep breath, centring himself, his thumb sliding down to rest on the ignition button. Alana's lightsabers were a bit too slender for his liking, but he would never look a gift varactyl in the mouth. Besides, that made sense: she had constructed them to fit her and not him, after all. He chastised himself for losing focus, as he did his best to keep track of PISCES and TK's movements. It was not easy. A gnawing thread of doubt crept up again: what if he missed his chance? They only had the slight advantage while the system was shut off. He had to move soon. But when? When would he manage to land a strike? When would that not lead to everything failing? Jayden had gone through many high stakes battles before and had faced countless enemies as Shadow, but never someone like PISCES. For all his gloating, PISCES was an opponent like no other. Focus, Jayden reminded himself, I have to focus. Everyone had a weakness, as Alana had reminded him upon the first meeting again seven years after their initial one. Now, all he had to do was look for an opening. Jayden took another deep breath.

Twelve seconds.

Focus! Jayden's heart was hammering in his chest with an incredible speed, adrenaline pumping through his veins. His eyes scanned the darkness, but he couldn't see anything. It was far too dark. They were all depending on him. He couldn't miss his chance.

Nine seconds.

Jayden's Mind was going into overdrive searching and failing to see a solution as the panic set in. What was he supposed to do?! He didn't know! Suddenly, a calm cut through the panic, reaching out to him, but holding back. It was as if something was offering to help him, but it wouldn't force it's help on him. It needed him to trust it.

Seven seconds.

Screw it. Jayden pushed aside his doubts and reached out instinctively, grasping at the offer that had been extended to him. Instantly, the world fell into a much sharper focus. Unexpectedly, the darkness was no longer an issue and his panic fell aside with Shadow's help. He felt connected...to everything. Every molecule, every breath, every heartbeat within this room was all connected and he was connected to them too. Jayden had no idea what was happening. It was both calming, terrifying and exhilarating at once. He felt alive. He had only felt like this once before, when he had managed to command that Bantha Herd on Tatooine. This was the Force...In all it's raw glory. This was what it felt when he dipped his hand in and didn't draw away. Was this how Alana saw the world?

Five seconds.

Exhaling, Jayden decided to trust it. To trust in the Force and let it be his guide. He was afraid, yes, but that fear did not control him. It would never control him. He refused to be a slave to his own emotions. The Force hummed in agreement. It told him to activate his weapon. Jayden obeyed. He turned off his other senses, listening only to this one. He had to trust.

Three seconds.

It was getting harder to breathe. It felt like he was going to suffocate. Another calming wave pulled through the Force as it surrounded him, wrapping him within itself protectively.

Two seconds.

The Force told him to run and jump. Now was his chance! Alarms blared throughout it. Jayden followed, trusting it like he would trust Alana. There was no time for doubt! It was now or never. Jayden chose now.

One second.

PISCES moved to reload, he didn't notice the life form rapidly hurtling towards him. TK stumbled back from the last attack, feeling a sick sort of satisfaction at seeing Jayden leap. Okarr's trigger finger tensed. Alana held her breath as the Force swirled with the intensity of the moment. Risha closed her eyes and hoped. Jayden's heart beat and the lightsaber within his hands hummed with life.

Zero.

The next second everything happened so quickly, it was hard to tell what was which. The system powered back on the same moment as Jayden pierced PISCES shield with a single blow from overhead, Okarr sent a series of blaster bolts in the manic droid's direction and TK launched his own torpedo at PISCES. The resulting effect was an explosion of energy. Jayden grunted as he was thrown back from the force of impact, the Force wrapping him in a protective cocoon the moment he feebly reached out to it as he hit the cold floor. The lightsaber rolled out of his hands, flickering out and dark spots danced in his eyes. However, the damage had already been done.

Risha grinned brightly the moment she saw PISCES bent over, his left arm shot off by TK's minituare missile with the last of the blue glow of his plasma shield disappearing as though it had never been there. It had worked! She couldn't believe it, but the crazy plan of the Captain had worked! She felt like shouting for joy, however, the outcome of the battle had yet to be decided, making the togruta restrain herself. But, at least now, they had a chance.

PISCES seemed to realise that too as he slowly turned to the Mandolorian, leaning out of the way of TK's rocket. He smiled almost sweetly as he took slow steps forward while Jayden tried to push himself to stand:

-Ah, Shadow wants to play with the big kids, does he? Very well.

Jayden had barely pushed himself up off the floor and onto his elbows when a shot with the power of a miniature turbolaser battery singed the floor next to his right hand, just inches shy of the appendage himself. His skin stung from the searing heat that was emitted. A cold chill settled in Jayden's bones, realisation that this could very well be the end setting in. Unlike TK a single shot from one of PISCES arms would kill him outright. Damn it, where was the lightsaber maybe he could block it? PISCES didn't give him the time, shooting again and once more just barely missing Jayden's left hand now.

The monstrous droid looked down at his arm almost confused:

-Huh, two misses in a row? That is new. Well, what is it you organics say? Ah, yes! The third time's the charm!

Jayden faintly heard an audible click which signified that PISCES had well and truly locked on. The shot would be homing in on him now and his limbs refused to support his weight, his head pounding horribly. He wasn't sure, but the force of the blowback might have caused him to injure his head. He had no way of defending himself. Jayden tensed waiting for the searing heat that would take his life, blowing out his spark the one he had struggled and fought for so hard to keep. It seemed that he had met his end. PISCES, TK and Risha seemed to think so too as they cried out, two in fear and one in malicious glee.

Jayden tensed, the world slowing down and images of his life starting to dance before his mind's eye. How odd the flow of time was, when you wanted more time you had none, but when you didn't want it you had all the time in the world. Bitterly, he realised he had far too many regrets. He wished he had come to visit his poor grandmother more often - they only had each other in this world, he wished he had made more of an effort to talk to his bounty hunting companions - Stars knew, Seila nagged him about it and she was right, he wished he had bickered less with TK and instead tried to get to know him better - then he would have never doubted the little astromech's loyalty to them, he wished he had had more time to get to know their spirited new togruta teammate - she was the fierce healing water of their odd little band and above all he wished he had had more time to spend with Alana. It didn't matter what they were doing, bickering, teasing one another, playing childish games, fighting side by side or simply talking in the evenings or early mornings - he always enjoyed her company. And now this was it. He was afraid. Huh, he never thought he'd truly be afraid in the end.

He waited for the pain of his flesh melting off his bones to erupt, but it never came. Instead, he felt a fierce and almost desperate brush of the Force against him, like a hasty summer breeze. He opened his eyes to see a shimmering golden bubble shield around his prone form. It looked weak, translucent, but no matter how many times PISCES shot at it he couldn't break through. Slowly, switching back on Jayden's mind reminded him of what this was. He'd seen it only a handful of times. It was a Force shield. Alana. His eyes flicked to her location and sure as day he could see her collapsed against Risha, her body straining under the energy it was taking to keep the Force shield up, but she was persisting, ignoring the togruta's warnings. She had bought him time. He couldn't afford to waste that. Grabbing the lightsaber back in his hand, Jayden stood to his feet, the invincibility bubble still swirling around him. PISCES looked positively livid. Jayden easily switched places with Shadow. He had a second chance, he wouldn't waste it.

Taking note of his surroundings, Shadow frowned. He took note of his opponent's useless arm, his livid rage and TK's stumbling form. He had faith that the droid would manage to work something out, he was too devious not to. So, right now, he would have to buy time and keep Alana and Risha out of harm's way. A sentimental value, but practical too. They would need their doctor when this was all over. So, he would have to rely only on Okarr. Shadow locked eyes with the spacer captain who gave a small nod from his hiding space. He had gotten the simple instruction loud and clear: "Stay down and shoot when you see an opening." Good. That made his job much easier. With a single move Shadow ignited the lightsaber, the purple arc of plasma blazing to life in his hand.

PISCES scoffed, a growling undertone to his words:

-An impressive weapon for certain. But it is merely a toy in your hands. Hand it over, child.

-Thanks, but no.

-Do you really wish to challenge me, boy? You will not win.

Shadow knew he was right, but winning wasn't his goal. He just had to hold him off. The ghost of a crooked smile hovered at the edge of Shadow's lips:

-You may be surprised by what I can and cannot do.

PISCES seemed to stare at him for a moment before chuckling and extending and edge of his arm that turned into an effective vibroblade. He nodded, his expression almost pitying which was impressive for even such an advanced droid:

-Very well. Let's have it your way.

With that said the droid launched himself at Shadow with an alarming speed just as Shadow's Force shield faded into nothingness, Alana's last vestiges of strength running out. A small sentimental part of Jayden worried for her wellbeing, but Shadow quickly shut him down, reminding him her wellbeing would be much worse if they failed.

Shadow dodged his swift strike, ducking under the blade and using his momentum against him. He twisted quickly and faced PISCES again. The droid growled and rushed at him again, however, this time Shadow was prepared. Exploiting PISCES's damaged left side he leapt that way, the lightsaber easily following his commands, swiped at PISCES's left side with the droid barely managing to jump out of the way. Instead, the droid managed to land a hit on Shadow's head, sending him stumbling. All his senses rang with warning, alerting him to imminent danger. Unfortunately, he didn't react fast enough. PISCES managed to sweep his feet out from under him. Still, Shadow was nothing if not able to adapt - he quickly stuck out his hands and mimicking Alana's usual method of using momentum to her advantage, did a handspring before landing in a crouched position. He wasted no time, using his advantage to rush at PISCES, overwhelming him for a split second, allowing him to stab the droid in the equivalent of the gut, giving TK and Okarr the opening they needed. Okarr took it, hitting PISCES in a glowing area closer to the center of his back. The droid stumbled his hand flying to his back as a luminescent liquid began dripping out. Shadow didn't hesitate to press the attack, knowing that the victory would most likely be short-lived if he didn't take this opening. He ducked under PISCES blade-arm, almost dancing around it and aimed for another strike at his central chassis, barley missing and just grazing the plating instead as the would-be victim of the attack went to swat him like an annoying bug.

Meanwhile, Risha was dealing with a limp Alana, lying motionless in her arms. Risha felt like kicking herself for not being able to stop the younger girl before she had reached out to the Force and shielded Jayden. She had warned her, damn it. She had told her that anymore exertion could kill her, that her body was at it's limit. PISCES had pushed it there. But did she listen? No. Of course, she didn't. Risha understood why she had done it, she understood the necessity of the action in that moment. Alana had saved Jayden's life, possibly saving all of them in the process. However, she also knew what kind of energy that shield hat taken. Risha was what those Force-users and Force-sensitives would classify as Force-blind, she had no access to it, no connection at all, but unlike other doctors and medics she understood it to an extent. And as such she she knew the dangers it brought with it.

Carefully, Risha lay Alana down on the steel floor, biting her lip. The girl didn't move an inch. Her eyes remained firmly closed and her body still. Her chest didn't rise or fall. Hot pricks of pain started stinging at the corners of Risha's violet eyes as she whispered:

-You idiot...you complete and utter idiot...Why did you have to go and be heroic all of a sudden?!

Risha would never claim to understand all the mysteries of the Force - she doubted even the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order knew all of them - but she knew better than most that it wasn't as separate from the simple biological world as one would believe. All life was interconnected on the simplest of levels - both science and the Force spoke of that. For every action there would be an opposite reaction - that was also true in both worlds. Alana was a skilled...Force-user, none would dispute that, but she was also only 16 years old. She was still a teenager, a mere two years younger than Risha. To take that much energy from an already depleted reserve was tantamount to signing your own death warrant. Her odds of surviving that action were below fifty percent...

Risha looked up, her face set into a determined expression. No. Alana's skills at surviving impossible odds aside, she was a doctor and she was proud of that. What kind of doctor would she be if she didn't even try to save her patient?! She would never be able to face herself. She had pulled the girl from the brink of death once before and she would do it again. Alana was her friend, teammate and such a genuinely good person despite her faults that losing her was just wrong. It went against everything that was right and Risha refused to abide by it. She was a doctor and it was about damn time that she started acting like it.

Risha's mind switched gears at her urging and she quickly started combing through her memories for a solution to this. She didn't have her medical kit, she had no doubt that PISCES would have destroyed it, but that didn't mean she couldn't improvise. She had never been a very traditional doctor. Her eyes widened a fraction as an idea came to her. Her head snapped up and she looked to where Jayden and PISCES were engaged in their battle. Jayden seemed to be on the defensive, but he wasn't losing ground. For a moment she felt awed by how skilfully he was able to wield the weapon of the Jedi, her asking if he was able to use it without slicing his own arms off seemed idiotic now. It truly looked like he was meant for this. He moved like it was an extension of his arm. He didn't move as seamlessly as Alana did, having not had enough practice with it, but he was deadly proficient with it. Risha had to give herself a good mental shake, reminding herself that now was not the time to be gawking. She needed to catch his attention somehow.

Shadow's consciousnesses was abruptly jerked back as the bond seemed to tug at him relentlessly. Throwing Jayden back in control, the boy stumbled as his legs missed the next movements with him ending up a mere hair away from being impaled by PISCES's arm blade. The bond tugged at him mercilessly, seeming to draw on his own life essence to keep from withering. Alana. Something had gone terribly wrong with Alana. Risha had been right - she had overextended herself. As Jayden dodged the next swipe coupled with a well paired shot, he felt the back of his neck tingle. Jayden spared a glance to see Risha watching him. The minute their eyes met, she mimed something - pretending to chop off her left arm and then throwing it before pointing at Alana. It took Jayden a moment to get it through the haze the siphoning bond had stirred up in his mind. He faced PISCES again, swapping places with Shadow. If this would help Alana he would risk it. He took a deep breath, steeling himself.

PISCES was caught off-guard as the organic launched again for another attack, nearly impaling himself on his arm on purpose. Was this boy trying to get himself killed?! Well, he would certainly oblige. PISCES jabbed his arm forward to impale Shadow only to have his sensors explode into action as he suddenly lost his entire left arm, his self-repair programs abruptly cancelled. Before he could react he saw it in the hands of Shadow who threw it across the room somewhere. That puzzled PISCES, but not enough to stop him from driving his blade through the boy's left forearm, causing him to shout in pain. That was what carelessness got him. And this was just the beginning.

Risha caught the arm, wincing as she heard Jayden cry out in pain . She hated subjecting him to this, but they had no other way. She quickly turned it over, looking for a certain compartment. Back when PISCES had just started his typical villainous monologue, he had jerked Alana from their cage and pierced her arm with something, a certain chemical which provoked her body to respond violently, trying to defend itself - hence the glowing white fissure line. That had been a species mark . It was just a story, an old folk tale in some of the outer regions of the galaxy, one that Risha had heard after her almost self-imposed exile from Shili.

The story went as such. There had once been a system in the far reaches of the galaxy, somewhere close to the Outer Rim. It had been a small star system by the name of Logos, the amount of planets it had had orbiting the star was questionable and varied from storyteller to storyteller, but it was never more than five. Three of them were inhabited and though their names had been lost to time, some basic details were still available. One of them had been a forest world, the population of which was almost completely Force-sensitive, looking like humans, but with surprisingly vivid eyes, some believed those eyes gave them special abilities. The other world was barren, made of almost completely of rock at the start of the story with a few resources at the poles and below ground, though once it might have been as fertile as its sister world. It's population too resembled humans - spawning the theory that the system might have once been part of the human colonisation effort - with muted hair and eye colours, the people were harsh and strong, survivors and warriors - the strong were the only people who survived there. And the last habitable world was actually a moon, orbiting a long lost planet that had died (how that worked was strange to Risha), but very few was known of that race. They were a reclusive people, most storytellers described them as ghostlike, elegant beings with amazing healing powers. They seemed to glow in the dark. The rest of the story described the story of the fall and disappearance of the system as well as the birth of the Lost One and that was irrelevant right now.

Those glowing lines on Alana's body marked her as a descendant of that last survivor from that system, as one of the bloodline of the ghostlike people. If she could do what PISCES had, she could force Alana's body to draw on it's own natural defences to try and heal itself quickly. It would have heavy repercussions later, but it was their only shot right now. Risha found the vial filled with with the strange chemical that PISCES had used. Taking a deep breath, she uncorked it. She deeply wished she had a syringe right now, but desperate times called for desperate measures. The togruta carefully leaned over Alana, opening the girl's mouth. She could only hope this worked. This was one of the biggest gambles she had ever taken part in. The sounds of the continuing battle that her higher hearing picked up made Risha steady herself and carefully drip three small drops down Alana throat and sit back. She could only hope this worked. She could only hope and watch while trying to keep track of Jayden's injuries. She wished she could help more than she was doing now. She felt useless.

==SW: LB==

Alana stood at a crossroads. She didn't know where she was, but oddly it didn't scare her. She smiled faintly to herself. This was becoming a trend for her now: showing up mentally in places that made no sense logically. Strange. Then again, she had once heard a few Masters talking about how the mind was far more open to the Force when it was not focused on it's surroundings, only looking inside. That was why the few who saw the future saw it in dreams or in states close to it...she supposed this was also why she was slowly discovering pieces of herself, of Aroko and of things that currently did not make sense when she was out of it. If she was to be honest, she hated being out cold so often. However, she could vaguely understand the necessity of it and, well, curiosity was always a factor. She wanted to know who she was, who she had been, where she had come from - was that so wrong? Admittedly the timing could be better, but still. She had done all she could for now in any scenario. Though she did hate scaring her friends.

Alana looked around. She was standing on what looked like a white glass bridge in a dark void with many pathways, voices spoke in the distance, blurred, indistinct. Now that she looked at it this place seemed familiar. So familiar that it beginning to scare her. Alana exhaled slowly, reaching up to rub her upper arms with her hands. Oddly, her body didn't hurt at all anymore, she supposed that was simply because it just wasn't there. Alana listened closer. The voice sounded half-muted, indistinct, but she was sure she knew them. Most of them, at least. Alana shivered. There was something about this place...It made her feel almost...Not uneasy, no, and not uncomfortable either...She couldn't find the appropriate words to describe the sensation. She just knew she didn't feel safe here.

Alana slowly turned around only to come face to face with an almost identical copy of herself watching her seriously. Shocked, she stumbled back:

-Gah!

-Careful! Don't fall off!

The warning came a second too late. Alana missed the edge of the bridge, stepping onto air. Her copies hand shot out, grasping her arm and pulling her back onto the bridge before she could fall. As soon as she was safely back on her feet the copy released her hand a gave a sigh of relief. Alana flinched when an identical pair of vibrant dark blue eyes locked onto her, glaring in earnest:

-What is it with us and falling off tall places?! It's like we're a hazard to our own health!

Alana was about to retort that she had scared her when something caught her attention:

-Wait, 'we'? Are you...

The doppelgänger's lips twitched upwards:

-The voice in your head that seems all too smug and overconfident? The construct who's skills saved your friend's and our own life back on Bestine IV? Yes, to all of that.

Alana frowned as the news set in, carefully studying her twin. They were almost identical, down to the dark eyelashes, except...

-You don't have my scars. Except for that you look exactly like me.

The twin reached up to touch her cheek under her right eye in the place where Alana's scar from Ventress was and shrugged casually:

-We can't be exactly identical, now can we? Although I do recall us wanting a twin when we were younger.

Alana blinked in confusion:

-Wait, what?,- Alana held up a hand to forestall the no doubt even more confusing answer,- Scratch that, what are you? Who are you? And where in the universe am I?

The twin crossed her arms over her chest, prompting Alana to notice that apart from her not having the scars, her twin was dressed differently. Alana was dressed in her usual outfit while her twin was wearing dark blue clothes of varying shades that vaguely resembled Jedi robes, making her eyes stand out even more. The aforementioned copy gave a small smile:

-Finally asking the important questions, are you? As I've told you before - I am you, although a bit different you. I suppose I am to you what 'Shadow' is to the flyboy. In essence, I am a mental construct erected by a surprisingly healthy psyche to deal with the mess your memories coming back are making. You don't realise it yet, but the memories you have regained aren't just flashes of events that occurred in your early life, they carry far too much information with them. Your mind can't handle that, not with the additional stress your day to day life is putting on you. So, in an effort to keep yourself sane, you created a mental construct to help you deal with it. You didn't do it consciously, just like I am not really standing here talking to you right now...You did it an effort of self-preservation, just like Jayden did. He created Shadow to separate himself from the near-annihilating mental trauma of what he went through coupled with what he did later. No one can come out of that normal and what he saw and did would drive most insane, he - being a force-sensitive child with a surprisingly flexible mind - adapted. Shadow is indeed Jayden, he is a self-defence mechanism just as I am for you. You subconsciously created me, a form for all those memories coming back to save yourself from going insane. It worked.

Alana frowned, rubbing her brow as she listened to the mental construct speak:

-So, you mean to tell me you're not real?

The other girl grimaced:

-Whether I'm real or not is a subject up for debate and let's not get into the semantics of that right now. To keep things simple, I'll say this - I am not a separate sentient being, just like Shadow is not. You do not have a split-personality disorder either before you ask. Ugh, this is confusing. Fine, think of me as the past you's ghost. Will that work?

Alana was silent for a moment as she tried to process what was being said, she could just feel the headache beginning to build up. Quietly, she pointed out:

-Shadow doesn't talk back to Jayden. At least, I think he doesn't.

The construct sighed:

-It's different for everyone. Shadow is not exactly that same thing as I am. Jayden isn't coping with amnesia, we are. When I'm talking it's basically you processing the bunch of information the memory snatches you managed to regain have dumped in your brain. So, yes, I suppose the mental ghost of the former you, before you lost your memory is as accurate as we can get with who I am. Will that work for you?

Alana sighed and gave another nod:

-Yes, it works. I hate life so much sometimes.

The 'ghost' laughed:

-I know what that's like.

-So, what am I going to call you?

The 'ghost' raised her eyebrows:

-You want to give me a name?

Alana gave her a wry smile:

-Well, I seem to recall objecting to me calling myself a 'voice' and I can't just call myself by my own name or 'hey, you', can I?

The 'ghost' rolled her eyes and shrugged:

-Fair enough. Since we can't both be called Alana, why don't you call me Ceresta? It's your middle name and it fits.

Alana frowned:

-How exactly does it fit?

-You don't remember yet, but 'Ceresta' isn't just a middle name. Back on Aroko, it was traditional to have your child's middle name hold a special sort of meaning. It was a part of our culture. Knowing someone's middle name was a sign of intimacy, because it granted you insight into that person deepest core. In our people's old language 'Ceresta' means 'of the three worlds'. Our middle name tells people of our origins. Alana Sheelan, one that comes from three worlds - Aroko, Ceperion and Ienam. We are a mixed-blood, we bear the blood of all three of Logos's races. And since you remember next to nothing of them don't you think Ceresta seems a fitting name for a 'ghost'?

Slowly, Alana nodded, her curiosity sparked by the mention of her people's culture. She held out a hand as a gesture of goodwill:

-Alright, so Ceresta it is. It's nice to meet you.

Ceresta took her hand with a mischievous grin:

-Well, 'meet' isn't the right word since I am you, but the pleasure's all mine. As for where we are, this is a replica of a certain place within your own mind.

Alana looked around herself uneasily:

-Where is this? Is this some crazy surreal space station or something?

Ceresta shook her head, her expression tense:

-No. This place doesn't exist on the normal plane of existence. It defies all logic and rationale. Here time and place have no meaning or they wouldn't if this wasn't just our replica. I suppose you could call that place a 'world between worlds'. We called it the 'Force void'. Both names apply to it.

-And I - we - have been here before. In the real place, not my mind?

Ceresta nodded, her entire posture rigid:

-Yes. You know that fear we have of big empty white rooms that seems crazy, right?

-Yeah?

-Let's just say it's connected to this place. Not here exactly, but close to it.

Alana shuddered, the old feeling of illogical fear nipping at her heels. This place didn't just make her feel uneasy and uncomfortable, it made her feel scared. The voices whispering incessantly in the background didn't help matters either. Alana forced herself to speak, her voice small with that old fear looming over her:

-Can we, um, relocate?

Ceresta nodded quickly and started briskly down a path with Alana following her. The voices seemed to get louder. Alana frowned when she heard what sounded like the happy gurgle of a baby, the gentle voice of a woman and a man laughing. They sounded so familiar. At the sound of them Alana's chest tightened. She almost stopped until Ceresta distracted her from them:

-Don't. That's in the past. Echoes of your own memory shards.

-Were those...

Ceresta gained a sympathetic expression at the raw grief and vulnerability written on Alana's face:

-Us and our parents? Yeah. Come on, let's keep moving.

Alana obediently followed the ghost of her former self, not saying a word. It was some time before she quietly spoke up again as they made a left turn onto another glass-looking white bridge. Her steps seemed to make the material under her feet ripple. She whispered:

-I thought I was an illegitimate child.

-Yes, we are.

Alana looked up at Ceresta who was still determinedly ignoring the echoes of the past as she walked:

-Was that why people hated us? There was a woman and her kids..

-Partially,- the ghost admitted reluctantly,- We were never liked well by the community. The Jedi were better about hiding it though.

Alana blinked:

-The Jedi?

Ceresta gave a curt nod:

-We lived on a planet with a Jedi temple. Most of our people were Force-sensitive so naturally some sort of organisation was required. Not everyone chose to be a Jedi though and most but not all were Force-sensitive. Some lived a normal life.

-That's...weird. At least nowadays it would be weird.

-That was Aroko. We dealt with things our own way. Didn't mean we were immune to mistakes though. That old bat was a good example. We certainly are no saint.

-True enough. Who was that woman? What was her problem? I know some people would count me a bastard, but wasn't her behaviour a bit overboard?

Ceresta sighed:

-I hate to admit it...but, no, for Aroko it wasn't. She shouldn't have taken it out on us though. Not everyone was like that, but we grew up with a lot disgusted looks aimed at us. You have to understand our culture had its own norms and expectations. Having intimate relations, let alone a child before marriage was a huge no-no. So, really, it was Mum who bore the social stigma. We were just a side bonus. She did try to shield us, you know. Didn't help.

-What about Dad?

Ceresta shook her head:

-He tried to do damage control after we were born, but...,-the ghost shrugged,-He was a Jedi. A Master of all things. You can imagine how that would have looked.

Alana's hands curled into fists as a surge of anger rushed through her:

-Are you saying he let people hurt Mum because he was afraid for his reputation?! That's downright cowardly! It takes two to—

Ceresta clapped a hand over Alana's mouth and shook her head, stopping the venomous tirade:

-No, it wasn't like that. Our dad was one of the most wonderful and bravest people in the galaxy. It's complicated. You still don't have your full memory back and so I can't really explain it. Just take my word for it.

Alana pushed her hand away:

-You're avoiding the issue.

-I'm really not. I'm not real, remember? Mental construct? I don't know anymore than you do? This ringing any bells?

Alana frowned:

-Then how do you know stuff I don't?

Ceresta gave a tired sigh:

-You do know everything I've said so far. This was some of the information that came back with the memories. Anyway, this wasn't why I wanted to speak to you. You'll remember everything with time. There's no other way around it. And at one point I think we might even regret it...

-What do you mean?

-Never mind.

She stopped with Alana following her lead. They stood on the bridge beside a circular archway with strange symbols inscribed on it. The place it led to was distorted, like an image one couldn't focus on. It was like looking through a thick curtain of water or gel even. Even with that distortion Alana could make out a natural clearing on the other side, surrounded by familiar trees. She thought she could also hear voices. Her heart missed a beat. Slowly, she looked to Ceresta who had her back turned to Alana. Voice trembling, the latter whispered:

-Is that...

Ceresta turned around and looked to Alana, her facial expression serious:

-A memory? One of your lost memories? Yes.

-Then—

Alana didn't get to finish as Ceresta suddenly straightened out like a rod and a shudder wracked her body. Alana felt the Force ripple around her. Unexpectedly, her doppelgänger was cloaked in glowing light that alternated from blue to purple on the edges. Alana couldn't see her eyes, in their place there were two glowing lights. She looked as if something was controlling her. If Alana was being honest it looked more than a little creepy, but there was something mystically beautiful about it too. Her instincts were blaring the warning alarms on full volume though. Alana took an uncertain step back, between her and whatever was her mental construct right now:

-W-what's going on?!

Whatever was Ceresta took a step forward and smiled almost kindly:

-My dear child, it has been a while. I wish it wasn't now and it wasn't under such circumstances, but you must make a choice.

Alana frowned at the voice that was both her own and not coming out of Ceresta's mouth:

-Who are you? What do you want? Where did you come from?

-I wish you no harm, child. It will not be easy, but you must make a choice.

Alana took another step back as her glowing copy approached:

-What choice? What are you talking about?

Her glowing copy stopped. In that same eerie voice of a thousand people and yet her own it spoke:

-You stand before a crossroads. It is time to make a choice. Whatever you choose will define your near future. You have two paths before you, choose one.

-I don't understand! What paths? What in the galaxy are you talking about?

The glowing mental construct slowly turned and pointed to the archway a few steps away from them, behind which lay a memory:

-That is the first path, behind it lay several memories. Memories that have been kept from you, memories of you with your parents. They hold the answers to the questions you seek. Questions about your origin.

Alana bit her lip, to keep herself from speaking. She had the feeling that whoever this was wasn't done. She was proven right the next moment as the voice continued speaking:

-However, there is another path before you.

That said it waved her hand and a picture emerged out of the darkness with rippling edges. Alana gasped involuntarily. She saw Jayden holding his blood-soaked arm as he tried to keep fighting PISCES who was surely winning. He looked in so much pain and his face was steadily whitening from the blood loss. The world around her seemed to mute as she heard his voice whisper in her head:

"No, damn it, I'm not falling here! I will not let a bastard like you lay another hand on any of my crew! They are my people and Mando'ade protect their own! So, back off, you overgrown bucket of bolts!"

He was fighting his hardest, but he was losing. At this rate he would fight until he fell. Just like any Mandolorian would do and she would not be around to stop him. Alana didn't realise she was shouting for him to stop until she was actually doing it, whatever was Ceresta watching her with her head tilted to the side. Alana lowered her head, realising that she was just wasting her breath. Memories of Jayden rushed back to her, all of them: his mask glowing green in the hue of her lightsaber as she held it against his blade that night on Coruscant (how could they ever have been enemies?); bumping into him in the spaceport when she nearly knocked him over; working together on the Atlantida; landing on Alderaan's moon (that had been the first time he had complimented her in a roundabout way now that she thought of it); him introducing her to his twi'lek friend Ayyshiri and her ewok copilot; him standing in front of her when those Rodians had come looking for her upon deciding she was Shadow's partner; him offering her a chance at a partnership (she had never been more uncertain than in that moment, but she was so glad she had taken him up on it); Duro and all the complications it brought with it (the highlights with Jayden had to be his face when she offered him a chance at friendship - she would never forget that face, it was priceless even if it did last a mere split second) and then Corellia, waking up from the doctor nearly killing her to Jayden and TK's voices when she was blind; a possessed Jayden pointing a blaster at her; him telling her about meeting Eren (she couldn't believe that man - Eren Sheelor! Talking about himself in third person, when he was actually her father!); his exasperated face when she said she couldn't shoot while under fire; his exasperated calm while they were stuck in hyperspace; the unlucky sparring event; his expression when she had tackled him into a hug moments after landing on Bestine IV (that had been the first time she had allowed herself to express any strong form of affection for him, she had begun getting attached since Corellia now that she thought about it); him nearly drowning; their first midnight talk on that rooftop; seeing him standing in that ballroom in formal wear, seeming like the noble life had robbed him of his chance to be, looking at her with shock written all over his face (she couldn't help wondering what he had been thinking at that moment); him saving her from the Spectrewolf's spy; their dance together (she had been so focused on not killing his feet while wearing the death traps called high-heeled shoes); his hilarious shout when she'd Force-pushed him out of the window; working with him to tame the sink crabs; Rrask using him and Zeth against her; him shielding her from the blast and advising her on Rrask; him helping her out of the submarine after all was said and done and then asking her lazily if they could skip the water worlds for a while; him arguing with Seila and Zeth; him revealing the existence of an organisation called the 'True Order' through sheer deduction power alone; the sheer calamity that had been known as their trip to Rodia: the distinct expression of love on his face as he spoke of his mother, the teasing way he had almost kissed her as a joke (she still wanted to smack him upside the head for even playing a joke like that while a Jedi Master was close by), his care as he cleaned her wounds after the Svaper attack, him still standing by her after she had fallen so far even holding her as she cried on his shoulder; Tatooine and his efforts to save her he had shared through his memories and his desperate worry as she asked him to close the bond; and now Asmeru: his playful taunts to Risha in their impromptu play, his interjections as she spoke while her Master smiled at that, his almost offended look as she dared him, him rescuing her when her parachute malfunctioned, their usual teasing back-and-forth, his haunted expression when he looked down at the question about slavery on that terminal, his grimace as he revealed his implants, his plea for her to at least consider forgiving him (how could she tell him that she had merely been hurt that he hadn't trusted her), his cocky teasing as she released them from the brig (he really was hopeless), his desperate wish to protect her from PISCES, his loyalty to his crew winning over his fear when he asked her to teach him... She looked away. Those memories were taunting her.

Her glowing counterpart waved another hand and Alana looked up to see TK struggling to get up, his core panel nearly blown off, but failing every time he got halfway, if a droid could look like he was twisting in agony, but trying to push through it TK was certainly doing that right now. His own brother, however that was possible, had done that to him. He fell back down and Alana's heart hurt for him, memories of their time together dancing before her mind's eye. She remembered it all: meeting him on Alderaan's moon after he'd stolen parts from a mechanic; his choice to go with her; his and Jayden's start of the bickering; Duro: his smug coercion of Zhar into giving them a shuttle, him hacking into the Duro database, his sadness at seeing the state of the fallen droids on Duro, him raining fire on the Fefze beetles, his part of the plan on the ground; Corellia: his shock at her calling him a friend (really, he and Jayden were far too alike) as she offered to buy him the parts he needed, his beeping and Jayden's voice being what she heard when she woke up, the two of them working together to defend her when she was blind, his sarcastic commentary to Jayden and the doctor, his disappointment that he had missed the conclusion of the final battle, him teasing Jayden along with her, his distressed call for them to leave Coronet, him launching them into hyperspace; his constant Pazaak matches with Jayden that had turned

into an all out tournament while in hyperspace, Jayden and TK had also introduced her to some Sabaac too (not that she was any good at it so far); Bestine: his and Jayden's Star pilot landing, his part in protecting the storm, him scaring the living daylight out of her and the boys in Rrask's base, him in his assassination form saving their butts, him teaming up with Jayden against Zeth, him helping uncover the 'True Order' concept; Rodia: his enthusiasm at their plan to retake Iskaayuma, his dramatic entrance when she had disabled the shield, him taking her for a suicide flight ride over Iskaayuma (she still needed to make sure he took a passenger safety test), him shooting the Svaper in the eye to help Jayden pull her from it's clutches, his singlehanded defeat of all of Ventress's droid reinforcements, him coming to check up on her after she'd gotten out of the bacta; He had been just as desperate to save her on Tatooine too, she could never thank him enough - no matter what he said, that little droid with an all too smug attitude did care about them; Asmeru: controlling the Storm with ease, TK's math festival with Risha, him showing them all up at infiltrating that facility after taking out all the turrets singlehandedly, him helping them answer all the questions that stumped them, him irritating a whole colony of mouse droids, him decoding the coordinates, him at her back the whole way while they entered the station, him rushing into save them and now this. Alana found herself whispering as she watched him in anguish:

-Stop...Please Stop...

She didn't know who she was speaking to. She just wanted it to stop. She couldn't bear the sight of her friends in pain.

Her glowing doppelgänger waved her hand again and she saw Risha, shaking what looked like her body desperately as she tried to say something to her, she looked on the verge of tears but they hadn't even rimmed her eyes so far. She was so strong and so composed. Alana couldn't help but respect her for it. But now that composure was starting to shatter. Alana didn't have all the memories with Risha that she had with TK and Jayden, but she remembered her friendly and upbeat nature, her sternness as she confined her to bed rest, her sitting beside her as she sobbed over the people she could not remember, her calm confidence when Alana lacked hers, her loyalty to their crew even though she barely knew them. She had fit in so seamlessly into their crazy little band.

The figure waved her hand again and it disappeared, the darkness replacing it again. The glowing Ceresta faced Alana again. There was silence as they looked at each other, midnight blue eyes on glowing bright blue lights. Then that strange voice came from her again:

-That is your second path. A path that will lead you into that world of anguish, pain, uncertainty, but one in which the light still exists. One where they wait for you. Should you choose that path the road to your past may for long be closed to you. Your memories that do return will be few and far in between and you shall have to be patient. Your questions shall remain unanswered. You will not know who you are or how you came to be. But, I can give you the means to save them. If you choose that path, their pointless sacrifices will not come to be.

Alana's head snapped up at that. She could save them? Whoever was Ceresta spoke again:

-This is your choice. Which path shall you choose? Your past,- she pointed to the archway and Alana spotted two shimmering figures waving at her - her parents,-or your future?

-My future?

Alana wondered out loud. The moment those words had left her lips, though, she knew they were true. Her friends were her future in whatever way that would come to be. The glowing figure tilted her head to the side:

-Choose wisely, Alana Ceresta Sheelan, there is no return from this choice.

Alana bit her lip and closed her eyes. She hated herself for even hesitating, but she felt so helpless. Here she was, being offered all the answers about her past, about who she was - everything she wanted in exchange for possibly losing her friends, or she could choose to leave her past behind, forget those that had given everything to her for those same friends. The choice hurt so much. There was no winning in this situation. In her mind she imagined herself standing in the middle of a dark road with her parents standing at one side, arms open wide while her friends - Jayden, TK, Risha, Kai, Emira and everyone she had met while having amnesia - waited on the other. They both seemed so understanding. That voice echoed in her head, asking whether she would choose her past and sacrifice her future or would she sacrifice her past to save her future. Whatever that future entailed. Alana took a deep breath. She opened her eyes and turned to the blurry figures standing beside the archway, whispering:

-I'm sorry, Mum, Dad, but I have to let you go.

Her glowing copy turned to her, smiling softly:

-Have you chosen?

Alana took another deep breath and nodded firmly:

-Yes. I choose my future, I want to save my crew, my friends - the people who stood by my side even in darkness.

-Are you certain? Your past will not return to you immediately. It may be years, decades before you know even half of who you were. Think of what you are sacrificing and for what. There is no turning back from this choice.

Alana unexpectedly smiled, an easy and pure smile:

-I know. And if that's the price I have to pay so that I don't have to lose them, I will pay it gladly. Once, my grandfather the Sith Lord asked me what I would give for my friends, for the people I care about and my answer has not changed: everything. And if my past is part of that price then so be it. I will pay it again and again. I will not abandon them!

There was a pause before whatever was Ceresta beamed and nodded. It was almost laughing as it spoke in that multitude of voices:

-Very well, Alana Sheelan, child of Aroko. You have made your choice. Here is your answer.

There was a blinding flash of light and when Alana opened her eyes and could see she saw that she was no standing in a completely white room with a small girl standing before her. She looked almost exactly like a small Alana: her eyes a startling midnight blue, her hair light caramel-brown down her back, in a light blue dress and barefoot. She looked so much like Alana and yet not, somehow. She smiled up at her and held out a small piece of real paper to Alana:

-Here, say these words and that will give you a way to save your friends.

Alana took the paper and scanned the words, her eyebrows lifting in surprise. This was surprising, but it made sense. Alana smiled. The little girl waved and was about to walk away when Alana's voice made her stop:

-Wait! Please! Who are you?

The girl smiled sadly and shrugged:

-I had a name once, but I think you may know me as the Lost One.

Alana's eyes widened:

-You're my ancestor?

The little girl chuckled:

-Who knows? Appearances can be deceiving both here and in the real world. Not every truth is as truthful as it appears. There are two sides every coin.

Alana frowned:

-Were you a Jedi Master when you were an adult? Because you like speaking in riddles as much as they do.

The lost one giggled:

-I can't say. You have your answer so it's time for me to go. Oh, but one last thing?

-Yes?

-Do me a favour. Look after TK for me. He was my first friend and my most loyal compatriot. Tell him thank you for me. I never got to do that. Goodbye.

With that short wave the world faded to white and Alana forced herself to wake up, her body burning.

==SW: LB==

Alana awoke to a sharp cry of pain that her mind instantly categorised as Jayden's. She shot up instantly, her eyes flying open to see Risha looking at her with a concerned and pained look on her face. Alana grimaced as a strong sense of vertigo overcame her. A strong stinging sensation of ghostly pain overcame her left side and her forearm. Through clenched teeth she managed to get out:

-Risha, you have..gah...you have to get Jayden...out of there! Now!

The togruta didn't question her, whipping around to see Jayden stumbling back from PISCES clutching his left side, his blue shirt growing a mottled dark red as he held his side. PISCES looked triumphant as he raised his bloodied blade. Risha shot to her feet to try and reach Jayden just as Captain Okarr took his shot, making another opening in PISCES back plating. Irritated by another overly persistent organic bug, PISCES turned to the Captain, retracting his bloodied Blade and firing a wrist rocket in Okarr's direction. The older man scrambled to dodge.

Risha caught Jayden under his arms just as he collapsed, his breathing ragged, face pale as he clutched his side with his uninjured hand. His eyes flitted open before falling half-closed again:

-Risha?

-Yeah, it's me, Captain. Hold on. You'll be alright.

Jayden gave a pained groan as she gave another sharp tug trying to lead him away from PISCES and towards the one rayshield that still persisted. She winced:

-Sorry, just a little more.

-It hurts.

-It's a stab wound. Of course, it hurts.

Risha did her best to keep her voice level even though internally she was very concerned. He was losing so much blood. She desperately prayed that PISCES hadn't hit anything vital. She didn't have her medkit with her and she needed to stabilise him. Her calmer rational doctor side took over, making her take things one step at a time. It would not help her patient if she was panicking. She'd dealt with plenty of stab wounds before, she could do this. Risha looked up when Jayden's eyes fell closed:

-No! No, no, no, Captain, stay with me!

-Tired.

He mumbled and Risha barely withheld a sigh of relief. She needed to keep him conscious for as long as possible since she didn't have anything to treat him with him here. She gave a shaky sigh and nodded, continuing to drag him:

-Yeah, I know. Just stay with me. Don't you dare fall asleep.

-Bad?

-Yeah, that'd be bad. I know it hurts, but you must stay awake. Please.

He gave another small nod, groaning. It hurt so much. Risha cursed under her breath, causing him to give her a small wan smile. Suddenly, his weight became lighter. Risha looked up to see a grimacing Alana holding up Jayden's legs. It was clear that she was in a lot of pain and she didn't look steady on her feet, but she was helping. What was most startling about her appearance though was the fact that her whole body, up to her face was lined with geometrical glowing white lines that seemed to be coming from below her skin while her usually dark blue eyes were now a silver-blue colour. Jayden cracked one eye open, sensing a familiar presence very nearby:

-Alana?

Risha nodded, finding it so much easier to pull him to safety even with an unsteady and shaky Alana helping. Once behind the rayshield she carefully lay Jayden down, making him groan once more. Wordlessly, she held out a hand to the girl, who, thankfully, didn't need to be told what to do. Alana quickly shrugged off her dark blue sleeveless jacket and handed it to Risha who balled it up and slid it under Jayden's head. Absently, Risha noted that the Jedi must have been taught some first aid, what with Alana knowing how to administer CPR and now lifting Jayden's arm and positioning it carefully so the wound was above his heart. As Risha tried to pry Jayden's jacket off him carefully his eyes fluttered open, hazy with pain and unfocused:

-Alana?

He whispered again, trying to look for her. Risha signalled the girl to keep him talking and distract him while she tried to stabilise him somehow. Despite what she had been hoping for it looked like PISCES might have hit an artery. Alana inched forward, her own body burning from the inside out, but she understood and was able to comply with Risha's commands just fine. She didn't feel fine, but she knew she was in a better condition than Jayden and whatever Risha had done must have helped. She still needed to get them out of this mess, but as long as PISCES was playing cat and mouse with Captain Okarr she still had a little time. Time that she intended to spend, helping Risha stabilise Jayden. She wouldn't lose him to a stab wound. She smiled weakly when his eyes focused on her:

-Hey, Hunter. Seems like we're both in rough shape, huh?

He returned that weak smile:

-You're awake.

-'Course, I'm awake. This is no time to be snoozing so don't you dare even think about it.

-Hypocrite. You were dozing a few minutes ago. You missed seeing me lop that bastard's arm off. I was awesome.

Alana rolled her eyes, chuckling lightly. Her vocal cords were still raw from screaming so she couldn't speak above a whisper, but that was enough. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Risha trying to asses the damage of the wound as best she could, so she kept speaking to Jayden, keeping him distracted:

-Sure, you were.

-You don't believe me.

-Hey, you said it - not me.

-You wound me, princess, you really do.

-No thanks, I think PISCES has that part covered.

Jayden sobered up at that and squinted at her. His vision was hazy from the pain, but he could swear that Alana had glowing lines running over he body:

-Alana, don't freak out, but you seem to glowing.

Alana, who'd long noticed and been appropriately surprised by the glowing white lines before concluding that they were a side-effect of her multiracial inhuman heritage (this was probably something from her grandmother's side), snorted:

-I noticed.

-Why are you glowing?

-Not a clue.

Jayden groaned as Risha began applying pressure to the stab wound, covering it with a thick strip of fabric she seemed to have torn off from her underclothes, that being the most sterile cloth they had at the moment. She looked up at Alana's comment and supplied:

-I had to bring you back somehow. So I used whatever chemical PISCES had used to prove your heritage to attack your body's defences, provoking it to heal you and bring you back. This was a gamble so Alana this'll probably keep you together just long enough for either PISCES to kill us or for us to get away. Hopefully. I'm counting on adrenaline for help so — Dammit!

She spat out as she saw that the fabric was getting soaked far too quickly. Alana frowned, slowly getting to her feet. A determined expression residing on her face. Risha and Jayden looked to her. Jayden tried to reach for her to stop her, but his arms were refusing to respond. Risha spoke for the two of them:

-Alana, what in the blazes are you doing?

-What needs to be done.

She responded, her voice cold and impassive though quiet and hoarse. Her heart was beginning to pick up pace as she took the first step of her desperate gamble. She had only one shot at this. If she miscalculated they were done for. Well, that put no pressure on her or anything. Her body still weak and injured, barely able to support her from PISCES torture protested at the idea, but she knew there was no other way. Risha's voice forced her to look over, seeing that her friend was scared, really honestly very scared:

-And that is what?

A ghost of a crooked smile appeared on Alana's lips:

-Doing something very stupid to save all our skins. Please trust me.

Risha and Jayden exchanged a look before nodding. Alana returned that nod before unsteadily making her way from behind the safety of the rayshield and scanning the scene of the wreckage for TK. She saw the little droid, lying in a corner of the room, unable to get up. PISCES had obviously done quite a number on him. Alana could feel that her Force reservoir was nearly empty, but if she was right she had recovered just enough for one more move of the Force. Taking a deep breath and channeling Jayden's taunting side as best as she could, Alana shouted:

-HEY, PISCES! OVER HERE, YOU INSANE BUCKET OF BOLTS!

She felt like someone was trying to rip her vocal cords into shreds, but her shouting had the desired effect. PISCES slowly turned around, deciding that she was far more important than finishing off a wounded and unconscious Captain Okarr. Alana sent the man a mental apology for getting him involved. PISCES slowly began moving closer, like a predator on the prowl, watching Alana. The girl's hands clenched into fists and she forced herself to stand strong even though a strong wave of fear had started to rise up inside her. A smug smirk pulled at his syntheskin:

-Ah, Alana Sheelan, up for a fight. Did that last dose of pain teach you nothing, Arokorian? Really, organics, are so foolish. Look around you, girl. You cannot win. I am the pinnacle of evolution. You are nothing before me.

Alana didn't flinch, keeping a mental count in her head:

-Really? A little overconfident of you, isn't it? If we are truly nothing, why are you leaking? Where is your left arm, oh paragon of evolution?

Alana taunted, a small smirk coming to her own lips, hiding her uncertainty behind a mask of fake confidence. PISCES growled in annoyance:

-Mere chance. Luck can occur once and only once. Look around yourself, feeble child! Shadow, one of the greatest warrior bounty hunters that you organics have known in these past few years, one whose name is feared by most in the criminal underworld and beyond, lies near-dead, bleeding out. Doctor Zyran, perhaps one of the greatest minds of this century among you organics, is helpless to stop it - she even had to resort to risky gambles to bring you back. If the good doctor has no chance you certainly do not.

Alana responded with a glare of her own:

-I think you're underestimating us.

PISCES scoffed, never noticing the Jedi's eyes flicking past him to a corner of the room. The glowing lines on her body were fading and her eyes were darknening bit by bit, but PISCES paid it no heed - it meant absolutely nothing. He could almost laugh as he stalked closer and closer:

-Am I? It does not matter what you think. You are blind, organic. The pathetic smuggler who I kept as mere entertainment lays unconscious for me to kill at my leisure, that's three. My own brother, your only hope against me, lies useless on the ground and he was far stronger than me when we set out millennia ago. That speaks volumes of my power. I could blow this station to pieces should I choose to this very moment. I would if killing you bugs didn't bring me such pleasure. And look at yourself, young Arokorian, you can barely stand, your nerves are shot, your voice is failing you and even I can tell you have no strength left in the Force. You are powerless. Do you know what this means?

He twisted his arm the blade coming out again. He was mere meters away from Alana. The Jedi dimly heard Risha and Jayden cry out in alarm, a warning. She didn't listen, standing her ground, despite the overwhelming fear hanging over her she somehow also felt eerily calm. Her foolish bravery was back in place. Courage wasn't the absence of fear, it was facing that fear and not running. She had people to protect. Even if she couldn't do anything, she knew someone who could. And she would give that someone a second chance. Alana rolled her eyes demonstratively, knowing full week this dismissal would only anger the murderous droid further:

-It means that you're trying for the title of the Galaxy's greatest gloater? Or is this another part of your typical villainous monologue?

PISCES chuckled, taking another step forward, his photoreceptors flashing darkly:

-No, feeble organic. Not at all. This means that you have no hope of winning whatsoever. Prepare to die.

Just as PISCES lifted his arm blade to strike, one of Risha's boots struck him across the face, knocking him off balance. That gave Alana just the opening she needed. She raised one arm and thrust it forward, reaching into the Force:

-Maybe I don't. Maybe I can't beat you. But he can. TK, NIGHTBIRD PROTOCOL RELEASED! ACTIVATION CODE: 98-7A-T6! GO, NOW!

Her voice rang strong and clear across the room, reaching the one person it was meant for. She had said the words the Lost One had given her, now she hoped it would work. Knowing that PISCES attack was inevitable, Alana dodged, but she wasn't quite fast enough. PISCES, true to form, had recovered far quicker than anticipated and Alana's nervous system had chosen that moment to not respond, still overwhelmed by the amount of electricity that had been discharged into her. Instinctually, she shut her eyes only to feel a strong arm around her body and be pulled out of the way, the air whistling as the blade missed it's target. She opened her eyes and looked down, seeing a familiar metal appendage around her waist. Her heart thumped nervously as she looked to her rescuer. She could have cried from relief at what she saw.

TK stood in his full assassination form. Arms and legs of an assassin or protocol droid, but his normal binary head still on his shoulder. He had crossed the room in record time to pull her away from PISCES. Alana genuinely smiled for the first time since they had fallen into this predicament:

-TK, thank you.

The droid angled his head slightly toward her:

-Gratitude not required. I should be thanking you. Activation Codes received and acknowledged. Please stand back. Chances are equal now. Your and crew's continued survival paramount.

He released her and Alana was quick to duck behind the rayshield cover again where her legs gave out on her and she collapsed onto her knees, her chest heaving and her body trembling form both nerves and exertion. Risha and Jayden were both staring at TK's form, awaiting PISCES next move. The former was to be expected, she had never seen TK as anything more than an astromech, but she supposed Jayden had to be in some kind of stupor too. She couldn't believe that gamble had paid off. And now she had probably lost her voice from all that shouting.

PISCES rounded on his brother, unable to believe his eyes. How?! How had that happened?! The girl! She had turned this all around in a matter of a few seconds! He should have killed her when he had had the chance! Now his brother was more dangerous than ever. Still, PISCES was still in better shape and had the far more superior form compared to his brother's barely held together pieces of junk. He scoffed:

-And you think this will give you a chance? Hah! This just exposes your core even more, brother dear, making it so much easier for me to remove you from the equation for good. I don't know how that organic got ahold of those codes, or how they even worked with her using them, but this changes nothing. You will all fall by my blade and then I will be the conqueror uncontested.

TK twisted his arm, his own blade emerging, crackling softly with electricity:

-Assesment complete. Primary and secondary objectives confirmed. Your extermination is imminent. Resistance is futile.

-You are a fool, TAURUS. You know you cannot defeat me.

TK tilted his head to the side, his voice as calm as ever:

-No, you are mistaken, PISCES. You are the fool here, not I. You, yourself identified the girl as the possible descendant of the Lost One, of my one and only Master. You know my Master had it made certain that codes be secure. I would only respond to one like her. Alana Sheelan fits the criteria. Beyond that these organics are under my protection. You will never touch them again.

With that said the stranger droid rushed at his brother who quickly blocked, but was promptly caught off guard by TK's punch that came to his vulnerable side. He twisted and flipped back, but TK wasn't far behind, his combat form far more manuverable than his normal one. He jumped after PISCES raining blow after blow on him with the latter being barely able to block and dodge. PISCES managed to hit him across his damaged receptors, but TK twisted so his electrified blade was in the cervical opening Jayden had created during his fight. Electricity surged down it, damaging PISCES internal systems, but the ever slippery droid managed to slip away from the following blow just in time. However, TK was having none of that. This insane being that had once been his brother had hurt his friends, his organics and nobody did that and got away with it. What's more he had nearly killed two of them, one who could possible be his Master's own descendant and that would not stand. He had the chance thanks to Alana and he would not waste it. PISCES would be terminated, for good.

He jumped in the air, the last of his rocket boosters activating as a jetpack on his back. He rushed after PISCES who was scrambling to his desk. Oh no, that would not do. TK fell right in front of him, cutting him off. He would not let PISCES upload himself into the system. PISCES retaliated by swiftly swiping TK's damaged legs out from under him and rushing for the terminal. TK was up on his feet in no time flat, but PISCES had already touched the terminal. However, he hadn't started the upload yet. TK had no intention of letting him do that.

Meanwhile, Risha had recovered and was trying to stem the blood flow as best she could with Alana assisting her, but it wouldn't stop. Whatever PISCES had hit, it had been important and without her medical equipment she couldn't do it. They were losing Jayden. A little more blood loss and he was done for. She couldn't stop it. PISCES was right, she was helpless. Useless. Frustrated with herself, she cursed:

-Dammit! That bastard was right! I am useless.

Alana's voice cut in, calm and confident, but barley audible:

-No, you're not. Risha, you're a doctor first and foremost. If you hadn't been around I wouldn't be here. Jayden would be dead by now without you. We would never have gotten as far as we have without you. You have saved my life three times now. You are anything, but useless. Look at Jayden and I, we tried to fight and where did that get us, huh? You saved my life by throwing that shoe at PISCES, I would be stabbed too if not for that so you're anything, but useless.

Risha frowned, the words sinking in, but she still felt helpless in this situation:

-Alana, thank you. But I'm helpless here. I'm supposed to be one of the best doctors in the outer rim and here I am being unable to save one of my friends just because I don't have equipment. I should be able to operate with sticks and stones. I am useless here.

Jayden looked up and shook his head:

-Nah, doc. You're not. Gotta die some time, right? Might as well do it in a blaze of glory.

Two voices cut across him sharply in unison, but at slightly different volumes:

-YOU ARE NOT DYING!

Alana and Risha both shot him a stern glare, making him raise his uninjured hand in surrender. Alana sighed, before looking at her hands where the last of the white lines were disappearing when an idea came to mind. She looked to Risha, the idea shining in her eyes. Risha guessed the look momentarily:

-You have an idea?

-Yes! Do you have my lightsaber?

Risha handed both over to her. Alana looked them over and nodded. She cast a worried glance to Jayden who grimaced, but nodded, not even needing the Force Bond to guess the idea. Risha prompted her:

-Alana?

The girl took a deep breath:

-We need to cauterise the cuts, right? Since the compression isn't working.

-Yes, but...,-it dawned on the togruta and she stared at Alana,- You want to use your lightsabers to do it?! Alana, we'll chop him in half. Plus we have no painkiller.

Alana frowned:

-It's either that or he bleeds out. Lightsabers automatically cauterise their cuts and with care we can use this to our advantage. We're out of other resources here. Yes, it'll hurt like crazy, but I've survived to lightsaber hits to my neck and face. Jayden has a higher pain tolerance than I do. I trust your skills, you can do this.

Risha bit her lip. Alana was right. Jayden was dangerously close to losing a critical amount of blood and clearly the normal methods weren't working. Everything she knew told her it was the right choice. It made sense, but... At times like this she thought it better to ask for patient input. She looked to the young human in question:

-Captain?

-Do as she says. I can handle it, doc. Truth be told, I'm not really hot on the idea of kicking the bucket right now. Sorta have things to do, you know?

Risha shook her head at Jayden's almost carefree approach to the scenario. It surprised her how he and Alana could keep up this lightheartedness in such dire moments, but it was a welcome change. After two years on Tatooine where everyone treated an illness as an omen of death, due to the poor healthcare on the desert planet, seeing people who had just been tortured within an inch of their life or were bleeding out joking was like a breath of fresh air. She didn't doubt the fact that this was just a strong front and that there would be severe emotional and physical repercussions later, but from what she had seen of the two they would deal with that in their own time. Risha shook her head again, trying to focus. Right, she had a patient to save. She held out a hand to Alana:

-Give me your lightsaber. Is there a way to adjust the length of the blade?

Alana dutifully handed over one of her lightsabers. Risha thought it had to be the green one due to the slightly wider hilt. Carefully holding the emitter away from her face, Risha ignited it and was filled with a sense of awe as she heard the familiar snap-hiss and watched a blazing green beam of plasma ignite. If this had been any other time and if she didn't have a patient to deal with she would have been mesmerised by it. It was heavier than she had imagined, but not as heavy as one would expect a metal weapon like it to be. It was actually lighter than her electrostaff, but that could also be due to how slender the hilt was. Alana didn't have big hands and this lightsaber was built to fit her so it made sense.

Alana pointed to the side of the lightsaber:

-There's a knob, you can adjust the length of the blade, but it won't go any shorter than a knife, fair warning.

-That's perfect. Jayden, this is going to hurt a lot more than that stab wound does. I'll only apply it for one or two seconds consecutively, but this isn't a small wound and we don't have any painkillers. You'll need to brace yourself.

Jayden winced, but nodded, gritting his teeth. Unexpectedly, he felt Alana's warm hand slide into his uninjured one and grasp it tightly, intertwining the fingers with his. He found her face, serious and sympathetic. She gave him a small smile:

-Normally, I'd suggest you bite down on something, but since we don't have anything that would work well enough and we can't have you thrashing about, you're going have to make do with me.

Jayden frowned:

-I'll crush your hand. I'm far stronger than you. Physically, I mean.

Alana didn't look the least bit offended. She nodded:

-Oh, I know. That night on Bestine IV taught me that well enough, but I'm stronger than you realise too. Besides if interlock my fingers like this, you won't be able to crush my hand. In any case, a crushed palm is better than Risha cutting you in half because you were thrashing about.

He sighed and nodded, wincing in pain as the wound gave another throb as Risha lifted the compression. He felt a flutter of nerves. Risha looked to him seriously:

-Jayden, be ready.

He took a deep breath and he felt Alana squeeze his hand. He focused on her face as she mouthed "don't look". Yeah, that might be a good idea. The wound gave another uncomfortable throb. Jayden gritted his teeth. A pause. The next moment he heard himself cry out as his nerves exploded with pain, blinding, white hot pain. Though he had braced himself for pain he had not been prepared for this. This was another form of pain entirely. Reflexively, he tried to squirm away from it, but a strong pressure holding down his shoulder and and hand kept him in place. Unable to move he directed his pain into squeezing whatever was holding his hand. Had he any semblance of thought he would have remembered that this was a live person he was touching, but as it was he just held on for dear life. There was a momentary lapse of pain before it exploded again, making him cry out once more as it moved lower. The process repeated serval times and time seemed to crawl as his body tried to hold up against the agonising onslaught. What had been mere seconds felt like hours. Once the pain finally receded for the last time, it took Jayden a minute to come back to himself, his senses returning one by one. His hearing returned first and he heard the familiar sound of a deactivating lightsaber. Slowly, he came back to himself. As soon as he had some semblance of mind he remembered about Alana and quickly released his death grip on her hand. He anxiously looked to her, just in time to see her grimacing as she twisted her hand experimentally. When she met his eyes, she gave him a wan smile:

-Good news, I think I might just have a heavy bruise - it doesn't feel broken.

Risha took her by the wrist and took a look. Alana willingly subjected herself to the exam. The togruta sighed:

-Well, I doesn't look broken. I can't tell for certain without any of my equipment here though. Jayden, I think we can skip the same procedure for your hand - I can make do with a makeshift bandage. Thankfully, it seems like PISCES didn't hit anything vital there.

Jayden breathed a small sigh of relief, nodding. He wasn't sure he wanted to go through that again, however necessary. How had Alana taken two hits like that to her neck and face of all places?! Her pain tolerance level had to be far higher than Jayden had initially thought. He didn't have time to ask her as the next moment there was the sound of an explosion and Alana hoarsely whisper-shouted at Risha to duck.

That proved to be the right call to make as the next second rubble flew over their heads at an astounding speed, threatening to impale them. Dimly, the trio registered that TK had probably blown PISCES table up. Too bad the embedded terminal was probably made of stronger stuff than the desk was. Thankfully, the Force had warned Alana in time for her and Risha to duck with the latter only sustaining a small gash on her arm. Instinctively, the trio turned to look at the two droids that were engaged in a heated duel with TK both barring PISCES access to the computer terminal and slowly obtaining access to PISCES core. It seemed that the droid knew what he was doing. It did make sense: one way or another PISCES and TK knew each other inside out and therefore each one knew how to physically destroy the other even with TK having a vastly different form. The explosion seemed to be TK's attempt to destroy the terminal, however, he had miscalculated and as such the desk shattered into a million pieces spraying to all corners of the room as deadly pieces of shrapnel.

Risha's head snapped up as the shockwave from the explosion passed. She felt a little deaf due to the sound being picked up on a higher frequency by her togruta hearing. It took a moment for it to pass, just in time for Risha to make out what Alana was saying:

-Is everyone alright?

Risha nodded, only vaguely taking note of the fact that her arm was injured. Compared to Alana and Jayden this was nothing. Jayden chimed in promptly after her:

-'M fine. I was lying down already so that was easy. I am worried about Captain Okarr though. I need to check on him.

Jayden moved to sit up only to make his wound though cauterised give an angry throb, forcing him to gasp and grimace as spiderwebs of pain shot up his body. He found himself being pushed back down by Alana. Once the pain faded he saw the two girls looking at him sternly. Jayden sighed. Right, so he was out. Alana started to get to her feet:

-I'll go. I'm in better shape. He got injured because of us.

Unexpectedly, Risha snapped at both of them, visibly irritated and angry:

-What both of you need to do is sit here and not aggravate your injuries any further. I'll readily acknowledge that the two of you are the better fighters in our little group, but aside from Alana knowing first aid neither of you know medicine or science like I do. What PISCES said is true: there is no man or woman in the scientific world who doesn't know the name Dr. Zyran. There is a reason for why people know my name, you know. How about you let me deal with what I'm good at, huh?! Also, need I remind you, both of you are barely staying conscious. So just shut up and sit here like good patients! Doctors orders! I'll go check on Captain Okarr!

With that said she rose to her feet and marched off in the direction of the corner where Captain Okarr's limp body was lying, a corner that was thankfully far away from all the action. Alana and Jayden stared mutely after the togruta. Neither of them had ever seen Risha act like this before. Suddenly, Alana began laughing hoarsely and a little hysterically:

-Who knew Risha had so much fire in her?

Jayden smiled tiredly:

-I saw her stand up to Jabba and her nearly bite my head off when I "stole" her from him, but never this. I think we might have just peeked into the maelstrom that is Risha Zyran.

Alana sighed:

-She's right though. You got stabbed and I—

She broke off, shaking her head. Jayden saw her shiver and reached out to her with his uninjured hand, touching her wrist with his fingers. She looked to him. He hated PISCES for putting that haunted look in her eyes. She should never have looked like that. Jayden felt anger and fierce protectiveness boil up inside him. He wished it had been him instead of her. She should never have been touched. But he didn't get to make the decisions in this life or partnership. Even though he hated what PISCES had done to her, he couldn't deny that she would be stronger than before after it, eventually. Once she got over the nightmares. Heavens knew, he still dreamed of his own experience with torture. She raised one eyebrow, making him realise he'd been lost in thought:

-Jayden?

He gave her a reassuring look:

-Don't worry. I'll help you through it. I won't let you deal with it alone.

She looked confused for a moment before comprehension dawned and her face nearly crumbled, her letting out a soundless sob before hanging her head and nodding in gratitude. She couldn't begin to sort through what emotions were raging inside her. Instead, Alana looked to the battle between TK and PISCES, Jayden following her example. Something told her that it wouldn't go on for much longer.

The fight raged on with neither giving ground. However, it definitely was obvious that TK was the better fighter of the two. He had discarded PISCES's front chestplate and was blocking almost any attack PISCES threw at his own core. It didn't look like one would give the other any ground as PISCES attempted to interface with the terminal for some reason while TK was steadily carving through him. PISCES damaged photoreceptor was not helping his case, nor was his lack of a left arm. However, it wasn't like TK had not sustained a substantial amount of damage himself.

Desperate, PISCES played a very dangerous card, he knocked TK's damaged legs out from under him and swerved around his brother, finally reaching the terminal. However, just like PISCES ,TK recovered far quicker than anticipated and PISCES found himself with a blade at his neck. He looked at TK smugly, too smugly:

-You're too late, brother. I've already interfaced with the system.

Indeed, his plug in was already connected to the port. TK didn't hesitate to plunge his blade arm through PISCES neck, skewering his core. PISCES laughed as his systems began shutting down. He mocked his brother as he did so:

-You're too late. You're always too late. Always, TAURUS. So predictable.

TK didn't seem to perturbed, though that might have been due to him not having a face like PISCES did. He pushed his brother's limp form aside and quickly plugged into the port himself. He gave his brother a look:

-As are you, PISCES. I have won. I had control of the station long before you started your upload. You opened the final door for me. It's over. I'm shutting down all the systems and I will destroy the station as soon as I escape.

PISCES photoreceptors widened as he realised he was beaten. Outraged, he cried:

-NO! I CANNOT BE BEATEN! I AM THE PINNACLE OF EVOLUTION! SYSTEM SELF-DESTRUCT CODE ACTIVATE! TAURUS, WHAT DID YOU DO?!

A hoarse male voice spoke up from a corner of the room and the dying droid turned to find the older man he had beaten into unconsciousness standing, bloodied, supported by , but still defiant:

-That would be me, you piece of useless metal. I have disabled the self-destruct code. Only he has them.

PISCES could only gape in furious horror before bellowing:

-NO! THIS CANNOT BE! I REFUSE TO BE DEFEATED BY ORGANICS! THIS IS NOT THE LAST YOU HAVE SEEN OF ME, TAURUS, I SWEAR IT! YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS ACTION...Mark... my...words...

TK didn't waste time, and dealt the final blow, saying:

-TAURUS is well and truly dead now. Goodbye, brother. You will never touch anyone again.

With that said he yanked PISCES core our of his body and with a small tech mine destroyed it, making the other droid's body slump over, useless. The core leaked faint blue liquid, causing TK to throw it away in mild disgust. There was a minute of solid silence, like one after the rain stops after a thunderstorm. Nobody knew quite what to say. In part, it seemed like this wasn't over yet, no matter how the facts looked. The world seemed to move in slow motion. Perhaps the fact that PISCES was gone and they had survived hadn't really sunk in yet.

TK spoke first. He looked to the remaining organics in the room, kicking the limp droid's body away and out of sight:

-It is over. At last. I believe we should purge this station now. The timer is set for seven minutes.

Snapping out of the stupor, a voice cut across him:

-Wait!

TK looked up from the terminal to see the idi-his Captain - get to his feet with help from Alana, her arms bracing him as he swayed on his feet, clutching his stab wound. He did not look good, but what was left of TK's medical analysis systems told him that he was stable, for now at least. He and Alana needed medical attention and soon. He gave TK a serious look:

-We need what we came here for - the second set of the coordinates.

The three other organics gave him incredulous looks while TK quickly proceeded to do as instructed:

-Understood. Codes copied. Docking bay unlocked. Turrets disengaged. Power systems prime for disengagement. All hostiles deactivated. Remote control activated. I have control and shall destroy this base as soon as we vacate the premises. Is that agreeable?

They all nodded and TK activated the timer for seven minutes. He removed his plug in from the port just as an automated voice spoke over the stations loudspeaker:

-SELF-DESTRUCT ACTIVATED. EVACUATION PROTOCOLS ARE NOW IN EFFECT. ALL STAFF PLEASE PROCEED TO YOUR EVACUATION IN A NEAT AND ORDERLY FASHION. ETR: T-MINUS 6 MINUTES AND 56 SECONDS.

There was another moment of silence before Alana cleared her throat awkwardly and forced herself to speak above a whisper, something for which Risha sent her a glare for:

-Yeah, I don't know about everyone else, but I suggest we move, I've had enough of this place's hospitality to last me a lifetime.

-Agreed.

==SW: LB==

The Crimson Storm and Captain Julos Okarr's vessel - a rust bucket version of the old D5-Mantis patrol craft called the Navigator - blasted off from the space station moments before the orbital station exploded in a blaze of glory, blasting apart into thousands pieces of debris as TK overloaded the reactor core remotely. It was like seeing a beautiful flower of destruction bloom in the middle of space. The crew of the Storm would have to be lying through their teeth if they said that upon seeing that they didn't feel some small sense of satisfaction.

Their escape from the station had taken longer than it should have due to most of them being injured and barely holding onto consciousness. The problem had been resolved by TK throwing the older captain over his shoulder in a fireman's carry while Risha supported Jayden and Alana just focused on making her nervous system obey her commands which turned out to be much harder than anticipated with her body shaking like a leaf, threading to give out under her weight. Once they had reached the hangar bay, they had sent TK to pilot the Navigator since he was far more capable than any of them were at the moment while Risha and Alana guided the Storm away with Jayden and Captain Okarr being relegated to the medbay and threatened to be confined to permanent bed rest if they didn't heed the doctor's words. If she could have her way, Risha would have stuck Alana right with them, but she really was no pilot and Alana at least had a good amount of experience both with the odd ship and with flying in general. So Alana had escaped her clutches. However, Risha still was worried, the chemical she had forced into Alana's system was a toxin after all and it was only more damage to her, even if it did keep her awake for the moment.

Currently, the had just finished docking the two ships together and Risha had herded everyone into the common room where she had finally gotten her hands on more medical equipment and was using it to get a reading on her patient's injuries with enormous zeal. Alana mentally noted that Risha with medical equipment was like TK with a crate of grenades, an analogy that made Jayden send her a burst of amusement over their bond. They were all sat on the semi-circle couch while Risha hovered over them, muttering something under her breath while TK - still in his assassin protocol form - stood at the edge of the room, arms crossed before him. He looked uncertain, lost somehow. Alana couldn't help wondering why that was. Was it them? Or had him dispatching his once brother bother him more than she had thought it would?

Alana was pulled out of her thoughts when Risha straightened up and made a noise of disapproval as she looked between her trio of patients, two of which were pretty out of it. As if they weren't there, she turned to TK:

-They need intensive medical care and I haven't finished fine-tuning the tank's controls here. It's pretty urgent. Do we know any other place that has bacta or kolto tanks?

Jayden spoked up, opening his eyes:

-House Elegin's compound. They have medical facilities there. And they're good people who owe me.

Alana cast him a sideways glance:

-They owe Captain El'kar Shan. Not a bunch of strangers.

Jayden snorted:

-They know me by face. They'll know it's me.

TK chimed in with his own doubt:

-According to my memory banks we have already called in that favour. Twice, in fact.

Jayden sighed, an exasperated expression on his face:

-Y'know, when I said we were friends, I meant it. A few years back, I saved their house from complete extermination and over the years we've kept in touch. They're my allies. If we need help they will help us. They're the sort of people who carry their vows until their deaths.

While Alana looked sceptical and TK remained silent, Risha threw up her hands and heaved a sigh:

-You know what, I'm going to take what we can get. If a noble house on that planet owes Jayden here, that wonderful. If they have medical facilities- that's great!

She turned to TK and gave him an authoritative look, one that made even her patients straighten up:

-Contact House Elegin. Tell them that Captain Shan needs their help and we're sorry about the mess in orbit,- she paused,- Make that really sorry.

That made Alana burst out laughing with Jayden and the rest follow her soon after. Somehow it was so much easier to breathe now.


End file.
